British anti-EU populist Nigel Farage, Suella Braverman, Priti Patel, Tobias Ellwood, ex-Prime Ministers Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Laurence Fox and Ant Middleton are among those attending the inauguration at Washington
Donald Trump’s guest list for his inauguration as US president is shaping up to be a global Who’s Who of right-wing populists.
Keir Starmer will not be present, with the government pointing out that is in keeping with long-standing convention. However, there are mounting questions about how Labour will manage the crucial relationship with the new US administration.
Inaugurations tend to be traditional, flag-waving affairs, an important democratic rite for the home crowd. Foreign diplomats typically attend as a courtesy, but heads of state and governments aren’t usually included.
Trump, of course, isn’t one for tradition. He has invited many of the foreign leaders he’s spoken to by phone or welcomed in person at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, such as Argentinian President Javier Milei and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
While the European centrist mainstream has been sidelined plenty of space has been afforded to far-right and nationalist politicians. British anti-EU populist Nigel Farage will be there, as will Suella Braverman, Priti Patel, Tobias Ellwood, ex-Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. The prominent MAGA loyalists attending the event include Laurence Fox and Ant Middleton.
Former Home Secretary Braverman led the right-wing exodus to Washington, arriving on Saturday clad in a “Make America Great Again” hat. When asked if Trump had personally invited her, she deflected, saying, “I’m very much looking forward to attending the rally tomorrow.”
She dismissed her travel companion Fox as a coincidence, quipping, “We happened to be on the same plane.” Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Truss faced widespread ridicule after posting a photo of herself in DC, also in a MAGA hat, with the caption: “The new Donald Trump term can’t come soon enough. The West needs it.”
She was pictured wearing a blue coat and a red MAGA cap with social media users comparing her to Paddington Bear. Meanwhile, Fox tweeted: “It’s so wonderful to be here. The optimism is everywhere. We can have this too. All you have to do is speak up and believe. MAGA.”
Among other notable attendees was ex-Special Forces soldier Middleton, reportedly eyeing a Reform UK-backed bid for London Mayor. Middleton was joined by Labour defector Kate Hoey and Ian Paisley Jr., a longtime Trump family ally, at a party held close to the White House on Friday night.
For many, the trip has become an expensive photo-op, with little to show but social media posts and MAGA merchandise. The ceremony’s relocation also fueled speculation, with some questioning whether the move was prompted by security concerns rather than the freezing weather.
Meanwhile, shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel said the apparent closeness of the Reform leader to the incoming president was ‘irrelevant’. She insisted the Tories shared ‘DNA on values and beliefs’ with the Republicans and the parties ‘ended the Cold War’ together.
Asked about Farage’s influence with Trump, Patel told Sky News it was “not a relevant question.”
“They are our sister party. We have enduring long-standing ties with the Republican Party,” she said, stressing the Reagan-Thatcher era.
On Reform, she said, “We’re not a pop-up act in the way in which they are and their presence is here right now. Our two parties are knitted together in the very principles of conservatism and our DNA on values and beliefs is incredibly strong.” Patel said she worked closely with the last Trump government as Home Secretary and “those ties will continue.”
The comments came after Farage described some members of Trump’s incoming cabinet as “genuine friends on speed dial” and reiterated his offer to help foster relations. He told the Sun on Sunday that if he were able to help “behind the scenes” he would “because it is in the national interest.”
Despite the tensions, Starmer told the Financial Times he was building a “constructive” relationship with Trump, which he hoped would exempt the UK from threatened punitive trade tariffs and drown out the vitriolic attacks on him by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a member of Trump’s team.
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