The EU's most senior Brexit negotiator has launched an extraordinary attack on Donald Trump, branding him an "autocrat" who wants to destroy Europe.
Guy Verhofstadt said President-elect Trump was one of a "ring of autocrats" alongside Vladimir Putin and Recep Erdogan who threatened to encircle the continent.
"Not only do they like each other, they also have one thing in common," Mr Verhofstadt said. "Bashing and destroying our way of thinking, our values, our European liberal democracy."
He went on to personally attack Mr Trump's controversial appointment as chief strategist, Steve Bannon.
Mr Bannon is the self-styled leader of America's "alt-right". He was one of the mastermind's behind the far-right Breitbart News website, which is considered the mainstream online home of modern white nationalism. He has previously faced accusations of racism and anti-Semitism, violence.
"Trump's strategic advisor Bannon wants to launch his extreme-right website in BReitbart in PAris and BErlin to undermine French and German elections," Mr Verhofstadt continued.
"Trump wants to play Her Majesty the Queen by appointing the British ambassadors.
"So if Mr Farage was here I would ask him is this "taking back control"? I think one clown in Washington is more than enough.
He also warned of a "fifth column" that is active in Europe which are "cronies" of Erdogan, Putin and Trump that are undermining Europe from within.
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