US ambassador Trump 'admires and respects' Theresa May

Donald Trump’s ambassador to Britain has insisted that the US president “admires and respects” Theresa May, following the transatlantic spat over Trump sharing anti-Muslim propaganda online.

Woody Johnson used an interview with Bloomberg on Friday to attempt to calm the diplomatic storm created by Trump’s retweets of videos from the far-right group Britain First, which prompted Britain’s ambassador to Washington complain to the White House.

“The president and the prime minister have a very, very good relationship. I know the president admires and respects the prime minister greatly,” Johnson said.

“I know that the prime minister was one of the first, the first visitor to the White House after the inauguration.”

He added: “My job and the president’s job is to protect Americans. He’s doing the best that he can. You’re going to have little stumbles along the road. Absolutely. You’re going to have things that happen. But the intent is there and it’s genuine, and it’s going to happen.”

May criticised Trump’s sharing of the extremist material, saying it had been “wrong”. But the president followed up his initial retweets with a riposte to the prime minister in which told her to concentrate on fighting terrorism in the UK.

Politicians from across Britain’s main parties lined up to criticise Trump’s behaviour on Thursday, with many calling for the offer of a state visit to be formally withdrawn.

May passed on an invitation from the Queen for a full state visit when she visited Trump at the White House days after his inauguration. The invitation was accepted  but privately few in government expect it to take place in the foreseeable future.