Reform UK MP says Donald Trump appears a 'chauvinist' before clumsy explanation

An MP in Nigel Farage’s party Reform UK has saidDonald Trump can sometimes come across as a "bit of a chauvinist".

Sarah Pochin said the US Presidentsometimes appears that way on TV or in the media but him having senior women in his top team shows he “clearly does respect women”. In a clumsy explanation, she praised Mr Trump’s "awesome" press secretary Karoline Leavitt - but forgot her name when doing so.

The Runcorn and Helsby MP appeared this morning at a Reform UK press conference led by women in the party, which also included Reform’s Greater Lincolnshire Mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns. It comes after a Reform UK police chief's 'dark heart of wokeness' claim came under fire.

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The event predominantly centred on the safety of women and girls, with Ms Pochin arguing that illegal migrants are putting women "at risk of sexual assault".

She was asked whether Reform UK had found itself "aligning" with Mr Trump, to which she replied: "This party is not aligned with Donald Trump. Donald Trump does what he does over the pond, and we do what we do.

"And when Nigel (Farage) becomes the prime minister in 2029, then you will see a Reform government which is committed to the safety and the protection of women and girls in this country.

“And the other thing I would say is, Donald Trump certainly comes across at times, when I look at him through the television or the media, as possibly a bit of a chauvinist, or whatever.

"But look at his team. I mean, his press secretary (Karoline Leavitt) is awesome - can't remember her name - but he has a lot of very senior women in his team. So actually, he clearly does respect women and promotes women in his team, as Nigel is very much doing, as you've seen today, with four senior women hosting this press conference."

Nigel Farage was last month confronted over Mr Trump's criminal historyand a sex abuse ruling against him. In 2023 a civil ruling saw Mr Trump ordered to pay $5million after jurors ruled he had sexually abused a columnist.

The Reform UK leader was asked whether the US President was "the right sort of person” to be let into the country after he vowed to crack down on sex offenders from overseas. A snappy Mr Farage replied bluntly: "I think there was a civil case, not a criminal case, am I right or am I wrong? Thank you."

He was referring to a US District Court ruling in New York, which saw jurors find Mr Trump had sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s. In June Mr Trump lost a federal court legal appeal over the ruling.

He became the first US President to be convicted of felony crimes in 2024 after a jury found him guilty of all 34 charges over hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

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