Critics Dismiss Trump And Musk's Row With Labour

Donald Trump’s campaign team files a complaint accusing Starmer’s party of making illegal donations to Democrats

- MILLIE COOKE & DAVID MADDOX

Donald Trump and Elon Musk have been accused of launching a “phoney war” on Sir Keir Starmer and Labour as an attention-grabbing exercise as the former president struggles in his bid to return to the White House.

Former Labour ministers are among the critics of the tech billionaire and ex-president, who appear to be laying the groundwork for a claim of cheating in the election if Mr Trump loses on 5 November. But even sources close to the Trump camp have told The Independent the claims of interference being made against Labour are “not being taken seriously at all”, and they have warned it will lead to questions about Nigel Farage’s role as a Trump campaign cheerleader.

The row broke out as Mr Musk declared war on a campaign group linked to the heart of Sir Keir’s government. The tech billionaire accused the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), founded by Sir Keir’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, of “violating US criminal statutes against foreign interference in elections”.

Mr Musk said he and his team are “going after” the CCDH and their donors after a report from the Disinformation Chronicle newsletter claimed to have uncovered a strategy document from the group which included a plan to “Kill Musk’s Twitter”.

Mr Musk’s remarks come hours after the Trump-Vance camp filed a legal complaint accusing the Labour Party of illegal foreign campaign donations after it emerged that scores of party activists had flown across the Atlantic to help the Kamala Harris operation ahead of the presidential election next month. But the double attack has been blasted on both sides of the Atlantic.