Nigel Farage clashed with Emily Maitlis over his decision to go to the US and visit Donald Trump less than two weeks after winning a seat in parliament.
The new Reform MP for Clacton is a friend of the ex-president and claimed he wanted to visit him when Trump was shot in the ear in an assassination attempt.
After the King’s Speech in Westminster yesterday, Farage crossed the Atlantic to Milwaukee for the Republican Convention where the ex-president was confirmed as the party’s presidential nominee.
Speaking to Maitlis for the News Agents’ podcast, the Reform Party leader was asked repeatedly why he already left his constituents.
He did not quite say Trump had personally invited him, but added: “The people around him thought it was the right thing that I came.”
“I thought you were giving all your time to Clacton now, as its newest MP?” Maitlis pushed.
Farage, who has run for parliament eight times overall, replied: “Well I’m allowed to come to America on a trip like this, particularly in these circumstances.”
Maitlis said: “At one point, you said you wouldn’t be running in Clacton because you wanted to give your time to the US, but now you are the new Clacton MP, and are here in the US just two weeks after being elected, because this feels more exciting?”
He said he would be back in the UK at the weekend, adding: “Look, what happened on Saturday could have been the most disastrous event.”
“But why did he need you?” Maitlis pushed.
“That’s a matter for his team to answer, not me. Listen, it was right that I came,” Farage said.
“Right for who?” The journalist asked.
Farage hit back: “It was the right thing to do. I have friends – I don’t know if you do or not, maybe you don’t – but I have friends and when they’re having a tough time, it’s right to go and support them.”
Asked if Farage felt Trump was having a “tough time right now”, the MP replied: “He nearly died.”
After several seconds of silence and staring at one another, Maitlis repeated her question – and Farage repeated his answer.
She tried one more time: “Do you think that’s changed him? You must have spoken to him if he’s a really good friend.”
Farage said Trump was “really thoughtful” about what had happened after the “dramatic failure of the secret service”.
Farage then confirmed he had not made contact with either Liz Truss or Boris Johnson at the Republican Convention, even though they are both in attendance.
He added: “I’ve got lots of American friends.”