Bed fellows? Donald Trump tweets endorsement of Katie Hopkins

US Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has been courting the favor of controversial British columnist and commentator Katie Hopkins on Twitter.

Since causing uproar by suggesting Muslims should be banned from entering the US, Trump has hailed Hopkins for her “powerful writing” on the “UK’s Muslim problems.”

In a series of tweets, Trump said he believed the UK was trying to hide its “Muslim problem,” and lauded Hopkins for speaking out.

“Thank you to respected columnist Katie Hopkins of Daily Mail.com for her powerful writing on the UK’s Muslim problems,” one tweet read.

“The United Kingdom is trying hard to disguise their massive Muslim problem. Everybody is wise to what is happening, very sad! Be honest,” another read.

Trump called for all Muslims to be banned from entering the US after a lethal shooting in California, where two allegedly radicalized Muslims shot 14 people dead at a care home.

Trump advocated a total shutdown to Muslims entering the US “until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.”

“Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life,” he said.

In her columns for the Sun, before transferring to the Mail earlier this year, Hopkins referred to refugees and migrants attempting to make their way to Europe as “cockroaches” and “feral animals.” She has also said she would move to America if Trump is elected.

In a column posted on Wednesday for the Daily Mail, Hopkins praised Trump, saying he was right about the Muslim threat to Britain.

“There is fear among the police AND the public. In part we ARE a radicalized nation and it does nobody any favors to deny the obvious ... My family is not keen for me to be in the capital,” she wrote.

Trump has been criticized around the globe for his comments, notably by Britain, the White House and Israel.

On Wednesday, a number of Israeli politicians called for Trump to be barred from entering the country.

Initially authorities said, despite the backlash, Trump would still meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on December 28.

However, on Thursday Trump tweeted he had postponed the trip until after he had been elected president.

“I have decided to postpone my trip to Israel and to schedule my meeting with @Netanyahu at a later date after I become president of the US,” he wrote.