Farage After London Trump Meeting: ‘He Absolutely, Obviously Believes in Brexit’

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 04: US President Donald Trump attends a joint press conference with
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Oliver JJ Lane

Brexit leader Nigel Farage has spoken of a discussion on Brexit and trade he had with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, confirming weeks of rumours over whether the pair would meet during the State Visit.

Mr Farage praised a “good meeting” with President Trump shortly after leaving the residence of the U.S. Ambassador to London, and later spoke on his LBC radio show to confirm he’d had a sit-down with President Trump with Ambassador Woody Johnson present.

While noting that most details of the meeting were private, Mr Farage elaborated on some of what was discussed, including President Trump’s upbeat state of mind, the Brexit process, and Anglo-American trade.

Mr Farage said of the meeting:

[Mr Trump is] on top, ebullient form, thoroughly enjoying the trip, having a great time… He absolutely, obviously believes in Brexit. Believes it is the right thing for the country to do, and is concerned that it seems to be taking a very long time, and therefore he is very interested in who the next Conservative leader and Prime Minister is.

Mr Farage also revealed he discussed the likely candidates to take over as the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, a process that will begin later this week when Theresa May officially relinquishes her position as leader of the Conservative Party on Friday.

Among the names mentioned were former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson — who quit Theresa May’s government over her handling of Brexit — and Jeremy Hunt, who replaced him.

The group also discussed trade, Mr Farage claimed, saying “he Americans are very, very prepared for their side of the negotiation” and that the British wouldn’t. If the government wasn’t prepared to begin preliminary negotiations with the United States, Mr Farage suggested it could be up to a group of top professionals to do so on their behalf. He said:

…I was left with the impression we were behind the curve in every way.

Perhaps after all these years as members of the European Union, we simply don’t have people who are competent trade negotiators because it is all being done for us by somebody else. And I certainly am now very keen given the lack of the preparedness… to get a delegation of industrialists and business figures together, to fly out to Washington DC… to start these discussions. If the government can’t do it, maybe others will have to take that initiative?

The meeting which, if reports are to be believed, the British government attempted to block is the latest confirmation that Brexit Party boss and present polling leader Mr Farage holds a privileged position with the President. As well as being invited to a meeting at Winfield House today, Mr Farage was also the first British politician to meet with President Trump after he won the 2016 election, pipping Prime Minister Theresa May to the post.

Mr Farage and President Trump are understood to have kept in touch regularly since to discuss Brexit and other matters, seeing each other in person and meeting at this year’s CPAC in Washington.

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