May says U.S., Britain have 'opportunity to lead, together, again'

Kim Hjelmgaard | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Trump and Theresa May could be the new Reagan-Thatcher British Prime Minister Theresa May is the first foreign leader to visit President Trump.

British Prime Minister Theresa May came Thursday to the city where the American colonies declared independence from Great Britain to reaffirm the "special relationship" the United Kingdom and United States have shared for more than two centuries.

"The leadership provided by our two countries through the 'special relationship' has done more than win wars and overcome adversity. It made the modern world," May told an annual congressional retreat in Philadelphia.

"It is through our actions over many years, working together to defeat evil or to open up the world, that we have been able to fulfill the promise of those who first spoke of the special nature of the relationship between us," she said. "The promise of freedom, liberty and the rights of man."

May's comments come ahead of her visit Friday to the White House, when she will bask in the political glow of being the first foreign leader to hold face-to-face talks with President Trump. The two leaders will discuss terrorism, ending Syria's civil war, relations with Russia, NATO cooperation and a bilateral trade deal once the U.K. leaves the European Union, probably by 2019. Trade between the two countries is worth about $187 billion, and the U.S. is the largest single investor in the U.K.

"As we end our membership of the European Union — as the British people voted with determination and quiet resolve to do last year — we have the opportunity to reassert our belief in a confident, sovereign and global Britain, ready to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike," May said.

"So as we rediscover our confidence together — as you renew your nation just as we renew ours — we have the opportunity — indeed the responsibility — to renew the 'special relationship' for this new age. We have the opportunity to lead, together, again."

When she meets Trump on Friday in the Oval Office, the British leader plans to give the president a 16th Century Scottish "drinking vessel" that May's office said is a "symbol of welcome and kinship." For first lady Melania Trump, May is bringing sweet treats, including apple juice and cookies, from Chequers, May's country retreat.

The talks likely will include some issues where the two leaders disagree. May is under pressure at home to challenge Trump on comments he made about the use of torture. The president said in an interview with ABC News broadcast Wednesday night he believes waterboarding, an interrogation technique widely considered torture, is an effective tool in getting information from terror suspects.

Trump says torture works, but that doesn't mean he'll bring it back During an ABC interview, President Donald Trump said he believes torture is an effective interrogation technique and would consider reinstating it. Video provided by Newsy

"Theresa May must stand up for our country's values when she meets Donald Trump and oppose his support for torture, which is inhumane, illegal and delivers false intelligence," Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, said in a statement. Republican Sen. John McCain, a prisoner of war in Vietnam, has also condemned Trump's remarks.

Anti-poverty and human rights groups in Britain such as Oxfam have urged May to rebuke Trump for his vow to build a wall along the Mexican border and close the U.S. to refugees from war-torn countries in the Middle East and North Africa. May also has been urged to chastise Trump over derogatory remarks he has made in the past about women.