LONDON • US President Donald Trump yesterday threw his weight behind Mr Boris Johnson's campaign to be Britain's next prime minister and urged all candidates to pledge to boost defence spending, in a striking intervention ahead of his state visit next week.
"I think Boris would do a very good job. I think he would be excellent," Mr Trump told the Sun newspaper about the former foreign secretary and leading Brexit campaigner, who is a front runner among 12 candidates vying to succeed Mrs Theresa May as head of the Conservative Party.
"I have always liked him. I don't know that he is going to be chosen, but I think he is a very good guy, a very talented person," Mr Trump said.
Mr Trump arrives in Britain tomorrow for a three-day state visit at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth before attending World War II commemorations in France and visiting Ireland.
He told the Sun that other Conservative lawmakers had sought his endorsement - though not Environment Minister Michael Gove, who has criticised his stance on Iran.
Mr Trump also praised Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt's pledge to increase British defence spending. "Yup. Like him," Mr Trump said when asked about Mr Hunt.
"The UK should be able to defend themselves. It's a great and very special place," he said, noting that higher British defence spending could boost exports of US military equipment.
Mr Trump had praised Mr Johnson on his last visit to Britain in July last year, saying that he thought Mr Johnson had the skills needed to be prime minister, shortly after he resigned as foreign secretary in protest against Mrs May's handling of Brexit.
After failing three times this year to get Parliament to back her plan for leaving the EU, Mrs May said late last month that she would step down as Conservative Party leader on June 7 to open the way for a contest to succeed her.
Most of the front runners are expected to push for a cleaner break with the European Union.
Mr Trump also criticised Britain's handling of Brexit talks, telling the Sun that "the UK allowed the European Union to have all the cards", though he added that he still had respect for Mrs May.
The two leaders will meet at Mrs May's Downing Street residence in central London on Tuesday, when talks will cover their differences over how to manage the security risks posed by Iran's nuclear programme and Chinese tech company Huawei.
Mr Trump will also spend time with Queen Elizabeth and her heir, Prince Charles, but is not scheduled to meet younger royals including the queen's grandson Prince Harry and his American wife Meghan Markle.
Asked about criticism from Ms Markle during the 2016 election campaign, Mr Trump denied having noticed it.
"I didn't know that she was nasty," he said.
But he wished her well in her new life as a royal.
"I am sure she will do excellently," he told the Sun.
