Ex-Mumford & Sons Member Asks Trump If He'd Consider Granting Political Asylum to British Citizens
Former Mumford & Sons musician Winston Marshall asked whether President Donald Trump would consider granting political asylum to British citizens punished for speech-related offenses.
Marshall, who is now a poltical podcast host, attended Monday’s White House press briefing, and diretced his question to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Citing the growing censorship and prosecutions of free speech in the UK, Marshall asked if the Trump administration would consider offering refuge to individuals facing criminal penalties for speech.
“In Britain, we have had a quarter of a million people issued non-crime hate incidents,” Marshall said.
“As we speak, there are people in prison for quite literally posting memes. We have extensive prison sentences for tweets, social media posts, and general free speech issues. Would the Trump administration consider political asylum for British citizens in such a situation?”
Leavitt responded, saying, “It’s a very good one,” referring to th eproosla.
“I have not heard that proposed to the president, nor have I spoken to him about that idea, but I certainly can and talk to our national security team and see if it’s something the administration would entertain.”
Leavitt also noted that Vice President JD Vance has been “incredibly outspoken” about free speech concerns in the UK.
“The president has spoken about this as well, directly with your prime minister when he was here for a visit to the White House,” Leavitt added.
“So it remains a critical endeavor of ours, to show the Brits, and your country, which we love and admire, about the First Amendment and the importance of free speech in a sovereign nation.”
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READ: UK Govt Warns Americans They Could Be Arrested While Visiting Country for Social Media Posts Back HomeEarlier this year, JD Vance addressed the issue during a speech to European leaders, warning that some Western nations appear to be regressing toward “Soviet-era” levels of censorship.
Marshall’s reamrks follows his own personal experience with cancel culture.
After departing from Mumford & Sons in 2021, he recieved backlash for expressing support for conservative journalist Andy Ngo.
Marshall had tweeted praise for Ngo’s book, Unmasked, which examines Antifa’s activities and ideology.
Marshall told Fox News he had “no regrets” about his decision to leave the band, explaining that he now feels “liberated” to address difficult topics
Hew now currently hosts “The Winston Marshall Show,” which features conversations with authors, scientists, musicians,
Marshall’s question to the White House ignite broader transatlantic discourse as more an dmore Brtis feel eprscuated int heir own country.
READ: UK Govt Warns Americans They Could Be Arrested While Visiting Country for Social Media Posts Back Home