Nigel Farage addressed supporters of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday (24 August) during a campaign rally in Jackson, Mississippi. The outgoing UKIP leader told the 15,000-strong crowd that he brought a message of hope from the UK.
I come to you from the United Kingdom with a message of hope and a message of optimism, Farage said after an introduction from Trump himself. Its a message that says, if the little people, if the real people, if the ordinary, decent people are prepared to stand up and fight for what they believe in, we can overcome the big banks, we can overcome the multinationals, he added, referring to the Brexit vote.
Farage continued amid raucous applause: And we did it. We made June 23rd our independence day, when we smashed the establishment. He then urged Republican voters to get your walking boots on and build up support for the partys nominee.
According to the BBC, Farage earlier told a local radio in Mississippi that the similarities between the Brexit vote and the US presidential election were uncanny. Farage compared the US federal government to the European Commission on Super Talk Radio.
If you want change in this country, you better get your walking boots on, you better get out there campaigning, Farage told the crowd on Wednesday night. And remember, anything is possible if enough decent people are prepared to stand up against the establishment.
Farage, who previously criticised President Barack Obama for stating his support for the Remain campaign said that if he were an American, he would not vote for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton even if you paid me. Although he appeared at the Republican National Convention (RNC) last month in Cleveland, Ohio, Farage said he would not fall into the trap of endorsing Trumps presidential bid.
Trump has repeatedly pointed to the Leave campaigns success at securing a Brexit vote as an indicator of his own campaigns success in November. General election polls show Trump trailing Clinton by as much as 12 points, Reuters reported. Trump, however, hopes his campaign will replicate Brexits victory despite the odds.