[WATCH] Theresa May: we are not afraid to criticise Trump

Theresa may said she will not be afraid to criticize US president Donald Trump and the United States as a whole as she reiterated her criticism of his re-tweeting of the “hateful” far-right group Britain First.

Trump sparked chaos in the UK on Wednesday when he re-tweeted three propaganda videos posted by the deputy leader of Britain First, showing violent acts by Muslims.

In response to a statement from Downing Street describing his actions as “wrong”, the president issued a late-night tweet directed personally at the prime minister, saying: “Theresa May, don’t focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!”

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In her first personal response, at a press conference during a visit to Amman, Jordan, May said that the UK and US worked closely together in the fight against terrorism.

She added: “The fact that we work together does not mean that we are afraid to say when we think that the United States have got it wrong and to be very clear with them. I am very clear that re-tweeting from Britain First was the wrong thing to do.

“Britain First is a hateful organisation. It seeks to spread division and mistrust in our communities. It stands in fundamental opposition to the values that we share as a nation – values of respect, tolerance and, dare I say it, common decency.”

Asked about the US president’s comment that May should concentrate on radical Islam in the UK, she said she wanted to tackle the threat of extremism “from whatever source they come”.

May insisted the disagreement with Trump would not affect the UK’s “long-term special relationship”, but refused to discuss Trump’s planned state visit to the UK beyond saying that no date had been set.

When asked if she would sack a minister who endorsed far right groups, May said: “I have absolute confidence that my cabinet ministers would not be re-tweeting Britain First.”

Asked if Trump was, more widely, a supporter and enabler of far-right groups, May said: “I think that we must all take seriously the threat that far-right groups pose, both in terms of the terrorist threat that is posed by these groups, and the necessity of dealing with extremist material.”

May hoped to complete a three-day Middle East visit, which also involved stops in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, with the focus firmly on her speech setting out her post-Brexit vision for the UK’s role in the region. Instead her trip was overshadowed by questions over the behaviour of Trump.

Meanwhile, in Westminster, MPs condemned the president’s behaviour and urged the government to formally cancel the state visit invitation, made by May when she became the first world leader to visit the Trump White House last year.

At an urgent debate on the issue in the House of Commons, the home secretary, Amber Rudd said:

“The importance of the relationship between our countries and the unparalleled sharing of intelligence between our countries is vital,” she said. “It has undoubtedly saved British lives. That is the big picture here, and I would urge people to remember that.”

Labour MP Paul Flynn said Trump should be “charged with inciting racial hatred” if he came to the UK, while fellow Labour MP Naz Shah suggested the “commander-in-tweet” should be placed on the list of those banned from entering the country for promoting “the hate-filled ideology of fascism”.

The shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, said Trump’s online behaviour was “offensive to all decent British people”.