Nigel Farage told Republicans how they can use the lessons from his successful campaign to take Britain out of the European Union to send Donald Trump to the White House.
Heaping praise on the former leader of the UK Independence Party, the Republican presidential nominee introduced Mr Farage to 15,000 supporters at a rally in Jacksonville, Mississippi, as the man who orchestrated Brexit.
"On June 23, the people of Britain voted to declare their independence - which is what we're also looking to do, folks - from their international government," Mr Trump said.
"They voted to reclaim control over immigration, over economy, over government. Working people, and the great people of the UK, took control of their destiny.
"We will have one American nation, not divided. November 8 is our chance to re-declare American independence."
Taking the stage to wild applause, Mr Farage said he came "with a message of hope and optimism".
"We made June 23 our independence day when we shamed the establishment.
"We reached those people who have never voted in their lives but believed they could take back control of their country, take back control of their borders, and get back their pride and self-respect."
Mr Farage criticised US President Barack Obama, who had urged the British to stay in the EU, saying he "talked down to us, as if we were nothing".
While he didn't explicitly endorse Mr Trump for president because it would be wrong for a foreign politician to intervene in a US election, he made it clear who he would not vote for given the chance.
"I could not possibly tell you how to vote in this election," he told the crowd. "But, you know, I get it. If I was an American citizen, I wouldn't vote for Hillary Clinton if you paid me. In fact, I wouldn't vote for Hillary Clinton if she paid me."
Saying "the parallels are clear" between what was happening in the US and what happened in Britain, Mr Farage said American voters had a "fantastic opportunity" to "beat the pollsters, the commentators, Washington".
"And you'll do it like with Brexit in Britain, (with) a people's army. If you want change, you better get your walking boots on, you better get out their campaigning, and, remember, anything is possible if enough decent people are prepared to stand up against the establishment. "
© Provided by The Telegraph Mr Farage said that he would not be endorsing Donald Trump, pictured, at the rally because it was wrong for a foreign politician to intervene in a US election Credit: AP Photo/David Zalubowski Mr Farage, who is in America accompanied by Ukip donor Arron Banks, is understood to have been invited to address both a dinner with Mr Trump and the rally by Phil Bryant, the governor of Mississippi.Mr Farage is thought to be the first British politician to address a Republican presidential election rally.
Speaking from the United States, Mr Farage earlier told The Daily Telegraph: “Brexit is just massive over here.
"I went to the [Republican party] convention in Cleveland and I just could not believe that ordinary people are talking to me about Brexit.
“They see it as a victory of ordinary people against big business, big banks and big politics.
“The Republican activists and managers here are keen to hear the Brexit story, hear how we managed to get 2.5million people who don’t normally vote at all to go down to the polling station.
“It was a victory for the little people – and if the Trump camp reaches out to those same people who have been disadvantaged by corporatism, under-cutting wages, a lot of strong similarities to the United Kingdom then it does not matter what the polls say, what the liberal media say – in the end elections are won by numbers.”
Mr Farage continued: “There is a potential target out there that the Republican party needs to reach. We reached them in Brexit – if they do the same they can completely turn this election around.”
Mr Trump caused a stir last week with a cryptic tweet in which he said: “They will soon be calling me MR BREXIT!”
The real estate businessman supported June's UK vote to leave the European Union and described it as “the people taking the country back” – a phrase repeated by Mr Farage at dozens of Brexit rallies before the referendum day.
During a visit to his golf resort in Ayrshire shortly after the referendum, Mr Trump said the UK’s vote to leave the EU was a “great thing”, adding: “People are angry all over the world.”
Comments