US presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Friday that British prime minister David Cameron had asked him to visit and that he might accept the invitation, an apparent easing of tensions between the presumptive Republican Party nominee and the leader of a major US ally.
Mr Trump, in an interview with MSNBC, said Mr Cameron extended the invitation to visit 10 Downing Street two days ago and that he “might do it”. He gave no other details, including when the visit might occur.
Representatives of Mr Cameron’s office could not be immediately reached for comment to confirm the invitation.
Mr Trump's comments followed a transatlantic exchange between the two men over Mr Cameron's comments criticising the New York property mogul's call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States.
In December, Mr Cameron called Trump "divisive, stupid and wrong" and suggested Mr Trump would unite Britain against him if he visited the United Kingdom.
After Mr Trump clinched his party’s nomination this month, Mr Cameron acknowledged the achievement but said he stood by his earlier comments and would not apologise.
Mr Trump fired back this week, saying on Monday that he was likely not to have a good relationship with Mr Cameron. But the next day he said he expected to have “a good relationship” and on Friday Mr Trump said Mr Cameron had invited him to London.
“I will do just fine with David Cameron. I think he’s a nice guy. I will do just fine,” Mr Trump told MSNBC on Friday. “But they have asked me to visit 10 Downing Street – and I might do it.”
Mr Trump defended his recent comments, saying he was not attacking Britain. As for Mr Cameron, “he came after me a little bit”, Mr Trump added.
Mr Cameron has said he will work with the winner of the November 8th US presidential election and is committed to maintaining the special US-UK relationship, his spokesman has said.
Mr Trump's proposed ban also drew criticism from Sadiq Khan, who was elected mayor of London this month and is Muslim. Mr Khan said last week that Trump's "ignorant view of Islam could make both our countries less safe".
Reuters