Transcript for Terry Moran on President Trump and British Prime Minister May's Joint News Conference

Speaking of are calling Cameron and I think carries joining us live now from London carried interest in Iran and with. Hey guys hate that you're watching that press conference give us your take on how you think this first meeting went down between these. These two leaders who couldn't say the phrase special relationship enough. Well I did as a special relationship let's face it mean that they history I'll them forget. Right after nine elevenths. When Tony Blair came to sit in in the gallery in congress when George W. Bush gave his speech to congress after 9/11. All the British press came as well and we were walking up for a little brief appearance beat with bush and Blair. In the White House and I'll never forget as we were walking up the stairs the White House and older reporter British reporter never seen him before or since grabbed my hand and he said. You were there for us and we will be there for you. It is special its real and so they they can build on that it's also moment that they are trying to seize because they both see. That there are riding the same tiger public opinion a nationalist opinion that's what elected Donald companies trying to deliver on his campaign promises to those people. Who put him in the White House and that's what made wrecks it happened Britain Europe leaving the European Union. And Teresa may want this she said she wants to work for those people who voted to get out of the European and they need each other she need to trade deal. And Donald Trump needs to show that he can lead the world in this new way. The new way right it's the people in Europe are saying that the old way of American leadership. Which was multilateral. For institutions like the United Nations which we developed and built in New York NATO. All these media International Monetary Fund and that those days are over that essentially the United States is not gonna play that role anymore. And that Donald Trump is gonna do something different and that's what we saw there. But Terry you mentioned that Blair bush relationship. After. And more information came out about that lead up to the war in Iraq. That didn't work out so well for Tony Blair and his legacy so there's a danger there in the prime minister tying herself too closely. To president who no one really knows which direction he's gonna going to yet isn't there. Absolutely and I mean that that. Is a huge danger for British prime minister Tony Blair's considered the Poodle. Of the united states of George W. Bush because Iraq ended so badly for this country and and and for the United States and so many ways. And he is in many ways despised. By the British public enough popular politician of his generation. He revolutionized politics in this country it is law oath. By majorities of the merit of the British people. For that she's gotta be careful she doesn't get too close just in case Donald Trump takes the role of special relationship. In a direction that the British people don't like and that could rest. On that notion of values that you get her talking about it struck me as Donald Trump was talking about torture president trump. That he thinks it doesn't work I that it does work general Mattis the secretary of defense thinks it it doesn't work. Yet here they don't it's not about whether it works or not you know ethnic cleansing. Works. Right there genocide but works. It's wrong that's what people in the democracies in Europe think about torture. It's wrong it doesn't matter if it works or not although the research shows that it doesn't. But what matters is that she cannot as the leader of the people of Britain. Align herself would Trump's position on torture. Or on banning whole classes of people from immigration or on all kinds of things that frankly is the people of Britain do not share those values as. At the end of the day. That's the foundation of the special relationship. Terry Terry here you hear that shades of each other's rhetoric and some of the things that they say and there are similarities and you hear. When your prime minister made somewhat ordinary working people and talk about that stunning victory at Donald W you could see them trying to feel out a relationship that can be personal. It I was struck and I'm wondering your take on how informal president trump seemed to be with the prime minister calling Theresa twice there was also video you may read out of scene of the two of them at least briefly holding hands with a walk the White House holiday that what what do you what is behind that how do you feel like it is going to be perceived. In Great Britain. Well that there are looking at the British prime its factories to make trying to really find herself. As the moon. The greatest ally of president trump at this moment because she does need eight trade deal they are coming out of the European Union a 600. Yeah at a guide 600 million. Person by trading block and there are on their own in a couple of years. And they are she is seeking already to lay the ground work for a trade deal with the United States but beyond that that personal chemistry there. Yet the that is something. First it all British prime ministers and American presidents have to do rather awkwardly going back to when I was covering it bush and Blair's first meeting bush famously was asked. What are you guys have in common. And he said. To them fortification and horror of Tony Blair who that we use the same toothpaste has. Which was just isn't just not the done thing here this to be that but ended up having a very close bond in some ways spiritually because they were both. Inclined in that way so American present prime ministers look for that I do think there's a lot of difference between them but what is. Common between them is what she poured her finger on they want to stand up for the forgotten man and woman in Britain and America. Terry to formulate gonna wanna ask about Russia because that's another policy disagreement that I think is pretty stark in you he saw the prime minister lay that out pretty clearly their position. On sanctions as firm we don't really know what president trusts position is frankly but we know that he has been very hesitant to it to criticize Vladimir Putin they're gonna have that conversation tomorrow how important. Is that line in great Britain and beyond and is the prime minister view her own role here is upholding. Kind of a broader set of western nations in in holy lot against Putin's Russia. I think that's a great point Rick were really. That people of Europe. Know that not just in the last century but in centuries previously. Russia has expanded. Has invaded countries in Europe has the has obviously taken over countries in Europe and dominated them. And they have that is a fresh historical memory and the deep historical memory. And and NATO. And the American alliance the transatlantic alliance has been for seventy years the bulwark against that Russian expansionism. Her assignment as you say in some ways if the whole Donald Trump back. From the break up saying there was obsolete nobody's paying their way you know why do we have to. Why does the United States have to do so much defending a Europe why can't they do it themselves. Europe needs the United States in order to balance. Its freedoms against against a resurgent Russia under president potent. She's very keen on that people are very worried here about. The about president trumps commitment to NATO what you call that commitment into question. It kind of evaporates. Kate Cary Grant live for us in London there thank you so much for joining us you bet.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.