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Brexit backer tells Trump to ‘get campaigning’

Former leader of the UK Independent Party Nigel Farage, credited for Brexit, addressed the audience at a Trump campaign rally in Jackson, Mississippi on Wednesday night.

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“The parallels between the people who voted Brexit and the people who could beat Clinton in a few weeks time here in America are uncanny”, Farage said.

“Having criticized and condemned his behavior, I could not possibly tell you how to vote in this election, but.” he said as he let his voice trail off and the crowd whoop itself into a frenzy. He also said that with Brexit, the average citizen was told to vote one way by the establishment and the mainstream media, but they went another way.

Trump supported the campaign for Brexit and introduced Farage as the man who stood up to the European Union “against all odds”, praising him for having “brilliantly” spearheaded UKIP’s campaign for an European Union referendum in the UK.

During Farage’s speech, however, Farage told Trump supporters that they could “beat the pollsters”, pointing out that most British polls before Brexit indicated that the country would vote to stay in the EU.

“I come to you from the United Kingdom with a message of hope and a message of optimism”, he said.

“And remember, anything is possible if enough decent people are prepared to stand up against the establishment”, Farage told the cheering crowd.

Having a foreign politician campaign for a USA presidential candidate is unusual, but the move makes sense as part of Trump’s recent initiative to re-brand himself as Mr. Brexit, or as he put it in a tweet last week: “MR. BREXIT!”

Banks, who is said to have donated up to £6.5 million (about US$8.5 million) to the Brexit campaign, is closely involved in the inner circle of the movement’s furthest right wing.

He urged Mr Trump’s supporters to “stand up to the establishment” and take back control with a “people’s army”- just like Britain had.

As the crowd applauded, and Trump looked on, beaming, Farage took a shot at President Obama, who had visited London in April and warned that a Leave vote could imperil Britain’s ability to make future trade deals with the United States.

“They voted to reclaim control over immigration, over their economy, over their government”.

Farage criticised US President Barack Obama, who had urged the British to stay in the European Union, saying he “talked down to us, as if we were nothing”.

Now, the obvious concern about a rally such as this one in MS are the divisive overtones: For those unfamiliar with his work, Farage is one of Britain’s most notorious xenophobes.

But for all intents and purposes, what Farage said next might as well have amounted to full-throated support of the billionaire businessman’s candidacy.

He said: “He talked down to us”.

A lot of parallels were drawn between Brexit and USA “little people let down by global corporations”.

The host, JT Williamson, appeared very impressed with Mr Farage’s comments, describing him as a “hero” and inviting him to go deer hunting with him.

“The polls do not know what is going to happen”, Farage said.

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Mr. Farage has previously called Mr. Obama “despicable” and said he refused to repeat his behaviour by telling Americans how to vote.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
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