Musk’s close relationship with President Trump could spell trouble for Nigel Farage (Image: PA)
Nigel Farage may have a lot to celebrate with his party continuing to rise in the polls – but new reports suggest that a chummy relationship with could be off the cards, thanks to a spat with .
The tech billionaire has suggested that Farage “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead Reform, as the party in popularity polling, and whispers of a hefty financial backing to the political movement also appear to be off the table.
Musk and his cohort of Silicon Valley heavyweights have cultivated close ties to Trump in the four years since he last occupied the White House – and sources suggest the X owner is also capable of swaying the President’s views on would-be allies including .
Trump’s former senior advisor Bryan Lanza said as much when pressed on whether a frosty atmosphere between Musk and Farage would weigh on the Reform leader’s friendship with the new President, who has previously described him as a “spectacular man” who was “the big winner” of last year’s UK general election.
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The two men appeared to be chummy at a meeting last month – but relations have since deteriorated (Image: PA)
“There’s no one in the world today [who] is disruptive and [has] created as much wealth as ,” Mr Lanza told ITV’s Robert Peston.
He added: “[Trump] is going to listen to what Elon has to say on these things, that’s going to have impact, that’s going to matter.”
In a blow to the Clacton MP, he added: “ is a much smaller person in ’s eyes than he was two weeks ago as result of Elon’s tweet and engagement on this issue.”
Musk declared that Farage “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead Reform and demanded that the party find a new leader after the British politician distanced himself from the X mogul’s calls for far-right activist Tommy Robinson to be released from prison.
The Tesla CEO, who has been appointed as head of the new US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Trump, met with Farage and Reform treasurer Nick Candy at the President’s Mar-a-Lago estate in December in a meeting described by Farage as “historic”.
Such close ties now appear to be severed, however, with the MP’s pledge to “mend any broken fences that might exist” with Musk failing to come to fruition with Farage of getting a seat in the main room of Trump’s inauguration on Monday, as told to GB News.
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Despite this, the MP stuck to his guns and insisted that he was still on “very good terms” with Musk during a Newsnight interview earlier this month, where he denied “any long term rift” with the billionaire.
“Elon wasn’t very happy with me, but you know what, since then he’s retweeted me several times,” he told the programme.
“We absolutely agree that we don’t want to be at war with each other in any way at all and we have very similar aims.”
Musk had been rumoured to be before his comments about Farage – but reportedly told an associate that his new job in Trump’s government would complicate any such financial backing.