Nigel Farage and Liz Truss face intense scrutiny and media awkwardness over their controversial trip to support Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention, sparking questions about their priorities and political futures. Here’s the full story.
Significant Criticism
Nigel Farage, recently elected as a Member of Parliament on his eighth attempt, and former Prime Minister Liz Truss, whose term in office lasted less time than a wilting lettuce, have drawn significant criticism for their recent trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Awkward Encounters
The pair travelled separately to each show support for former President and convicted felon Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention (RNC) following the failed attempt on Trump’s life. However, instead of being welcomed with open arms, both faced awkward encounters with the press, who questioned their priorities and motivations.
Farage Defends Trip.
Farage, recently elected as Clacton’s MP, defended his decision to attend the RNC in the US despite having only had the job of MP for two weeks. He justified his trip by citing his long-standing friendship with Trump, stating, “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.”
Tense Interviews
Farage’s presence at the RNC was marked by terse exchanges with Channel 4 News Washington correspondent Siobhan Kennedy, NewsAgents host and former BBC journalist Emily Maitlis, and a Sky News journalist in three separate toe-curling interviews.
Farage’s Curt Response
When Kennedy asked Farage if he had seen Trump, he responded curtly, “No, I haven’t.” The interaction grew more awkward as Kennedy pressed for details, and Farage, visibly annoyed, retorted, “What’s it got to do with you?”
Questioned Priorities
Similarly, Maitlis questioned Farage over his sudden trip to the US just two weeks after being elected as an MP. This followed an election campaign in which Farage repeatedly told his constituents he would work tirelessly to represent them.
Allowed to Travel
Responding curtly, Farage stated, “Well, I’m allowed to come to America on a trip like this, particularly under these circumstances.”
Sarcastic Retort
When asked outright by Sky News why he was in America rather than back in the UK representing his constituents, Farage ridiculed the journalist, stating, “You’re right, I should work eight days a week and never have a day off.”
Truss Attends RNC
Farage was not alone in jetting over the Atlantic to attend the RNC, as former Prime Minister Liz Truss was also in attendance. Similar to Farage, Truss, who has seemingly set her sights on a career in the US as a libertarian commentator following the loss of her seat at the last general election, faced her uncomfortable moment with the press.
Truss Remains Silent
When approached by Kennedy, Truss remained silent and refused to engage, even as the reporter repeatedly asked about her intentions and purpose for being there. This silence from Truss and her presence at the convention sparked questions about her political plans following her recent electoral defeat.
Public Reaction
The reactions from both Farage and Truss did not go unnoticed by the public and media. Farage’s justification for his trip was met with scepticism and ridicule, particularly on social media platforms.
Online Criticism
Many online saw his sarcastic remark to Sky News about needing to work “eight days a week” to satisfy his critics and constituents as dismissive and out of touch. Similarly, Truss’s refusal to answer questions fueled speculation and criticism about her political future, including whether she should have one.
Trump Snubs Farage and Truss
However, what will undoubtedly hurt Farage and Truss more than the ridicule online, with which they are presumably all too familiar, was that, after flying nearly 4000 miles for an audience with Trump, neither ended up meeting him.
Social Media Frenzy
Once the news broke that Farage and Truss had both been snubbed by Trump, social media went into even more of a frenzy over how seemingly minor importance the American political world views them.
Wrexham Labour’s Mockery
The X, formerly Twitter, account of the Wrexham Labour Party, above a photo of Farage and Truss on the sidelines at the RNC, wrote, “How embarrassing for Farage and Truss, no audition with Donald Trump. They have been shown the respect they deserve, none. One is out of office, and the second ran away from representing the people who voted for him on the first day.”
Stark Contrast
Nigel Farage and Liz Truss’s trip to support Donald Trump at the RNC has shown the stark contrast between the fortunes of right-wing politicians in America and the UK.
Diverging Political Fortunes
With the UK recently switching to a left-of-centre Labour Party and America seemingly on its way to electing a man who promised to be a “dictator on day one,” the difference in reception for Truss and Farage, the latter of whom frequently has the UK media hanging off his every word, could not have been more glaringly obvious.
Awkward Positions
The tense or entirely silent responses to the media only emphasised their awkward positions at the RNC. It remains to be seen if their political futures in the US will climb to greater heights or if their time of closeness to Trump, who famously hates “losers,” has ended abruptly.
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Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / lev radin.