Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK and a close ally of Donald Trump, sparked controversy on Thursday by repeating the former US president’s claim that immigrants in Ohio are eating pets. The unfounded claim, which Trump made during a recent debate, has been widely discredited, but Farage stood by it during an interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
Trump, who is campaigning for re-election, claimed that citizens in Springfield, Ohio, had experienced incidents where immigrants abducted and ate their pets. The Wall Street Journal traced the origins of this statement to a police report in which a pet owner found her missing cat in her own basement. Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, later admitted that the story was fabricated to highlight the current immigration policies under President Joe Biden.
When asked about Trump’s comments, Good Morning Britain host Richard Madeley questioned Farage’s loyalty to the former president, considering the outlandish nature of some of his statements. “How difficult is that when he says things like ‘Springfield cats and dogs are being eaten by immigrants’?” Madeley asked.
Farage, in response, stood by Trump’s claim, stating, “Whenever Donald Trump makes a comment which is ridiculed, it always turns out to be true. I refer that to the cats and dogs.” However, Farage did not address the fact that Trump’s baseless remarks had caused panic in Springfield, leading to threats against local schools and government buildings.
Instead, Farage shifted the conversation to Trump’s claim of divine intervention in his survival of an assassination attempt. Trump has previously stated that his escape from the attempt showed he had “God on his side.” Farage defended the idea of divine intervention, referencing his own experience surviving a 2010 plane crash. “Maybe even I believe that at times there is a higher intervention that can work in your favour,” Farage said.
Madeley pushed back, questioning whether Farage would attribute divine support to a political ambition in the same way Trump has done. Farage responded by referencing British military history, saying that armies have long fought with the belief that “God is on our side.” He suggested that Trump’s faith may be helping him endure the pressure of frequent threats on his life.
While Trump’s claim about immigrants eating pets has been thoroughly debunked, Farage’s defense of his long-time ally has reignited debate about the dangers of spreading misinformation, especially in the context of immigration and public safety.
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