Hours after bashing British leader May, Trump denies criticism

>He also said Friday that immigration has “changed the fabric” of Europe’s culture, and is bad both for Europe and the U.S.

At a lengthy joint news conference Friday, President Donald Trump backed away from his harsh criticism of British Prime Minister Theresa May, said immigration has been a “very negative thing” in Europe and the United States, and argued that U.S. relations with Russia have been badly damaged by the ongoing special counsel investigation that he called a “rigged witch hunt.”

“I didn’t criticize the prime minister,” Trump said. “It’s called fake news.”

Earlier in the day, when asked directly whether he regretted the interview, which appeared at a time when May’s job is on the line over her “soft” Brexit proposal, Trump closed his eyelids and rolled his eyes.

Later, the president had a quieter arrival at Windsor Palace, where Queen Elizabeth II greeted Trump and first lady Melania Trump in a courtyard as a red-coated military band played “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Trump appeared to follow decorum by refraining from touching the monarch before heading inside with her for a private tea.

This was not without public protests in London.

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