Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for US president, has come out in support of Brexit, saying the UK would be "better off" outside of the European Union and lamenting the consequences of migration in the continent.
The billionaire, who secured backing of Republican voters on a staunchly anti-immigration platform, said that his support for the UK leaving the EU was a personal belief and not a “recommendation”.
"I think the migration has been a horrible thing for Europe, " Mr Trump told Fox News late on Thursday. "A lot of that was pushed by the EU. I would say that they're better off without it, personally, but I'm not making that as a recommendation. Just my feeling."
“I know Great Britain very well,” Mr Trump continued. “I know, you know, the country very well. I have a lot of investments there. I would say that they’re better off without it. But I want them to make their own decision.”
The Republican frontrunner, who benefited this week from his last two rivals dropping out of the race, had previously resisted commenting on whether Britain should vote to leave the EU in its referendum next month.
Earlier this week, Mr Trump criticised Barack Obama for coming out against Brexit, telling the Daily Mail the president should be "more neutral" on the subject.
“I didn’t think it was a good thing for him to do it,” he said at the time. “I would say that I’m not going to give Britain any advice, but I know there are a lot of people that are very, very much against being in the EU.”
In March, Mr Trump said he suspected Britain might leave the EU because “they’re having a lot of problems”, but stressed he did not want to intervene.
“I don’t want to make a comment about the UK leaving but I think they may leave based on – I’m there a lot, I have a lot of investments in the UK, and I will tell you that I think they may leave based on everything I’m hearing,” he said at the time.
Guardian service