In the wake of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, Brexit leader Nigel Farage announced that he is going make an emergency trip to the United States to show solidarity with his longtime friend and political ally.
The newly-elected Reform UK Member of Parliament said that he will fly to Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention this week to “stand shoulder to shoulder with President Trump and the US to stand up for democracy.”
Writing in The Telegraph the morning following the attempt on Donald Trump’s life by a gunman, Mr Farage said: “I do so to support my friend, Donald Trump, as we head into the later stages of an era-defining election.
“He is the favourite to win – and after today’s heinous acts he will win – and I am determined to do all I can to ensure the UK’s special relationship with the US is as strong as it can be.”
The Brexit leader has accused the legacy media of spreading a “narrative of hatred” around Mr Trump and has called for his liberal elite opponents to tone down their “intolerance”.
“The ‘be kind’ brigade must now realise that their language has an impact. It has become commonplace amongst the media elite to view Trump as an authoritarian fascist – it is now so normal to hear that those of us on the right, who care about our countries, are somehow authoritarian dictators,” he wrote.
Mr Farage went on to assert that it is imperative “to say, loud and clear, that we can disagree vehemently, that we can debate, that we can thrash out of views But that resorting to violence is entirely unacceptable, regardless of your views.
“President Trump had a very, very narrow miss. It is a miracle. I implore all of those on the Left to think very carefully about how they seek to play politics. Next time, it could be very, very different.”
Mr Farage was not alone among European populists condemning the media’s role in fomenting hatred towards the former president, with both Geert Wilders of the Netherlands and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico — who recently survived an assassination attempt as well — suggesting that the media incited the attempt on Trump’s life.
Like Fico and Wilders, Mr Farage has also been a target of political violence, including having rocks thrown at him during his campaign for Parliament. This came just days after the Reform UK leader was pelted with a milkshake in Clacton.
Farage was previously hit in the face with a milkshake during the 2019 European Parliament election campaign. Following the assault, prominent left-wing British comedian Jo Brand “joked” on the BBC that it would have been better if the milkshake had been battery acid instead.
Mr Farage remarked on Sunday: “It’s only a comment. It’s only a joke. It’s only a milkshake. So the Left squawk each time someone drenches me with a drink, or a so-called comedian suggests people should throw battery acid at me on the BBC. It’s just a joke. If you’re a politician, it’s part of the job description, right?
“Well, that is not true. The words deployed by the Left are, I believe, encouraging people. Rocks were thrown at me during the election campaign, and last night President Trump was shot. The favourite to be the next President mere millimetres away from death.”
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