Trump Visits UK: Diplomatic turbulence marks Trump's two-day visit to England

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Europe

02:38

It's a weekend of golf for US President Donald Trump in Scotland after a whirlwind 48-hours in England. A black-tie dinner, meetings, and a news conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May. There was also a controversial interview with a British tabloid. And, tea with Queen Elizabeth the second. Our correspondent Richard Bestic reports from outside Windsor Castle.

As the US president flew around the English countryside, political and diplomatic turbulence followed in his wake. Greeted with all the majesty of Britain's famous pomp and ceremony, later his Brexit bombshell would be discovered.

Quoted in the Rupert Murdoch-owned Sun newspaper, he said his host UK Prime Minister Theresa May had wrecked Brexit along with Britain's chances of a US trade deal.

Fast forward to talks at Chequers, the country house of UK prime minister, and President Trump revealed it was all fake news, whatever the UK wanted to do on Brexit was fine with him and Theresa May was his new best friend:

DONALD TRUMP US PRESIDENT "We had a wonderful visit last night. I think I got to know the prime minister better than any time. We spent a lot of time together over a year and half, but last night we really I was very embarrassed for the rest of the table, we just talked about lots of different problems and solutions to those problems and it was a great evening."

In terms of damage limitation, that was as good as it was going to get for Theresa May as she struggles to pitch her Brexit blueprint to Euroskeptics in her own party. For President Trump, it was on to the highlight of his UK stopover: Tea with the Queen.

A high etiquette affair, of which Trump's Scottish mother, Marian, an ardent Royalist, would have fully approved. Trump, himself, on best behavior.

The US president is now spending his weekend at one of his Scottish golf resorts ahead of a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin - on the agenda Crimea, Ukraine and alleged Russian interference with the US elections.

RICHARD BESTIC WINDSOR CASTLE, ENGLAND "He may also ask President Putin how Soviet era Russian chemical weapons found their way onto English streets. Of the four people who came into contact with them, one died earlier in the week. Richard Bestic, CGTN, at Windsor Castle, England."