President-elect to target EU over UK in trade war as he wants 'a successful Brexit'

A possible trade war with the US will not be as bad as feared, a former political appointee in the last Trump administration has said - claiming the president-elect will target the European Union more significantly than Britain as he wants to see a “successful Brexit”.

- MILLIE COOKE

Peggy Grande, who was a political appointee for Donald Trump, told The Independent he is likely to give a “preferential trade deal to the UK” and she thinks tariffs will “more greatly affect the EU than the UK”.

Her comments come amid fears of a global trade war, after the Republican politician pledged to impose levies of 10 per cent on all goods imports from US trading partners, and up to 60 per cent and 100 per cent for China and Mexico.

But Ms Grande, who also worked as Ronald Reagan’s executive assistant after he left the White House, said Mr Trump “believes in the special relationship”, adding: “I anticipate that if tariffs are involved, they will more greatly affect the EU than the UK.

“Donald Trump has a great fondness for the UK and wanted to see a fully implemented successful Brexit and wants to help with that still by giving a preferential trade deal to the UK. Go back to the US-UK free trade agreement he was working on during his first term – I anticipate he will pick that up right where he left off and lean into it again, especially in alignment with tariffs on China.