Trump attacks May, brushes off criticism

US President Donald Trump has brushed off British Prime Minister Theresa May’s criticism of his online support of a far-right group, suggesting she defends the United Kingdom from “Radical Islamic Terrorism” instead.

The US president on Wednesday retweeted a series of anti-Muslim Twitter video posts by Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of the far-right Britain First movement.

“@Theresa_May, don’t focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!” Trump tweeted late on Wednesday.

The outburst came after May’s office said Britain First “seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives, which peddle lies and stoke tensions”.

“British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right, which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents: decency, tolerance, and respect,” the Downing Street said in the statement reported by UK media.

“It is wrong for the president to have done this.”

The US leader shared three videos by Fransen, purporting to show Muslims carrying out beatings or acts of vandalism.

Fransen, who in 2016 was convicted by a British court for harassing a woman wearing a hijab, is banned by court order from entering mosques in the UK.

Together with other activists from the far-right group, Fransen took part in the regular mosque “invasions”.

Thomas Mair, who killed British MP Jo Cox in a far-right attack, is reported to have shouted the group’s name after stabbing the Labour Party politician.

One of the tweets shared by Trump shows a video of a teenage boy beating up another teen boy on crutches. The incident happened in May this year in the Dutch town of Monnickendam.

After the video was posted on Dutch social media in May, police arrested two Dutch teens from Monnickendam and the neighboring town, Edam-Volendam, in connection to the beating. It was never confirmed that the individual in the video was Muslim or a migrant.

Trump’s decision to share the videos was sharply condemned by rights groups.

“By his unconscionable and irresponsible actions this morning, President Trump is clearly telling members of his base that they should hate Islam and Muslims,” said Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council of American-Islamic Relations.

The Muslim Council of Britain urged the country’s authorities to distance themselves from Trump and his comments.