Trump admits he APOLOGIZED to Theresa May for sharp comments on Brexit and a U.S.-U.K. trade pact and calls her an 'incredible woman' for whom he has a 'lot of respect' after two days in London

• President Trump and Theresa May were expected to uncomfortable talks after his scathing appraisal of her plans to leave EU in an interview that dropped late on Thursday 
• But the president says that May handled it like a 'professional' and their relationship has never been better  
• He blasted May in the interview for ignoring his advice on Brexit, explaining: 'I'd have done it differently'
• Also suggested any UK-US trade deal would be 'killed' and said Boris Johnson would be a great prime minister
• Trump amended his remarks at a press conference to say that he merely suggested how she handled Brexit - and that he gave her high praise in overlooked comments from the shocking interview
• Red carpet is being rolled out at Windsor Castle where he and Melania will meet Her Majesty for tea today
• He heads to Scotland after for two days of R&R before a Monday meeting with Vladimir Putin 

Donald Trump said Friday that he did not criticize Theresa May in a sharp-tongued interview that dropped on the evening of his arrival in London and that his comments on her leadership were presented out of context.

'I didn't criticize the prime minister. I have a lot of respect for the prime minister,' Trump proclaimed at a news conference where he said the interview with The Sun that sent shock waves across London was generally fine but 'didn't put in what I said about the prime minister, and I said tremendous things.'

After refusing to comment earlier on the day on whether he regrets his harsh comments in the interview that was conducted before his arrival in the U.K., the president adopted a conciliatory tone at Chequers, the PM's country house. He heaped on praise and said that together, they had made the special relationship between their two nations even more special.

He also amended a comment in the interview in which he said he gave May advice on how to get out of the European Union, watering his comments to her as a mere suggestion.

Of Brexit he said Friday, 'Whatever you're gonna do is OK with us, just make sure we can trade together.'

A meeting with Vladimir Putin on Monday had Trump promising to 'firmly' confront the Russian president about election meddling. However, Trump said that watchers should not expect a 'Perry Mason' moment where Putin admits to personally ordering the interference.

Trump insisted earlier today that his friendship with Theresa May has never been better just hours after he humiliated the U.K prime minister by saying she was wrecking Brexit.

The U.S. president, who will meet the Queen for the first time at Windsor Castle later, said the special relationship between America and Britain is not on the rocks, even though he trashed her plans for a 'softer' exit from the EU and said it would kill off a trade deal with America.

Trump had also blasted May for not taking his negotiation advice and and declared that Boris Johnson would make a 'great prime minister' in a series of verbal hand grenades after their Blenheim Palace gala dinner last night.     

Today, with the special relationship apparently on a cliff-edge, Trump and May met at Sandhurst to watch military manoeuvres and meet the Special Air Service before before heading off to Chequers, the PM's country house, for lunch on the second day of his four-day trip. 

Speaking at Chequers, Trump would not respond to questions about his explosive interview with The Sun but said: 'The relationship is very, very strong. We really have a very good relationship.' 

He added: 'It's a very productive two days. We arrived here last night. We had a dinner, where we have never developed a better relationship than last night. We spoke for an hour and a half, and it was really something.'

May also made clear she would not be knocked off track by Trump's suggestion she had 'killed' the chance of a trade deal, saying they would be discussing the 'real opportunities' to make it happen after Brexit.

Meanwhile, protests over his visit continued, with a giant balloon depicting him as an orange baby in a nappy inflated in Parliament Square and up to 70,000 people started to march through London.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan signed off on the Trump blimp and the US President last night accused him of abjectly failing to stop the wave of terror attacks on the capital last year. 

Around two miles away from Westminster first lady Melania was being given a tour of London by May's husband Philip, starting at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, where she enthusiastically had a game of bowls with Chelsea Pensioners and local children.

Last night President Trump and Melania spent the night at the U.S. Ambassador's home in Regent's Park and were flown by Marine One to Sandhurst to avoid protests on the streets of London. 

His extraordinary entourage of up to 1,000 staff, a giant motorcade led by his bomb-proof Cadillac nicknamed 'The Beast' as well as multiple helicopters including Ospreys containing U.S. Marines followed him there. 

After a half-hour with soldiers, Trump and May flew separately to Chequers. There, the U.S. president adopted a more conciliatory tone as he sat down for talks with the prime minister. 

Seated alongside the PM at her official country residence in Buckinghamshire, he said: 'The relationship is very, very strong, we really have a very good relationship. We had a dinner where I think we probably never developed a better relationship than last night. We spoke for an hour or an hour and a half and it was really something.  

He added: 'Today we are talking trade, we are talking military – we just looked at some incredible anti-terrorism things that are being done her in conjunction with the US.

'And the relationship is very strong, we really have a very good relationship. Right now we are going to be talking about some other things in the Middle East and elsewhere.'   

May said Mr Trump had done 'a very good job' at the NATO summit in Brussels in encouraging other member states to up their military spending, as it emerged the UK has ordered up to 200 AIM-120D air-to-air missiles for $650 million.

He responded by saying: 'The Prime Minister and I worked very hard together at NATO. It was an incredible two days. It has never been more united, people are paying.

'We are two of the five who are fully paid up but others are coming along rapidly.'

Earlier the White House tried to clean up President Trump's explosive interview, saying he likes May 'very much' and she is 'terrific.' He made no verbal response to questions about his explosive interview with The Sun. Ignoring a reporter who asked him if he regrets as he convened talks with May, Trump rolled his eyes and shook his head, signaling that he found the inquiry impertinent.

