Victoria Derbyshire was quick to remind Donald Trump’s campaign how prominent right-wing UK politicians have publicly supported him, amid the Republicans’ accusations of Labour “interference” in the US election.
The former US president team has lodged a legal complaint that the governing party in the UK has “recruited and sent party members to campaign” for the Democrats’ nominee, vice president Kamala Harris.
Labour says it has done nothing wrong and that any individuals campaigning for Harris were doing so voluntarily.
On BBC Newsnight on Tuesday, presenter Derbyshire pointed out that high-profile conservatives have publicly backed Trump.
Speaking to Richard Grenell – who is tipped to become secretary of state if Trump secures a second presidency – Derbyshire said: “How is it different, Labour Party members and activists going to America to campaign on behalf of the Democrats, compared to for example, Liz Truss, who used to be the Conservative prime minister here, or Nigel Farage, who is the leader of Reform, going over to your country to campaign for Donald Trump?”
Both Truss and Farage travelled to the US to show their support for Trump when he was announced as the official Republican nominee.
Former UK PM Boris Johnson has also spoken out in favour of the ex-president, along with Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick.
Grenell replied: “I think they were speaking on behalf – no one is going to shy away from having people speak on behalf, whether it’s an advance or some sort of speaking engagement.
“I think it’s quite different though when you actually pay for people to go door knock and organise.”
He added: “I think it’s more operationalised and more of an involvement in the actual election rather than just speaking out.
“We have the first amendment in the United States, which allows people to speak out and say anything.
“But it’s quite a different story when you’re paid to be an actual activist on a campaign.”
Although Labour’s chief of operations, Sofia Patel, posted on LinkedIn that housing would be covered for those flying to the US for Harris, the party has denied paying for the accommodation of any volunteers.
The LinkedIn post has now been deleted.
Derbyshire also asked Grenell: “Doesn’t it sound like Donald Trump is getting desperate?”
He replied: “Whenever a foreign government tries to interfere in an election, that’s desperation. We shouldn’t be having that. You shouldn’t be defending having a government interfere in another government’s elections.”
Derbyshire said she was not defending the government, and asked for further evidence of Labour “interference”.
But he deflected the question back to her and said: “You’re a journalist, you should be looking into the Labour Party, you should be looking at what the allegations are and not somehow blaming the Trump administration for being desperate.”
Derbyshire asked if the complaint was Trump’s campaign looking at their rivals and saying: “Actually they’re desperate, they’re going to lose?”
He said Derbyshire “is the one who used the desperate rhetoric”.
When reminded that Labour say they have done nothing wrong, he said: “Well, they should not fear anything from an investigation.”