Donald Trump tells Piers Morgan: 'I'm very popular in Britain. I get a lot of fan mail'
US president makes bold claim despite calls for protests if he accepts Theresa May’s invite for a state visit
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has used his interview with Piers Morgan to claim he is very popular in the UK and receives a great deal of fan mail from Britons.
The US president, who was interviewed by the controversial presenter on Sunday night, insisted he was popular in the UK despite calls for massive protests if he accepts Theresa May’s invite for a state visit.
Morgan, who is also editor-at-large of the US Mail Online, interviewed Mr Trump at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland this week.
“I think I’m very popular in your country,” Mr Trump said.
“Let’s not be too hasty Mr President,” Morgan, who first met the former reality TV star on the first series of his Celebrity Apprentice, interjected.
Mr Trump continued: “I know but I believe that, I really do. I get so much fan mail from people in your country.”
He added: “They love my sense of security, they love what I’m saying about many different things. We get tremendous support from people in the UK.”
Mr Trump, whose mother was born on the Hebridean island of Lewis, added: “The real me is somebody that loves Britain, loves the UK. I love Scotland. One of the biggest problems I have in winning, I won’t be able to get back there so often. I would love to go there.”
When probed about opposition to his proposed state visit by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, the billionaire said: “I don’t know the man.”
Responding to calls to ban him from visiting the UK, he added: “Well, that’s their problem I could very nicely stay home.”
Mr Trump’s first international TV interview gave ITV a 10pm bump as three million people tuned in to watch the world leader.
It comes after Mr Trump claimed he would be travelling to the UK for an official state visit in October this year and that he was invited by Theresa May twice.
People are preparing for the “biggest protest in British history” on London’s streets against the president's visit to the UK.
A Facebook event, organised by Guardian columnist Owen Jones and Stop Trump, planned for next month has already had more than 22,000 people sign up to show their interest in the demonstration against Mr Trump’s planned trip.
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