UKIP’s Nigel Farage backs Trump for President over Hillary Clinton
Nigel Farage says he’d rather see Donald Trump as President of the United States than Hillary Clinton.
The leader of the UK Independence Party was speaking on ITV politics show Peston on Sunday, he was asked about his feelings towards Trump – who has courted the far-right vote in America with his immigration policies and anti-LGBT rhetoric.
Mr Farage doesn’t always get on with leaders of similar movements to UKIP – shunning the leader of France’s National Front party, Marine Le Pen, when she attempted to speak out ahead of the UK’s EU referendum.
But he had some kind words for Donald Trump, despite acknowledging that the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee has “issues”.
The UKIP leader praised the Republican’s “sensible” comments urging Britain to leave the EU, adding: “Well done him.”
He joked: “It just goes to show, Donald Trump is measured, neutral, doesn’t want to get stuck into the punch-up… but no, he’s given a very diplomatic answer.”
Asked whether he would vote for Trump, Mr Farage said: “I have difficulty with that.
“Let’s put it like this, I couldn’t vote for Hillary even if you paid me.”
When pushed to pick one or the other, he said: “If you put me up against a wall, it’s got to be [Trump] and not Hillary, but I have reservations.
“Encouraging people to beat up protesters… one or two things like that bother me, but I tell you what, I think he’s going to win.”
Messrs Farage and Trump certainly agree on some key points: earlier today Trump went on the attack, hitting out at UK Prime Minister David Cameron and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Trump said he doesn’t expect to have a “good relationship” with Cameron, while goading Khan – challenging the Labour figure to take an IQ test.
