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Nigel Farage says it was right he travelled to the US to support Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention and hit back at the suggestion the trip was a disservice to his new constituents.
After he was elected as Clacton’s MP two weeks ago, the UK Reform party leader attended the King’s Speech on Wednesday morning before quickly flying out to Milwaukee in Wisconsin for the event.
Mr Trump is set to give his acceptance speech at the convention on Thursday evening, five days after surviving an attempted assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania at the weekend.
Writing for the Daily Telegraph, Mr Farage announced he was attending the convention in support of his “friend” Mr Trump ahead of the election in November.
But on Wednesday evening, in Milwaukee, he was asked again by News Agents host Emily Maitlis during an awkward interview.
Questioned on why he was at the convention, Mr Farage replied: “It’s been a busy day, kings speech this morning, and here... well I had to come, Trump, I’ve been friendly with him all these years and he’s just survived an assassination attempt so I thought I’d come and say hello.”
Ms Maitlis then put to Mr Farage, elected as an MP at the eighth attempt this month, that he had pledged to give his time Clacton now he was representing the constituency in Parliament.
“Well, I’m allowed to come to America on a trip like this, particularly under these circumstances,” replied Mr Farage, who said he would be back in the UK at the weekend.
Asked why Mr Trump needed him, Mr Farage appeared defensive and replied: “It was right that came..... I have friends, I don’t know whether you do or not, maybe you don’t, but I have friends, and when they are having a tough time, it’s right to go and support them.”
Mr Farage then responded bluntly, twice, to Ms Maitlis asking if Mr Trump was facing a tough time. “He nearly died,” he replied on both occasions before a brief and awkward pause in the interview, watched by more than two million people on X.
After the interview, Mr Farage shared the segement on X, writing: “Sometimes I wonder why I bother.”
Mr Farage, who spoke at rallies during Mr Trump’s 2016 campaign, said the attempted assassination could have turned into a “disastrous event”, adding that the incident was a result of a “dramatic failure” by the Secret Service.
An independent, government appointed watchdog in the US has opened an investigation into the Secret Service’s handling of security at the rally.
Despite being shot in the ear, Mr Trump has re-emeerged with his campaign team stating he is “fine”. He is expected to use his speech at the RNC on Thursday to plead for national unity.
