Nigel Farage tells LBC he doesn't want 'war' with Elon Musk and he plans to 'mend fences' at Trump's inauguration
7 January 2025, 09:16 | Updated: 16 January 2025, 09:23
Nigel Farage has told LBC he doesn't want to 'go to war' with Elon Musk.
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Tech billionaire Musk said at the weekend that Mr Farage "doesn't have what it takes" to lead Reform UK - in an apparent disagreement over the jailed far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
The row erupted after Mr Farage refused to join Mr Musk’s calls to release Robinson from prison.
Speaking to Nick Ferrari on LBC, Mr Farage said: "I have no desire to go to war with Elon Musk - I’m a huge admirer.
He said that billionaire Musk's purchase of Twitter "has bought a lot of free speech back."
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"There is no way I’m going to fall out - but equally I wasn’t going to be moved."
"I’ve never wanted my parties to have anything to do with extremism," he added.
Mr Farage said he would travel to America for "four or five days" later this month to attend Donald Trump's inauguration as US president, during which time he hoped to meet Mr Musk and repair their relationship.
He added: "Of course I want his support; of course I will talk to him in America in a few days' time; of course I want to mend any broken fences that might exist. I'm sure we can do it."
The row marks a major falling out between Musk and Farage.
As recently as Christmas, Mr Musk was reported to be pondering a $100m donation to Reform through the UK branch of Tesla.
They even posed for a picture together at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida in front of a painting of the president-elect.
Mr Farage said that Elon Musk's support would harm Reform UK but the relationship can be mended.
He said he would be in the United States "for a good sort of four or five days" for Donald Trump's inauguration as president, during which time he would meet billionaire Mr Musk.
Mr Farage said: "I have no desire to go to war with Elon Musk and I'm not going to, and I haven't done. I'm a huge admirer of him, I think he's an heroic figure."
Asked whether losing his support would weaken Reform UK, Mr Farage said: "Not having Elon's support would damage us with that younger generation because he kind of makes us look cool, so I'm being frank about that and I am confident that whatever has been said, we can mend. I really think we can."
He added: "It's not crucial. I mean look, if I was to embrace, as it looks like I was being urged to do, the sort of violent thuggish people like (Tommy) Robinson, that would do our party immense harm, and probably rightly so.
"So the fact that I've stood up on a point of principle, even if in the short term its to my detriment, in the long run may even work in our favour.
"Of course I want his support, of course I will talk to him in America in a few days' time, of course I want to mend any broken fences that might exist. I'm sure we can do it."
Elon Musk took to his social media platform X (Twitter) on the weekend and declared: "The Reform Party needs a new leader.
"Farage doesn’t have what it takes."
He then appeared to endorse Rupert Lowe, one of the party’s five MPs, as a replacement.
Mr Farage said: "Well, this is a surprise! Elon is a remarkable individual but on this I am afraid I disagree.
"My view remains that Tommy Robinson is not right for Reform and I never sell out my principles."
Mr Musk shared a call on X to "free Tommy Robinson."
But Mr Farage said: "He sees Robinson as one of these people that fought against the grooming gangs. But of course, the truth is Tommy Robinson’s in prison not for that, but for contempt of court.
"We’re a political party aiming to win the next general election. He’s not what we need."
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is serving an 18-month prison sentence for contempt of court, which began in October.
Mr Farage also declined to condemn Musk's attacks on safeguarding minister Jess Phillips.
The tech billionaire has repeatedly used strong language on X to criticise her decision not to order a fresh national inquiry into grooming gangs in Oldham.
Meanwhile the head of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has said "the time has passed" for another lengthy examination of grooming gangs and that the row is "distracting from the issues".
Professor Alexis Jay said "we've had enough of inquiries, consultations and discussions" as she called for action.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is pushing for a national inquiry after tech billionaire Elon Musk used his X platform to launch a barrage of online attacks on the Government over the issue.
Prof Jay produced a report on grooming gangs in Rotherham in 2014 and then chaired the national inquiry into various forms of child sexual abuse which reported in 2022.
"We have learned a lot from those reviews that have already been undertaken," she told the BBC.
"Locally, people need to step up to the mark and do the things that have been recommended.
"I think that the time has passed for more inquiries. We've had enough of inquiries, consultations and discussions, and especially for those victims and survivors who've had the courage to come forward, and they clearly want action.
"We have set out what action is required and people should just get on with it. Locally and nationally."
The slew of messages on X from Mr Musk on the issue attacking Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and safeguarding minister Jess Phillips came after the Government declined to commission an inquiry into sexual exploitation in Oldham, insisting it should be locally-led.
