*By Alisha Haridasani*
President Donald Trump on Friday tried to make amends with British Prime Minister Theresa May, a day after he criticized her in an explosive interview with The Sun newspaper, further adding to the [confusion](https://cheddar.com/videos/confusion-at-nato-after-trump-claims-spending-victory) swirling around his jaunt across Europe.
“I have a lot of respect for the Prime Minister,” Trump said in a joint presser with May in Buckinghamshire, UK.
A day earlier, while the president was dining with May at Blenheim Palace, The Sun tabloid newspaper published audio of an interview with him.
“I did give \[May\] my views on what she should do and how she should negotiate,” Trump said in that interview about the PM's Brexit deal. “She didn’t follow those views.”
He added that a soft Brexit plan would “probably kill” the chances of an independent trade deal between the UK and the United States.
“The deal that she is striking is not what the people voted on,” said Trump, publicly shaming his British counterpart and throwing the historic ‘special relationship’ between the UK and the U.S. into question.
At Friday's presser, Trump said he didn’t criticize May, dismissing the Rupert Murdoch-owned paper as “fake news,” despite the fact that the audio recording of the interview was posted on the [newspaper’s website](https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6766531/trump-may-brexit-us-deal-off/).
He also made an about-face on trade. “We want to trade with the UK, and the UK wants to trade with us,” he said. “After speaking with the Prime Minister’s people and representatives and trade experts, it will absolutely be possible.”
Trump’s interview with The Sun added to May’s political crisis at home, days after she presented her Brexit plan to her cabinet.
The deal proposes that Britain would continue to adopt Europe’s regulations for most goods, including agricultural products and manufactured goods, which is the current practice for all members of the EU’s single market. Britain's services, such as finance and banking, will not be included in the single market.
The Brexit plan was softer than many in May’s Conservative party were hoping for and led to the resignations of three ministers within 24 hours this week, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who has been a vocal proponent of a clean cut from Europe.
When Trump arrived in London, her office was still reeling from the political crisis.
In his interview with The Sun, Trump took Johnson’s side. “I was very saddened to see that he was leaving government.”
“I think he would be a great Prime Minister,” said Trump.
On Friday, Trump dug in on his divisive views about immigration as well. “I think it’s been very bad for Europe...I think they better watch themselves,” he said.
May tried to distance herself from Trump's comments on immigration. "The UK has a proud history of welcoming people who are feeling persecution to our country," she said. "We have a proud history of welcoming people who want to come to our country to contribute to our economy and contribute to our society."
Trump and the first lady also met with the Queen on Friday. On Monday, the president will head to Finland for a highly contentious meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
David Tafuri, Former Obama Campaign Foreign Policy Advisor & Former State Department Official, joined Cheddar News to break down the latest geopolitical stories from Beijing, amid China's human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims and yet another Russian doping scandal.
Dr. Jennifer Haythe of Columbia University's Irving Medical Center, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss the latest with the pandemic, as the debate over child safety rages amid low vaccination rates and states easing school mask mandates.
David Nelson, Chief Strategist at Belpointe, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says that Wednesday's market movement shows a rotation back into the industries that were hit hard in January, but says his eyes are firmly fixed on the January CPI data set to be released Thursday.
Russia is preparing alongside Belarus for reportedly one of the largest joint military exercises ever held. Some analysts are concerned this could be a disguise for a real attack, while the Kremlin contends that the exercise is meant to confront potential "unprecedented security threats." Christian Whiton, a former State Department senior advisor, joined Cheddar News to break down the still tense situation. "While it could of course be a prelude to invasion, it seems like the Biden administration is signaling that if you look at Europeans, the Germans and Macron … who just met with Putin, they seem to be thinking that maybe this is a show of force by Russia intended at political intimidation, not actual invasion," said Whiton.
Truckers in Canada have blockaded the Ambassador Bridge, the busiest border crossing between Canada and the U.S. protesting a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Cheddar News spoke with Samir Kapadia, head of trade practice at the Vogal Group, about how this impacts trade between the two countries.
New York City is not only dealing with the ongoing pandemic, it’s also facing a surge in crime. President Biden recently traveled to New York to meet with the city’s new mayor, Eric Adams, to discuss the rise in crime and gun violence.
The president praised Mayor Adams' crimefighting agenda and unveiled a new federal initiative to curb the flow of illegal weapons from the south. Josefa Velásquez, Senior Reporter for THE CITY, joined Cheddar's Fast Forward to talk about how the mayor is battling this increase in crime in his first weeks in office.
The Democratic governors of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Oregon say they will lift mask requirements for schools in the coming weeks, reflecting a nationwide shift away from restrictions. Cheddar News speaks with internist Dr. Vivek Cherian whether it's safe to relax the regulation.
Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama are set to begin voting to unionize for a second time after workers at the facility in the town of Bessemer overwhelmingly voted against forming a union during an election early last year; but in November, the National Labor Relations Board overturned the vote, upholding a union challenge of the results which argued that Amazon undermined the conditions for a fair election. Another round of ballots will now be mailed out to works at the warehouse for a so-called re-run election. Director of Labor and Employment Studies at San Francisco State University John Logan and National Field Director for Our Revolution Mike Oles joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
