DONALD Trump should be arrested for inciting racial hatred if his state visit to the UK goes ahead, a Newport MP has said.
Earlier this week the outspoken US president caused controversy – again – by retweeting three videos claiming to show violence by Muslims by far-right group Britain First.
And now Newport West MP Paul Flynn, who has frequently criticised the president on social media, has joined the chorus of condemnation against him.
Writing on Twitter, the Labour MP said: “Trump should be arrested for inciting racial hatred if May allows him to set foot on UK soil.”
Mr Trump has 43.6 million followers on Twitter and retweeted the messages by Britain First’s deputy leader Jayda Fransen yesterday, Wednesday.
First minister Carwyn Jones also criticised the president, saying: “Britain First is a far-right extremist group that exists to intimidate and discriminate. The hate-filled bile they spread online is not reflective of our country or our values and (Mr Trump) is wrong to share their propaganda.”
And a spokesman for Theresa May said the president was “wrong” to share the posts.
"Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions," he said. "They cause anxiety to law-abiding people.
"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.
"It is wrong for the president to have done this."
Mr Trump again took to Twitter to respond. Tweeting directly to Theresa May he said: “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!”
But the Downing Street spokesman said an invitation for the president to make a state visit to the UK still stood.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Mr Trump had been seeking to "promote strong borders and strong national security".
Thomas Mair, who murdered Labour MP Jo Cox last June, reportedly shouted “Britain first” during his attack. Her widower Brendon Cox said: "Almost nothing Trump does surprises us any more. I think this did.
"I think the revulsion that is out there is because the president of our nearest ally is sharing far right hatred, giving them a microphone, and I think people are authentically shocked by that."
Ms Fransen, 31, who was convicted last November of religiously aggravated harassment for abusing at a Muslim woman in a hijab, appeared to celebrate the president's actions, tweeting moments later "God bless you Trump".
She is currently on bail facing trial over four charges of causing religiously aggravated harassment as part of a Kent Police investigation into the distribution of leaflets and the posting of online videos and will also appear in court in Northern Ireland next month charged with using threatening and abusive language in connection with a speech she made at an anti-terrorism demonstration in Belfast in August.
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