A turbulent chapter: Looking back on Donald Trump’s presidential term

Donald Trump, Boris Johnson
AP
Leah Sinclair19 January 2021

Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday marks the start of a new era for the United States and the end of Donald Trump’s presidency  after four tumultuous years.

Mr Trump’s presidential term has been characterised by chaos and political turbulence. This reached its nadir on January 6, when a violent mob of Trump supporters and extremists stormed the US Capitol as members of congress gathered to certify Mr Biden’s election victory.

A week later Mr Trump became the first president in US history to be impeached twice.

Over the last four years Britain has clung onto the “special relationship” with the US, wth both Theresa May and then Boris Johnson seeking to maintain close ties with Trump’s White House.

But that didn’t come without its challenges over the years, ranging from Mr Trump’s views on the NHS to his feud with London mayor Sadiq Khan.

Here’s how the relationship between the UK and US progressed - and stumbled - following Mr Trump’s win in 2016:

January 2017

Prime Minister Theresa May becomes the first foreign leader to meet new US President Donald Trump for talks, just a week after his inauguration, and they are pictured in Washington holding hands as they walk.

May 2017

A row erupts between the US and British authorities after sensitive information is leaked to American news outlets in the wake of the Manchester Arena terror attack. Two days later, Mrs May says Mr Trump has made it clear the leaks were “unacceptable”.

June 2017

The Prime Minister condemns Mr Trump’s Twitter attacks on London Mayor Sadiq Khan after the London Bridge terror atrocity.

Mr Trump had mocked Mr Khan for saying there was “no reason to be alarmed” over armed police on the streets of the capital.

November 2017

Downing Street and the White House fall out after Mr Trump shares an anti-Muslim video posted online by far-right group Britain First.

In response to a Downing Street rebuke, the US leader tells Mrs May: “Don’t focus on me, focus on the destructive radical Islamic terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom.”

February 2018

Mr Trump uses the NHS as an example of why universal healthcare should not reach US shores, claiming it is “going broke and not working”.

Donald Trump Inauguration Day - In pictures

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March 2018

The response from Mr Trump is initially ambiguous after Russia is blamed for the Novichok nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, but the White House later states it “stands in solidarity” with the UK and joins Western allies in expelling diplomats.

May 2018

Mr Trump defends US gun laws by claiming a London hospital is “like a war zone” because of the rate of stabbings in the capital.

“They don’t have guns, they have knives,” he said.

July 2018

The President arrives in the UK for a working visit and criticises Mrs May’s approach to Brexit negotiations while praising Boris Johnson – saying he would be a “great prime minister” – just days after the Leave campaigner walked out of her Cabinet.

Donald Trump impeachment protests - In pictures

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Mr Trump seeks to repair the damage after talks at Chequers, saying the “incredible” Prime Minister is “doing a fantastic job”.

During the visit, Mr Trump is again spotted holding the Prime Minister’s hand as they attend a banquet at Blenheim Palace and also walks in front of the Queen during an hour-long trip to Windsor Castle as he inspects a guard of honour.

Mr Trump again lays into Mr Khan, accusing him of “doing a terrible job” after the London mayor declined to block a protest from flying an inflatable “Trump baby” near Parliament.

March 2019

The President says he is surprised how badly Brexit has been handled and warns that another referendum would be “unfair”.

June 2019

Mr Trump makes a state visit to the UK and continues his feud with Mr Khan.

As he lands in the capital, the president posts a tweet, calling the London mayor a “stone-cold loser” who has done a “terrible job”.

On the same trip, the president is photographed apparently fist-bumping the Queen, and taking a handshake from Mrs May’s husband, Philip, on the doorstep of Number 10, but not from the Prime Minister.

Donald Trump Presidency - In pictures

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He again takes the opportunity to wade into the Brexit debate, describing an independent UK as “a blessing on the world”.

Activists including then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn take to the streets of Westminster and cities around the UK to protest at Mr Trump’s visit.

July 2019

British ambassador to the US Lord Darroch resigns after a leak of embarrassing emails in which he was highly critical of Mr Trump’s “clumsy and inept” administration.

Mr Trump says the diplomat is “not liked or well thought of” and “we will no longer deal with him”.

August 2019

British teenager Harry Dunn is killed when his motorbike crashes into a car allegedly being driven on the wrong side of the road by American Anne Sacoolas.

Sacoolas claims immunity following the collision outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire and returns to the US, where the authorities continue to refuse to extradite her despite calls from the UK Government.

December 2019

Mr Trump congratulates Mr Johnson on his “great win” in the general election, and says during a visit to the UK for a Nato summit that the UK and US will be free to strike a “massive” new trade deal after Brexit.

May 2020

Black Lives Matter protests spread to the UK following the death of a black man, George Floyd, at the hands of police officers in Minnesota.

Donald Trump 100 Days as President - In pictures

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Thousands of campaigners take to the streets on multiple occasions to voice their dismay at Mr Floyd’s death and racial inequality more widely.

October 2020

The Prime Minister sends good wishes to Mr Trump after the President and First Lady are diagnosed with coronavirus.

November 2020

Mr Trump refuses to accept the result of the US presidential election following his defeat by Joe Biden and launches a series of legal challenges.

Mr Johnson is one of the first world leaders to speak to the president-elect following the protracted election count.

December 2020

Mr Trump highlights the UK’s difficulties in combating coronavirus as he comes under pressure over his own response to the pandemic.

As London enters Tier 4 restrictions, the president says: “We don’t want to have lockdowns. The cure cannot be worse than the problem itself.”

January 2021

The Prime Minister says Mr Trump was “completely wrong” to incite supporters to storm the Capitol and to continue questioning the legitimacy of the US election.

At a Downing Street press conference Mr Johnson – who had enjoyed a warm relationship with the US president – said he “unreservedly” condemned Mr Trump’s actions following the dramatic events in Washington in which five people were killed.

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