Appearing at a rally in Jackson, Mississippi, Donald Trump was joined onstage Wednesday night by a similar politician from across the pond —Nigel Farage, the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party.
Farage was one of the main figures who led the successful push for the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, commonly known as “Brexit.” He has drawn many comparisons to Trump for his harsh, outsider style and for his anti-immigrant rhetoric, considered by many to be racist.
“Working people and the great people of the UK took control of their destiny,” Trump said as he introduced Farage, before claiming that the same “rigged system” exists in both the United States and the UK.
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“I was very supportive of their right to do it and to take control of their own future, like we’re going to do on Nov. 8,” Trump said.
Farage didn’t praise Trump, instead focusing on his own success and why he pushed Britain to leave the EU — though he did say that “if I was an American citizen, I wouldn’t vote for Hillary Clinton if you paid me.”
“I come to you from the United Kingdom with a message of hope and a message of optimism,” he said. “We can overcome the big banks, and we can overcome the multinationals. And we did.”
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The British politician did note that Brexit was able to win by reaching voters who had never voted before —perhaps an oblique reference to the idea that Trump is reaching working class voters who feel disenfranchised by normal electoral politics.
“If you want change in this country, you better get your walking boots on, you better get out there campaigning,” said Farage. “And remember, anything is possible if enough decent people are prepared to stand up against the establishment.”
Trump has praised Brexit immensely during his campaign, including immediately after the vote during his trip to Scotland, though Scottish voters had actually voted to remain. Many political commentators have drawn a comparison between Trump’s right-wing populism and that of UKIP, particularly when it comes to immigration.
