Sucking up to Donald Trump works. At least, that was the conclusion of the Sun in the late hours of Thursday 12 July, when it prepared to drop the mother of all news bombs on Theresa May’s state dinner with the US president. In a “world exclusive” interview, Trump accused the Prime Minister of wrecking Brexit and warned she might have killed off chances of a US-UK trade deal.
Tomorrow’s front page: Donald Trump @realDonaldTrump accuses the PM of wrecking Brexit – and warns she may have killed off any chance of a vital US trade deal – full story HERE at 11pm https://t.co/JRrMjQDTBq pic.twitter.com/udCjYWQeeQ
— The Sun (@TheSun) July 12, 2018
But the paper “wot won it” soon got a true taste of what Trumpian Britain would feel like. Addressing reporters at Chequers alongside Theresa May, Donald Trump called his own interview with the Sun “fake news”.
He did it. He really did it. Donald Trump called his ON THE RECORD (which was recorded) interview with The Sun “fake news”.
— Mark Di Stefano (@MarkDiStef) July 13, 2018
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Trump went back on the comments he had made to the Sun literally hours beforehand. In an attempt to redefine the whole basis of truth, he claimed that since he records all of his interviews the comments could not be true.
In fact, the Sun interview was recorded. The recording of the point of contention, Trump’s comments on May’s Brexit strategy, was even published along with the interview.
Trump, at least, seemed to have enjoyed the experience. He claimed he had met “two very nice people” from the Sun, but demanded to know where his “very nice” comments about Theresa May were published.
Donald Trump accused The Sun of “fake news” for not reporting the nice things he said about Theresa May. They did. pic.twitter.com/4V7jBENXbg
— Kevin Schofield (@PolhomeEditor) July 13, 2018
“Where, on the internet?” Trump admonished the tabloid. It was Trump wot won it this time round.
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