President-elect Trump believes the UK and US can reach a new trade agreement in the near future

In an interview with Michael Gove for The Times Newspaper, Mr. Trump announced that the UK was “doing great” following the vote to leave the European Union and promised the UK a quick trade deal after his inauguration on Friday. Mr Trump added: “Countries want their own identity and the UK wanted its own identity, but I do think if they hadn’t been forced to take in all of the refugees then you wouldn’t have a Brexit.” In his interview, Mr Trump talked about the recent fall in the value of Sterling – “the fact that your pound sterling has gone down?” he said. “Great, because business is unbelievable in a lot of parts in the UK, as you know. I think Brexit is going to end up being a great thing.” Mr Gove told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the president-elect wanted a trade deal “signature-ready at the earliest possible opportunity”. It is suggested that an agreement could be signed shortly after Mrs. May triggers Article 50, thereby beginning the UK’s formal exit from the EU. Mr Gove, a columnist for The Times, added: “He (Trump) stressed that he believed the European Union would potentially break up in the future and that other countries would leave. So in a sense he is both emotionally and financially invested in it.”