By Gabriel Princewill-
Donald Trump may have paid UKIP leader Nigel Farage to support him, if Farage’s comments is anything to go by.
Presenting a message of ”hope and optimism” for the Republican party, Farage back tracked from an initial comment he made not to fall into the trap of supporting Donald Trump, but displayed a remarkable level of hypocrisy in doing just that. Then he eventually denied he was telling members of the rally how to vote in a shocking contradiction of position taken by the outgoing anti establishment character.
After telling the packed rally to get in their ”walking boots and better get out their campaigning” if they want change for their country, the very confident and assertive UKIP leader declared he wouldn’t support Hilary Clinton, ”even if you paid me”.
Reading between the lines suggest Farage could be up for supporting presidential campaigners, where financial remunerations are assured, and if he has no strong objections against the individual in question. Afterall, it’s nothing new for campaigning politicians to pay people to support their campaign. Paying someone to support one’s campaign is not illegal
So, could Donald Trump- the billionaire property mogul have paid Farage to support him? After all, it is nothing new for campaigning politicians to hire people to pay people to support their campaign.
Well, indications are that he has no objections against Trump given their commonalities and philosophical dispositions. Both men are hugely nationalistic, and espouse strong anti immigration perspectives. ”Anything is possible if enough people are prepared to stand up against the establishment”, he told them.
Farage, who appeared before 15,000 activists in Jackson, Mississippi, was introduced to the crowd by Mr Trump as the man who led the UK’s independent party’s campaign to secure a vote on the future of the UK’s 40 year membership of the European Union. Surely Trump was aware of Farage’s intention to deliver a favourable speech; he would not be there otherwise, would he?And after such an ostensibly positive introduction, it is rational to assume Farage would be inclined to reciprocate the gesture which he probably foreknew. Farage could also view supporting Trump as an opportunity to sustain his public profile as a strong anti establishment speaker. The former UKIP leader minces no words when it comes to speaking his mind.
Farage also said the Republican campaign represented a “fantastic opportunity”as he urged the crowd to beat both the commentators and Washington. Yet any defeat of the commentators necessary requires a rational rebuttal of the core criticisms made against Trump by commentators, otherwise any quest to beat commentators in numbers but not substance is avowedly vain. Farage showed himself not much a man of integrity by exhibiting such double standards.
Make no mistake, Farage is an admirably bold man with strong convictions. He is direct in his speech, and delivers his message without waffle or hesitation. Trump may have paid Farage to openly support him, but this does not mean Farage was not already in unison with Trump on many of the radical shake ups he has for Americans.
The controversial politician is well entitled to his political views, but when one tacitly endorses a hugely controversial man like Trump without expounding on the inherent reasons for doing so, whilst explicitly denying they are supporting them, it makes one sigh curiously.
PARALLELS
Attempting to draw parallels between Brexit and the geo- political situation in the US , Farage stated “We made June 23 our Independence Day when we smashed the establishment”, he told a crowd waving “make America great again” placards..
Trump smiled and clapped approvingly at Farage’s animated speech, but this speech looked orchestrated in terms of it’s purpose and how it came about.. Farage proceeded to deride President Obama‘s last visit to the U.K, in which the U.S president had urged the British public to vote to remain in the EU, and emphasized that Brexit would put Britain at the back of the queue.
He compared the federal government in Washington DC to the European Commission, saying many people felt it had become “its own country”, and claimed the Democrat nominee, Hillary Clinton, epitomized the status quo.
“I’m going to say to people in this country that the circumstances, the similarities, the parallels, between the people that voted Brexit and the people that could beat Clinton in a few weeks’ time here in America are uncanny.”
In fact, consistent with Farage’s message of ”hope and optimism” was the implied suggestion there is every possibility Trump would win, and that supporters should push for it.
Many commentators have adjudged Trump to lack the appropriate level of temperament to occupy a position as supreme as the White House, because of many of the alarming indiscretions he has shown of late in some of his tasteless utterances about various issues.
Notwithstanding, Farage is clearly an advocate for Trump’s far reaching political persuasions, and even if Donald Trump paid Nigel Farage to support him, it might just be that he paid Farage to publicly express his pre-existing supportive views for Donald Trump’s candidacy.
