Trump hits out at May in far-right retweet storm

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US President Donald Trump has stoked a growing row over his controversial retweeting of far-right video content by hitting out at British Prime Minister Theresa May.

May’s spokesperson said on Wednesday Trump was "wrong" to have retweeted three inflammatory videos posted online by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of a far-right group called Britain First.

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White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders defended the president’s decision to retweet the controversial and unverified content, which led to renewed calls for Trump’s invitation to pay a state visit to the UK to be revoked.

"Whether it is a real video, the threat is real," CNN quoted Sanders as saying. "That is what the president is talking about, that is what the president is focused on is dealing with those real threats, and those are real no matter how you look at it."

What do the videos show?

Trump retweeted three videos on Wednesday posted by Fransen, who was convicted in November of abusing a Muslim woman.

The videos purport to show Muslims acting aggressively, but the validity of the content has been questioned. Fransen said the videos came from various online sources.

The first clip shows a person being pushed from the top of a building in Egypt during riots in 2013, and the second shows a man destroying a Christian statue.

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The third is titled "Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches," but the Dutch Embassy in the US tweeted back at Trump rejecting the suggestion the man was a migrant.

"The perpetrator of the violent act in this video was born and raised in the Netherlands," the embassy tweeted.

Why did Trump retweet?

The reason for the timing of Trump’s retweets – among 22 Twitter posts from the president within 24 hours – is unclear. US media noted that one of the videos was also shared by Ann Coulter, the self-proclaimed right-wing polemicist and friend of Trump.

Trump’s call for May to "focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom" chimes with previous comments the US president has made about Britain.

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In December 2015, Trump was widely condemned for claiming that there are "places in London and other places that are so radicalized that the police are afraid for their own lives."

The president engaged in a war of words with London Mayor Sadiq Khan over the proposed travel ban and Khan’s handling of the aftermath of the June terror attack in the British capital.

Khan told the Huffington Post on Wednesday: "Britain First is a vile, hate-fueled organization whose views should be condemned, not amplified."

British Prime Minister Theresa May and US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, DC., US, on January 27, 2017. /Reuters Photo

The US president has a history of controversial policy towards Muslims. He called for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" during the 2016 presidential race.

Since entering the White House, he has issued executive orders in an attempt to ban entry to some citizens of several Muslim-majority countries. The Supreme Court is now considering the legality of a third version of the ban.

What is Britain First?

Britain First is a far-right political group which had struggled to break into the public consciousness despite a healthy social media presence.

The party campaigns to end all immigration and ban Islam. It is a successor to the British National Party, a far-right group that splintered with the rise of anti-immigrant party UKIP.

"Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions. They cause anxiety to law-abiding people," May’s spokesman said.

People hold the Union Flag whilst attending a Britain First rally as deputy leader Jayda Fransen (L) looks on, in Rochester, Britain on November 15, 2014. /Reuters Photo

After Trump’s retweets of her videos, deputy leader Jayda Fransen public profile soared – she was interviewed by major television networks from the UK and the US.

"I'm delighted," Fransen told Reuters. She said Trump's retweets showed the president shared her aim of raising awareness of "issues such as Islam."

State visit to go ahead

Trump was fiercely criticized by an array of British politicians. Sajid Javid, the only Muslim in the British Cabinet, tweeted that the US president had "endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organization that hates me and people like me."

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Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, said the decision to retweet Fransen’s posts was "abhorrent, dangerous and a threat to our country."

Brendan Cox, the widower of MP Jo Cox, whose murderer shouted "Britain First" as he attacked her, said Trump "should be ashamed of himself."

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May is not set to revoke her invitation to Trump to pay a state visit, however. May’s spokesman said: "The invitation for a state visit has been extended and accepted. Further details will be announced in due course."