Nigel Farage faced fierce criticism from US Democrat lawmakers during a congressional hearing on censorship, where he was branded a 'Putin-loving free speech impostor' and a 'Trump sycophant'. The Reform UK leader appeared before the House judiciary committee at the invitation of its Republican leadership, missing Prime Minister's Questions in the process.
In his opening statement, Democrat Jamie Raskin questioned Farage's commitment to free speech, suggesting he should make his case in the UK Parliament rather than in the US. Raskin also accused Farage of being a 'Putin-loving free speech impostor and Trump sycophant', warning UK citizens against trusting him to protect their freedoms.
Other Democrat members were equally scathing. Jerrold Nadler questioned why the committee sought evidence from 'a fringe politician from the United Kingdom', while Hank Johnson accused Farage of advocating for free speech to solicit donations from Elon Musk. Farage countered that Musk is 'abusive about me virtually every single week'.
Farage cited cases of Lucy Connolly and Graham Linehan as examples of threats to free speech in the UK. However, he denied calling for US sanctions on Britain, stating he only wanted American politicians and businesses to persuade the UK to change its laws.
