Nigel Farage faced hostile questioning from Democratic members of the US House judiciary committee during a hearing on censorship, where he was accused of being a 'Putin-loving free speech impostor' and a 'Trump sycophant'. The Reform UK leader, who missed prime minister's questions to appear as a witness, was invited by the Republican leadership to discuss what he called the 'awful authoritarian' situation for free speech in the UK.
Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin questioned Farage's commitment to free speech, noting that he had called for a ban on a pro-Gaza protest near Remembrance Sunday and that journalists from critical outlets were often barred from Reform events. Farage denied knowledge of any bans, saying he could not recall banning anyone in 25 years. Raskin also suggested Farage should make his case in the UK Parliament rather than in the US.
Another Democrat, Hank Johnson, accused Farage of advocating for free speech to solicit donations from Elon Musk, the owner of X, claiming he needed Musk's money to become prime minister. Farage countered that Musk is 'abusive about me virtually every single week'. Under questioning from Republicans, Farage cited cases like Lucy Connolly, jailed for a tweet urging arson at asylum-seeker hotels, as evidence of free speech threats in the UK.
Farage denied calling for US sanctions on Britain over its laws, stating he only wanted American politicians and businesses to persuade the UK. The Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey mocked Farage's trip, suggesting he might not want to return to Britain if he finds it so 'awful'.
