Vice President JD Vance began his family vacation in England last Friday with a lightning round of carp fishing. He hasn’t slowed down since, taking part in conference calls about Ukraine, huddling with Britain’s foreign minister, David Lammy, and meeting fellow right-wing political figures.
On Wednesday morning, it was the turn of Nigel Farage, the leader of the insurgent, anti-immigrant party Reform U.K. He sat down with Mr. Vance, according to an official familiar with the vice president’s schedule, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he said this was a personal trip.
Mr. Farage confirmed the meeting, saying in a statement: “Good to catch up with my old friend JD Vance this morning. Everything we discussed remains confidential.”
Earlier, the official said, Mr. Vance met Robert Jenrick, a Conservative lawmaker who is viewed a rising force on the right flank of the Conservative Party. But he did not meet the party’s leader, Kemi Badenoch, an omission that both sides chalked up to logistical hurdles.
“The vice president met with a number of people during his trip to the United Kingdom,” Mr. Vance’s press secretary, Taylor Van Kirk, said in a statement. “He specifically tried to see Kemi Badenoch — a friend of his — but a meeting was not possible due to their scheduling conflicts.”
The vice president’s office also declined to disclose what Mr. Vance and Mr. Farage talked about. But the two share common ground on issues like free-speech rights, which both have claimed are under threat in Britain.
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The post Vance Meets Farage, Another Right-Wing Populist, in Britain appeared first on New York Times.
