In an unexpected move, Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has filed a complaint against the UK’s Labour Party, accusing it of foreign interference in the upcoming US presidential election. The complaint, citing the American Revolution and misspelling “Britain,” claims that Labour Party members have been sent to battleground states to campaign for Trump’s opponent, Kamala Harris.
According to the complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the Labour Party allegedly recruited volunteers to work for the Harris campaign in an attempt to influence the results of the November 5 election. Trump’s legal team pointed out that “foreign nationals may not direct or control activities of US campaigns,” requesting an immediate investigation into what it calls “blatant foreign interference.”
The complaint drew parallels to British efforts during the American Revolution, with Trump’s legal team highlighting the anniversary of the British defeat at Yorktown in their letter. However, the complaint’s incorrect spelling of “Britain” raised eyebrows. Trump’s campaign manager, Susie Wiles, further asserted that Harris’s campaign was using foreign influence to support what she described as its “radical message.”
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer responded by stating that Labour volunteers have historically participated in US elections in a private, volunteer capacity. Speaking at the Commonwealth summit in Samoa, Starmer emphasized that those volunteering were doing so “in their spare time,” and dismissed the notion of any formal Labour Party involvement in the US election. He added that his relationship with Trump, whom he met during a recent trip to New York, would not be affected by the complaint.
Despite the controversy, the issue has attracted attention from prominent Republicans, including Marjorie Taylor Greene and Elon Musk, though Musk later retracted a social media post about the incident.
The complaint also referenced reports of Labour staff meetings with members of Harris’s campaign and communications between senior Labour officials and the Democrats. Among those mentioned were Matthew Doyle, Downing Street’s communications director, and Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff.
The Trump campaign’s legal move comes just two weeks before the US election, intensifying the scrutiny on the role of foreign nationals in the race for the White House.
