The U.S. president's comments about halting trade with Spain could potentially hinder the acquisition of Santander-Webster, according to an analyst, Michael Mayo. The deal, announced last month, was aimed at joining the top 10 retail and commercial banks in the US. If completed, Santander would have a combined U.N. balance sheet of approximately $327 billion in assets. Escalating U.K.-Spain tensions could extend the approval period, potentially reducing the time to approve the deal. A potential denial could attract other banks to acquire Webster, but that could significantly reduce the deal price.