Holding hands with Trump was 'a moment of assistance', Theresa May insists

Hand of friendship: The US and UK leaders hold hands briefly
EPA
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Theresa May has described the moment she and Donald Trump held hands as a “moment of assistance”, as sources say the US President is scared of stairs and slopes.

The image made headlines all over the world, with some suggesting the brief moment was a sign of their closeness.

Speaking on the BBC’s Test Match Special, Mrs May said Trump asked her to “take his arm” as they approached a ramp before he “took my arm”.

She added: "We were walking along, he said there was a ramp around the corner and it might be difficult walking down it so to take his arm.

"And then when we got to the top of the ramp he took my hand, just for going down the ramp and then that was it ... I think it was to assist."

Government sources in Washington suggested Mr Trump has a fear of stairs or slopes, according to the BBC.

Mrs May acknowledged the hand-holding was something “journalists and the commentators and everybody pick up”, adding: “But I think it was genuinely a moment of assistance."

At the press conference in January, Trump hailed the “special relationship” between the two nations, describing them as “one of the great forces in history for justice and for peace”.

The Prime Minister became the first world leader to meet the US President when she flew to Washington for the meeting.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in