British Prime Minister Theresa May thinks that President Donald Trump's decision to hold her hand during a White House visit shows that he's a “gentleman."
May was pictured hand-in-hand with Trump as they walked along the White House colonnade in January. The moment was widely described as awkward by the British press.
One former U.K. Cabinet minister even dubbed the optics as “disastrous” — suggesting it looked like May was being led along by the president.
But May told Vogue: “I think he [Trump] was actually being a gentleman.”
She added: “We were about to walk down a ramp, and he said it [the step down the ramp] might be a bit awkward.”
May had previously described now-infamous comments Trump made in 2005 about groping women as “unacceptable.”
But she says struck up a cordial relationship with Trump during her trip to the U.S., which saw her become the first foreign leader to visit the new president.
When asked if she confronted Trump on his comments on women, however, she was more coy.
“We don’t comment on private conversations that take place. All I would say is, I’ve been very clear: I’m not afraid to raise issues," May said. "And the nature of the relationship is such that we should be able to be frank and open with each other."
Both May and Trump have spoke about the importance of the ties that bind the U.S. and U.K. during May's January visit.
Trump pledged to "renew our deep bond with Britain" and promised America's "lasting support."
However, Trump appeared to be unwilling to shake hands with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during her visit to the U.S. last week.