Trump On EU: 'People Want Their Own Identity,' Don't Want Migrants 'Coming In & Destroying' Them

US President-elect Donald Trump has said German Chancellor Angela Merkel made "one very catastrophic mistake" by admitting more than 1m migrants...

Mr Trump was giving details of his foreign policy goals in an interview with British and German newspapers [Bild and the Times].

...[Trump] spoke about the UK and Brexit, saying he thought the UK was "so smart in getting out" of the EU.

"Countries want their own identity and the UK wanted its own identity," he said.

"I think you're doing great, I think it's going great."

He predicted that more countries would follow the same path.

"I think people want . . . their own identity, so if you ask me ... I believe others will leave."

...During the interview, the president-elect said he thought Mrs Merkel was the "by far the most important European leader".

"If you look at the European Union, it's Germany - it's basically a vehicle for Germany," he said.

"I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals."

He linked the migrant issue with the UK referendum vote to leave the EU.

"I do believe this, if they [EU countries] hadn't been forced to take in all of the refugees, so many, with all the problems that it . . . entails, I think that you wouldn't have a Brexit.

"It probably could have worked out but this was the final straw, this was the final straw that broke the camel's back."

He repeated his vow to be tough on immigration into the US.

"People don't want to have other people coming in and destroying their country. In this country we are going to go very strong borders from the day I get in," he said.