Elon Musk has delivered a blow to Nigel Farage by stating on X, formerly Twitter, that the Reform UK leader “doesn’t have what it takes” to be at the helm of the party. This comes as a significant embarrassment for Farage, especially after he had just praised Musk, calling him a “hero” and suggesting that his support made Reform UK “look cool”.
Musk’s tweet read: “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.”
The tech mogul has been criticised for a series of controversial remarks about UK politicians such as Keir Starmer and Jess Phillips. Despite this, Farage did not denounce Musk’s comments and hinted that the billionaire might invest in his party.
Speaking to Laura Kuenssberg of the BBC, Farage said: “He may well give us money, whether he does or not. I think what he gives us with huge numbers of young people, he makes us look cool.”
Recently, Musk, who is an advisor to Donald Trump, has expressed support for releasing Tommy Robinson and endorsed Germany’s far-right AfD party. He also showed support for Reform UK, having met with Farage and the party’s new treasurer Nick Candy at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort last month, reports the Mirror.
When asked about Musk’s attacks on Starmer and Phillips, Farage refrained from criticism, stating: “The fact that Musk supports me and supports Reform doesn’t mean as two grown ups, we have to agree with everything the other says.”