Brexit 2016: Donald Trump Supports The UK Leaving The European Union, Citing ‘Migration’

In the quest to distance himself from the policies of U.S. President Barack Obama, presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump seems unwilling to leave any stone unturned. In an appearance on Fox News on Thursday, Trump shared his feelings on the so-called Brexit, saying he thinks the United Kingdom may be better off if it left the European Union.

“I think the migration has been a horrible thing for Europe,” Trump said, referencing an influx of migrants in the continent as people flee Syria and other war-torn countries. “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.”

The statement comes just a week after Trump criticized the president for taking sides on the Brexit vote, saying he would not give Britain any advice on the subject.

The U.K. is scheduled to hold a referendum June 23 to determine whether the country should stay in the economic alliance with its mainland European partners. The vote will come amid growing calls from conservative members of the British Parliament and the U.K. Independence Party to reconsider its position in the EU. Opposition is fueled by a plethora of issues, most notably free immigration between the 28 nations in the union and restrictions that are placed on self-governance.

Last month, Obama urged British voters not to back an exit from the EU during a joint press conference with Prime Minister David Cameron, saying such an action would hurt trade between the U.S. and the U.K.

“It's fair to say that maybe some point down the line there might be a U.K.-U.S. trade agreement, but that's not going to happen anytime soon because our focus is negotiating with a big bloc, the European Union, to get a trade agreement done," Obama said.

Obama isn’t the only person who might disagree with the likely Republican nominee. In January, the British Parliament debated whether to ban Trump from entering the U.K. They ultimately decided against that action, saying they should let him come so he can have his “crazy” and “offensive” views challenged.