The response to racism claims is straight out of Trump playbook

When Nigel Farage angrily denounced the BBC and insulted one of its presenters for raising questions about his alleged schoolboy racism, those who have been studying the tactics of the right noted that his behaviour felt familiar.

- Michael Savage

"Is it out of the Trump playbook? I think that's exactly what's going on," said Steven Barnett, professor of communications at the University of Westminster. "This is becoming his new modus operandi, turning defence into attack. It's exactly the tactics the White House press secretary uses. There are a lot of journalists in this country who just aren't used to it." In the weeks since the Guardian published its investigation into Farage's teenage years, the Reform leader's response seems to have mirrored the well-established path deployed by his ally, the US president, Donald Trump.

It includes legal threats and denial, before attempts to undermine the people involved and the media asking questions.

His political critics are now calling it out. "Nigel Farage is following the Donald Trump playbook letter for letter: deny reality, threaten to sue, smear the individuals involved and attack the media," said Daisy Cooper, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats. "These calculated tactics are a desperate attempt to evade scrutiny by importing the very worst kind of American populist tricks." Reform was contacted about the claim it is following Trumpian tactics but did not respond.

"The un-Trump-like thing about Farage here is he's giving slightly evasive denials," said Sunder Katwala, the director of the thinktank British Future. "In a sense, he's not going full Trump." Observers of Farage's response to the allegations point to four tactics also deployed by the US president:

Threaten to sue

The instinct to sue media outlets has become commonplace for Trump, who has even threatened Rupert Murdoch with legal action from his seat on Air Force One.

His threats have usually included demands for eye-watering amounts in damages.