Cameron: ‘I’d meet Trump, but his Muslim comments are dangerous’
UK Prime Minister David Cameron says he would be happy to meet presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump despite again criticising the tycoon’s proposed travel ban on Muslims, this time labelling the policy “dangerous.”
Cameron last year referred to Trump’s plans to temporarily stop Muslims entering the US as “divisive, stupid and wrong.”
Trump fired back, saying he would probably not have a “good relationship” with Cameron.
It now appears both sides are backing away from the standoff.
Cameron told ITV on Sunday he would meet Trump if he came to Britain before the US election, saying he believed in maintaining the much vaunted ‘special relationship’ between the two nations.
“American presidential candidates have made a habit of coming through the UK, and so if that happens I’d be very happy to [meet him],” Cameron said.
But he reiterated his concerns over Trump’s temporary travel ban on Muslims.
“I don’t withdraw in any way what I said about the policy of not letting Muslims into America. I do think that is wrong and divisive.
“[It’s] a very dangerous thing to say,” he said.
“We’ve got to demonstrate that what we’re up against here is a very small minority of a minority, Islamic extremists, that want to divide our societies, and we have got to explain that there are billions of people in our world who are devout Muslims but who believe in liberal democracy and all the things we believe in.”
Last week, Trump backtracked on his criticism of Cameron, saying he in fact envisioned having a “good relationship” with him.
On Friday, Trump said Cameron had invited him to London, but a spokesperson for Number 10 told the Independent: “Given the parties have yet to choose their nominees, there are no confirmed dates for this.”
