Suella Braverman, Conor McGregor, Laurence Fox and Liz Truss amongst figures at Trump’s massive day
An eclectic mix of Britons and international figures have descended on Washington DC to watch convicted felon Donald Trump become President for a second time.
Suella Braverman, Liz Truss and former Conor McGregor – who in November was found to have assaulted a woman who accused him of rape by a civil trial in Ireland – are rubbing shoulders with Trump supporters and officials. Ms Braverman was filmed on Sunday arriving on the same plane as hard-right activist Laurence Fox.
Trump will be sworn in for the second time this afternoon after promising a “brand new day of American strength”. Other celebrities who made the trip include former SAS: Who Dares Win host Ant Middleton.
The incoming US President is understood to have invited controversial Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and Argentina’s ‘madman’ president Javier Milei. A number of far-right European politicians, including Tino Chrupalla, a co-leader of Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, will also be there.
Here we look at some of the figures who are in Washington DC – although it is not clear whether some of them will be at the inauguration itself.
Suella Braverman
Former Home Secretary Ms Braverman pitched up clad in a “Make America Great Again” hat. But she declined to say whether she had been personally invited by Trump.
Quizzed on camera by Channel 4 News she simply said: “I’m very much looking forward to attending the rally tomorrow.”
It was noted that she arrived on the same plane as actor and former London Mayoral candidate Laurence Fox. But she dismissed this as a coincidence, saying: “We happened to be on the same plane.”
Liz Truss
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Ms Truss has plenty of time on her hands after losing her seat at the General Election in July.
She’s immersed herself in US politics and been a fixture on right-wing networks and podcasts – as well as demanding Keir Starmer stops saying she crashed the economy. She posted a photo of herself in Washington DC, also wearing a MAGA hat.
She captioned it: “The new Donald Trump term can’t come soon enough. The West needs it.”
Laurence Fox
Actor Laurence Fox, who founded the hard-right populist party Reclaim, arrived on the same plane of Ms Braverman – but she maintained they did not travel together.
The former London Mayor candidate, who was famously suspended from GB News for making sexist comments about a female journalist, voiced his delight at being in the US for the inauguaration.
He wrote: “It’s so wonderful to be here. The optimism is everywhere. We can have this too. All you have to do is speak up and believe. MAGA.”
Nigel Farage
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Nigel Farage/X)
Nigel Farage has made a lot of his friendship with Donald Trump. He described members of the President’s cabinet as “genuine friends on speed dial”. And on Friday he hosted a party in the new President’s honour, and was introduced as the UK’s next Prime Minister.
He didn’t shoot that down as a possibility, stating: “Well, that would be great, but that would. I mean, look, Labour have got a whopping great big majority, okay? The only thing that really brings an early election is if we get an economic meltdown.”
Dame Priti Patel
Also attending is Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel, who took the opportunity to have a swipe at Mr Farage.
She claimed his closeness to Trump was “irrelevant” and branded him a “pop-up act”. She told Sky News: “We’re not a pop-up act in the way in which they are and their presence is here right now.
“Our two parties (the Conservatives and the Republicans) are knitted together in the very principles of conservatism and our DNA on values and beliefs is incredibly strong.”
Conor McGregor
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Conor McGregor was pictured with Nigel Farage after jetting into Washington DC. Farage uploaded a photo of the pair together, writing: “We are so back. @thenotoriousmma.” McGregor responded to it by writing: “Let’s go!”
Former two-weight UFC champion McGregor jetted out to America from Dublin Airport on Saturday with his long-time coach John Kavanagh. Sharing a photo on X after landing in the American capital, McGregor wrote: “Just landed in Washington DC to witness @realDonaldTrump become Double Champ!”
In November McGregor was found liable for assaulting a woman who accused him of rape in a Dublin hotel six years ago – with a jury awarding her £200,000 in damages.
Boris Johnson
The former Prime Minister is also in Washington DC for the inauguration, according to the Daily Mail.
Mr Johnson, who quit as an MP ahead of a bombshell report found he had misled Parliament over Partygate, has kept a low profile over the weekend.
Ant Middleton
Ex Royal Marine commando and former SAS: Who Dares Win TV host Ant Middleton is also in Washington DC.
Mr Middleton, who is in the running to be Reform UK’s next candidate for London Mayor, shared a photo of himself alongside Nigel Farage and party treasurer Nick Candy. He wrote: “Change is coming!”
