Donald Trump opens up about his meeting with the Queen
US President Donald Trump has spoken about his meeting with the Queen – and denied claims that he was late to greet her or that he overstayed his welcome.
Speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania, the president, who visited Britain in July, decried the “fake, fake, disgusting news” about his meeting with Her Majesty.
He said: “I was asked to have tea with the Queen, who is incredible by the way. Incredible.
“I landed [and] I'm on the ground and I'm waiting with the King's and the Queen's guards, wonderful people. I'm waiting. I was about 15 minutes early and I'm waiting with my wife and that's fine. Hey, it's the Queen, right? We can wait. But I'm a little early.”
He added: “So, I then go up and meet the Queen and she is fantastic. We then go up and we have tea. And I didn't know this – it was supposed to last 15 minutes but it lasted like an hour. Because we got along. And she liked our first lady and our first lady liked her.
“But we got along fantastically well. But the time went by – you know, sometimes you get along and the time goes by.
“So here was the story by the fake news: The president was 15 minutes late for the Queen. Wrong.
“And then, here's the rest of the story: The president overstayed. So I was late and I overstayed. But honestly, folks, it was such a beautiful, beautiful visit and afternoon.
“But they can make anything bad because they are the fake, fake, disgusting news.”
Trump also said he had “'great respect for the UK – the United Kingdom. Great respect.”