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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Politics
Lizzie Dearden

Nigel Farage visits Trump Tower as first British politician to meet President-elect's team after shock victory

Nigel Farage has met the President-elect’s inner circle at Trump Tower in New York for meetings with the President-elect’s aides amid continuing demonstrations against the shock election result.

Mr Trump told assembled journalists he was only visiting as a “tourist” on Saturday, refusing to confirm whether he is taking a role in the transition from Barack Obama’s leadership.

His appearance came as thousands of people gathered outside the landmark for a fourth day of protests against Donald Trump’s victory, which were also taking place in cities including Los Angeles and Chicago.

The interim Ukip leader praised Mr Trump during his divisive campaign, making an appearance in front of thousands of supporters at a campaign rally, and has repeatedly praised the Republican.

Earlier, Mr Farage insisted the President-elect would have to meet Theresa May, who he snubbed by calling other world leaders ahead of her on Wednesday.

Asked by Fox News why Mr Trump should meet the Prime Minister after her team was “rude”, the MEP called for fences to be mended.

“Trump is an Anglophile, he understands and recognises what our two great nations have done together between us,” he added. 

"And, thank goodness, we are coming towards the end of an American president who loathed Britain.

"One of the things we can do, we can have between us a sensible trade relationship, cut tariffs, we are massive investors in each other's countries. There's a bright future."

Mr Farage was set to have meetings with Mr Trump's inner team on Saturday but Ukip sources said there were no confirmed talks scheduled with the President-elect, although the interim party leader would be delighted if such an opportunity arose.

Mr Trump has returned his complements and expressed his support for Britain's vote to leave the European Union, calling his election victory "Brexit plus plus plus" ahead of the vote.

Michael Moore, the documentary film-maker, also attempted to visit the billionaire’s headquarters on Saturday, having heavily criticised the Democratic campaign and failure to engage with Trump voters’ concerns.

He and his camera crew were stopped by the Secret Service on the fourth floor. “I just thought I'd see if I could get into Trump Tower and ride the famous escalator,” said Mr Moore.

Several British politicians and political aides attacked Mr Trump during his campaign, when Parliament debated banning him from the UK following a public petition that garnered more than half a million signatures following his call to ban all Muslims from entering the US.

David Cameron described his comments as ”divisive, stupid and wrong“ and said Mr Trump should come to the UK because it would ”unite us all against him“. 

Mrs May congratulated Mr Trump on his victory last week but it has since emerged that her two joint chiefs of staff had attacked him on social media before taking up their current posts.

Fiona Hill posted last December: "Donald Trump is a chump," while her colleague Nick Timothy wrote in March: "American politics was depressing enough before Trump took off."

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was scathing about Mr Trump's attitude to Muslims while he was Mayor of London last December, saying: "I think Donald Trump is clearly out of his mind if he thinks that's a sensible way to proceed, to ban people going to the United States in that way, or to any country.

(AFP/Getty Images)

"What he's doing is playing the game of the terrorists and those who seek to divide us. That's exactly the kind of reaction they hope to produce.

"I think he's betraying a quite stupefying ignorance that makes him frankly unfit to hold the office of President of the United States."

Mr Trump is currently holed up in his Manhattan residence with advisers to decide his next move and choose his new administration, having already put Vice President-elect Mike Pence in charge of the transition instead of Chris Christie

He has sought to strike a conciliatory tone since his election sent a shockwave around the world, announcing on Friday he no longer intended to completely scrap Mr Obama's signature healthcare law, Obamacare.

“This will prove to be a great time in the lives of ALL Americans. We will unite and we will win, win, win!” he tweeted on Saturday, as more than 3,500 people marched toward Trump Tower amid cries of “Trump is NOT my president” and “New York hates you.”

Additional reporting by AP

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