Nigel Farage has joined allies of Donald Trump in warning that his push for the presidency will only gain strength from the decision to indict him on Thursday. It comes as former President Trump called the indictment “a witch hunt” and “election interference” as a grand jury in Manhattan investigated an alleged “hush money” payment he made to porn star Stormy Daniels.
The indictment follows a number of Democrat attempts to arrest President Trump on felony charges.
Infamously, this included a raid on his Mar-a-Lago, Florida home by FBI agents claiming that he had taken confidential White House papers to the resort.
Speaking about the indictment on Thursday night, Mr Farage, a close friend of the 45th US President, agreed it was a witch hunt.
The former Brexit Party and Ukip leader told Express.co.uk: “This is an appalling abuse of power. Trump will gain strength from this.”
Polling suggests that Mr Farage is correct.
According to a poll for Fox News, Mr Trumpis backed by 54 percent of Republicans ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
His closest rival is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who trails a massive 30 points behind on 24 percent of the party vote.
Mr Trump has been on a tour of US states with his newly refurbished campaign plane, whipping up support for a third run at the White House.
He and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters believe that the election was stolen from him in 2020 to get Joe Biden into the White House.
Since then, they believe there has been an attempt to legally “stitch up” the former president and prevent a return to office in 2024.
Mr Trump’s senior aid Jason Miller, the founder of the GETTR social media platform, also questioned the legitmacy of the indictment.
He posted: “EVERY American will remember where they were when they heard the news that Democrats did the unthinkable, charging a political opponent – the leading Republican for President – in an attempt to stop him from returning to the White House. It’s us vs. them.”
He added: “New York’s Trump indictment isn’t the best case against him.”
Meanwhile, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a MAGA supporter, said: “I’m honored to give a Lincoln’s Day Address in Gettysburg tonight.
“The irony of standing on the battleground when I found out President Trump has been indicted is profound.
“My President is innocent and the only one standing in the way of these modern day tyrants, just like our founding fathers did, to protect each of us from evil.”
The move against Donald Trump by the grand jury is the first time in history a US president has ever been indicted. According to US reports, the felony indictment, filed under seal by the Manhattan district attorney’s office, will likely be announced in the coming days.
The case has been pursued by prosecutor Alvin Bragg, who has been accused of trying to build a political career with the case.
In a statement on Thursday, President Trump said: “From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the Radical Left Democrats – the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this Country – have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement.”
Listing a series of attempts to indict him, he said: “You remember it just like I do: Russia, Russia, Russia; the Mueller Hoax; Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine; Impeachment Hoax 1; Impeachment Hoax 2; the illegal and unconstitutional Mar-a-Lago raid; and now this.”
Others agree with Mr Farage that Mr Trump’s comeback has been boosted by the episode.
Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator and Trump ally, said: “The prosecutor in New York has done more to get President Trump elected than any single person. Mr Bragg, you have helped Mr Trump, amazingly.”
Some prosecutors have questioned the decision to go after the Stormy Daniels hush money branding it a “zombie case” because the case is already seven years old.
While even some Democrats have warned Bragg he “needs to step back from the brink”.
Mr Trump has already urged his supporters to go out on the streets and protest.
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