Americans stand with people of UK after attack by ‘evil losers’, Trump tells May

President Donald Trump told Theresa May that “Americans stand with the people of the United Kingdom” in a phone call in which he offered US assistance for the investigation into the Manchester concert attack.

The US president was one of a number of world leaders the Prime Minister spoke to by phone after chairing a meeting of the Government’s Cobra emergency committee in Whitehall.

The White House said Mr Trump and Mrs May agreed the targeting of teenage children enjoying a concert was “particularly wanton and depraved”.

And a spokesman said: “The president reassured the Prime Minister that Americans stand with the people of the United Kingdom and that our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism. He offered American aid in the United Kingdom’s investigation and vowed to continue the mutual fight against terrorism.”

Speaking during a visit to Bethlehem, in the Palestinian West Bank, Mr Trump said: “I extend my deepest condolences to those so terribly injured in this terrorist attack and to the many killed and the families – so many families – of the victims.

“We stand in absolute solidarity with the people of the United Kingdom.”

Mr Trump said: “So many young, beautiful, innocent people, living and enjoying their lives, murdered by the evil losers in life.

“I won’t call them ‘monsters’, because they would like that term. They would think that a great name.

“I will call them from now on ‘losers’, because that is what they are. They are losers. We will have more of them, but they are losers, just remember that.”

Mr Trump added: “Our society can have no tolerance for this continuation of bloodshed. We can’t stand a moment longer for the slaughter of innocent people – and in today’s attack, it was mostly innocent children.

“The terrorists and extremists and those who give them aid and comfort must be driven out from our society forever.

“This wicked ideology must be obliterated – and I mean completely obliterated – and the innocent life must be protected, all innocent lives. Life must be protected.

“The civilised nations must join together to protect human life and the sacred right of our citizens to live in safety and in peace.”

The White House said Mr Trump was looking forward to meeting Mrs May at this week’s summits of Nato in Brussels and the G7 in Sicily, when he will discuss “America’s unbreakable commitment to the United Kingdom and the ways both countries can work with allies and partners around the world to defeat terrorism”.