Donald Trump has said he is “very much” looking forward to meeting Theresa May in the coming months and described Britain as a “very special” ally in an uncharacteristically positive tweet.
The president-elect of the United States and the Prime Minister will meet in Washington in the spring, following preparatory meetings by her closest advisers over the Christmas period.
Trump’s warm words will be welcomed by Downing Street after so much of the spotlight falling on his relationship with former Ukip leader Nigel Farage.
After a turbulent week Whitehall may also find comfort in the president-elect’s signal that the “special relationship” between the US and the UK will be maintained under his administration.
A date for the meeting is yet to be revealed, but it is expected to come within weeks of Mr Trump’s inauguration on January 20, reports the Press Association.
The relative proximity of the occasions may be perceived as another boon for the Prime Minister, after she was pipped to speaking with the tycoon following his election by the leaders of nearly a dozen countries.
The message breaks from the tone of many of Trump’s recent tweets which have seen him slag off Arnold Schwarzenegger and imply US intelligence agencies are staffed with “fools”.
Friday was a big day for Donald Trump, as the USA’s biggest brains in the intelligence community prepared to brief him on Russian interference in the US election.
Just a day previously the president-elect was vexed over the issue and continued to make clear his disdain for the likes of the CIA.
By Friday Trump, instead of worrying about the cyber-security of the country he is about to lead, decided to take a cheap shot at none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Over TV ratings.
For background, Schwarzenegger replaced Trump behind the desk on The Apprentice.
Commendably, Arnie showed great restraint in his reply.
He then quoted Abraham Lincoln for good measure.
Actor Alec Baldwin, who is able to do an uncannily good impression of the US president-elect, took to Instagram on Saturday for a bit of Trump-trolling.
He appeared to be referencing a newly-released report in which the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed efforts to interfere in the 2016 US election with the goal of helping president-elect Trump win.
Trump has previously hit out at the actor for his portrayal of him on “Saturday Night Live.”
He said Baldwin’s impersonation of him “stinks” and called for the “boring and unfunny” comedy show that Trump himself hosted in 2015 to be scrapped.