AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Donald Trump’s campaign has accused the Labour Party of interfering with the US presidential election after a team of nearly 100 activists offered to campaign for Kamala Harris in swing states.
Trump’s campaign has filed a legal Federal Election Commission complaint against the “far left” Labour Party and Kamala Harris’ campaign for “blatant foreign interference in the 2024 presidential election” after a LinkedIn post by Labour’s head of operations, Sofia Patel, emerged.
Patel attempted to organise a trip to swing states with nearly 100 Labour staffers, former or current, to door-step for the Democrats. However, according to the BBC, these trips were made in a “personal capacity” with individuals funding their own trips.
The complaint read: “When representatives of the British government previously sought to go door-to-door in America, it did not end well for them. This past week marked the 243 anniversary of the surrender of British forces at the Battle of Yorktown, a military victory that ensured that the United States would be politically independent of Great Britain. It appears that the Labour Party and the Harris for President campaign have forgotten the message.
“I write on behalf of Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc. to request an immediate investigation into blatant foreign interference in the 2024 Presidential Election in the form of apparent illegal foreign national contributions made by the Labour Party of the United Kingdom and accepted by Harris for President, the principal campaign committee of Vice President Kamala Harris.”
The Trump-Vance campaign’s co-manager Susie Wiles added: “In two weeks, Americans will once again reject the oppression of big government that we rejected in 1776. The flailing Harris-Walz campaign is seeking foreign influence to boost its radical message – because they know they can’t win the American people.
“President Trump will return strength to the White House and put America, and our people, first. The Harris campaign’s acceptance and use of this illegal foreign assistance is just another feeble attempt in a long line of anti-American election interference.”
However, MPs from other parties have flown to the United States to support presidential candidates in personal capacities. For example, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has made several trips across the pond to support Donald Trump. The Clacton MP has previously said, “I’m allowed to come to America on a trip like this.”
Earlier last week, the UK government’s employment minister Alison McGovern told Sky News: “As far as I know, this is a voluntary thing and it’s about volunteers going and sharing their time.
“This is a normal thing that happens in elections. It is not the first time Labour staff have travelled to the US during presidential elections to campaign for the Democratic nominee.”
Former Labour staffer Tara Jane O’Reilly said on X: “This has been blown way out of proportion and it’s unfair for the staffer – who has always stayed behind the scenes – to be thrown into [the] international spotlight for what is clearly an innocuous project.
“I hope the higher ups at Labour are supporting her [Sofia Patel] because this is mental.”
Liz Truss disagreed claiming, “Labour are doing huge damage to Britain’s standing and economy. The last thing America needs is these disastrous policies. Unbelievably arrogant and foolish of them to interfere in the US election.”
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