May said trade would be at the heart of their meeting.

'We have a lot to discuss. We are going to be discussing the special relationship, which is great, between the UK and US,' she said. 'We are going to be discussing the real opportunities we have got to have this trade deal coming up when we leave the European Union.' 

She added: 'And of course, we will discuss foreign policy and defense and security issues, where we work really closely together with the U.S.'   

This afternoon,Trump will be treated to a Guard of Honour when he meets the Queen at Windsor Castle for tea.

Despite not being an official state visit, the British government is desperate to ensure the U.S. leader feels he is being treated with the appropriate level of pomp and ceremony. 

He will then fly up to Scotland this evening before a weekend of golf at one of his resorts with his son Eric before jetting to Helsinki to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Monday.

May's trusted Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan insisted Friday that the four-day trip had already been a 'great success' -- but critics are saying Trump 'should keep his nose out of British business.' Some suggested the Queen should cancel her tea with him today. 

Protesters have pledged to follow him wherever he goes in Britain. and 10,000 police officers have been drafted in to protect him -- the largest number deployed since the 2011 riots.

Almost two million people signed a petition demanding he be banned from the U.K. because they believe he is sexist and racist, and 'Stop Trump' campaigners say he will face a 'Wall of Sound' outside all the landmarks he visits because supporters will bang pots and pans.  

Asked about the threat of mass demonstrations Thursday in Brussels, Trump brushed them off. 'I think it's fine. A lot of people like me there. I think they agree with me on immigration. I think that's why Brexit happened,' he said.

But Trump waded into the Brexit row in an interview with The Sun conducted from Brussels, saying Theresa May's Chequers agreement will 'kill' a U.S. trade deal.

The U.S. president said he offered the prime minister advice on how to negotiate Brexit, but she ignored him and did the 'opposite' in the comments that boomeranged across both sides of the Atlantic.

And in comments sure to infuriate his host, he said Boris Johnson would make a 'great' prime minister. 

Prior to leaving the White House for Europe, Trump suggested he would meet with Johnson in London. However, the White House told DailyMail.com that a meeting was not on the books before Trump departs for Scotland today.

In an interview with The Sun yesterday, Trump warned that May's version of Brexit would be consequential for the trade deal that she would then seek to negotiate with the U.S. 'If they do a deal like that, we would be dealing with the European Union instead of dealing with the U.K, so it will probably kill the deal.'

Ahead of talks with May at Chequers today, he added that he would have approached Brexit differently and had offered his advice, but said May had ignored him.

Trump's characteristically undiplomatic intervention twisted the knife on a day when May's Brexit deal was published and immediately torn to shreds by her own MPs.

One said: 'This is not going to fly. If the Prime Minister does not drop it, it will kill her.'

Mr Trump also threatened to further strain relations with Mrs May by saying Mr Johnson would make a 'great' Prime Minister, and he was saddened to see the former Foreign Secretary resign earlier this week.

In a scathing attack, he said Mrs May's Chequers deal did not respect the referendum result and would have a 'negative' effect on a trade deal with the US.

'The deal she is striking is a much different deal than the one the people voted on,' he said.

'It was not the deal that was in the referendum. I have just been hearing this over the last three days. I know they have had a lot of resignations. So a lot of people don't like it.'

He added that Mrs May's plan 'will definitely affect trade with the United States, unfortunately in a negative way'.

He concluded: 'No, if they do that, I would say that would probably end a major trade relationship with the United States.'

Mr Trump said Mrs May had not listened to his advice on Brexit, adding: 'I would have done it much differently. She wanted to go a different route. I would actually say that she probably went the opposite way. And that is fine.

'She should negotiate the best way she knows how. But it is too bad what is going on.'

Johnson had previously said that Trump would do a good job of negotiating Brexit. Trump returned the compliment, saying, 'I have a lot of respect for Boris. He obviously likes me, and says very good things about me.

'I was very saddened to see he was leaving government, and I hope he goes back in at some point. I think he is a great representative for your country.'

In a comment that was overlooked in the chaos his praieI am not pitting one against the other. I am just saying I think he would be a great Prime Minister. I think he's got what it takes.'

Trump also reignite his feud with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has granted permission to fly a giant blimp of the President over London.

The pair have clashed on Twitter over terrorism in London. Last night, Mr Trump accused Mr Khan of doing a 'very bad job' on terrorism.

'You have a mayor who has done a terrible job in London. He has done a terrible job.

'Take a look at the terrorism that is taking place. Look at what is going on in London. I think he has done a very bad job on terrorism.

'He has done a bad job on crime, if you look – all of the horrible things going on there, with all of the crime that is being brought in.'

Mr Trump also made a series of controversial comments about immigration and the migrant crisis which will infuriate European leaders, adding: 'I think what has happened to Europe is a shame. Allowing the immigration to take place in Europe is a shame.

'I think it changed the fabric of Europe and, unless you act very quickly, it's never going to be what it was and I don't mean that in a positive way.

'So I think allowing millions and millions of people to come into Europe is very, very sad.

'I think you are losing your culture. Look around. You go through certain areas that didn't exist ten or 15 years ago.'

Last night, Mrs May tried to mend fences with Mr Trump at a black-tie dinner at Blenheim Palace, telling him the UK and US remained 'not just the closest allies, but the dearest of friends'.

The Prime Minister said Brexit presented an 'unprecedented opportunity' to work more closely with US.