Rajoy and Trump at loggerheads over phone call

PRIME MINISTER Mariano Rajoy and US President Donald Trump appear to be at loggerheads nearly three weeks after the first phone call between the two men.

When questioned by a Podemos senator on the state of US-Spain relations and the differences in the Spanish and American reports of the call, Rajoy insisted the two men had not talked about increasing Spanish defence spending.

The White House version of the February 8 call centred almost exclusively on NATO spending requirements but Moncloa did not mention this part of the conversation.

“In my telephone conversation with Mr Trump I did not speak about military defence spending,” the prime minister said: “Believe me, I didn’t say a single word with him about this matter.”

Podemos senator, Ramón Espinar, described President Trump as a ‘time bomb’ for democracy, welfare and human rights.