Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and British politician Nigel Farage battled throughout a hearing on free speech in Europe before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
Raskin set the tone for their back-and-forth during his opening statement, calling Farage a “far-right, pro-Putin politician” and a “Donald Trump sycophant and wannabe.”
“For a man who fashions himself as some kind of a free speech martyr, Mr. Farage seems most at home with the autocrats and dictators of the world who are crushing freedom on earth,” Raskin said.
Farage, during his opening statement, said he was “delighted to reacquaint with the charming Mr. Raskin.”
“But hey, that’s fine, you can say what you like, I don’t care, because that’s what free speech is,” he added.
When the microphone returned to Raskin later in the meeting, he accused Farage of hypocrisy in his commitment to universal free speech.
“You said that there should not have been a protest against the Gaza war in the U.K., and then when it went ahead, the police refused to shut it down. You called them gutless for not shutting it down. Do you regret having opposed that, given that there was no violence there, and there were 700,000 people who wanted to express themselves that day?” Raskin added.
“I have not opposed people standing up and protesting in favor of people living in Gaza at all,” Farage responded. “There was one particular day, and it was the Sunday nearest November the 11th, which was when we had big memorial services in London. And I think a march being allowed to go ahead on that day would have been a mistake. Any other day, fine.”
“Oh, I see. Who gets to decide that?” Raskin retorted.
“Well, I think actually something that is embedded in the country, something that is absolutely fundamental,” Farage replied.
“That’s why we have a written Constitution,” Raskin cut in, “you might want to take that idea back to the U.K. back with you. Because the right to free speech applies 365 days a year here under the First Amendment, not 364, 363, depending on some politician’s heckling the government.”
Nov. 11 is Remembrance Day in the United Kingdom, a day to honor fallen armed services members that also commemorates the end of World War 1. The second Sunday in November is Remembrance Sunday.
Raskin then went after Farage over reports that his Reform Party banned a local newspaper from interviewing its councilors in Nottinghamshire council, and shut out some reporters from its national conference.
“Let me ask you this. You’ve banned journalists from your political events that you disagree with, haven’t you?” Raskin asked.
“No,” Farage said, adding “I’d say the average press conference, I take 25 questions.”
“That wasn’t my question. Mr. Farage, we’re politicians, so we see what you’re doing. I’m asking you a direct question. I hope you can answer it. Why do you ban journalists who oppose your views from coming to your events?” Raskin pressed.
“I am the most open person to any journalist,” Farage said before Raskin interrupted.
“Undoubtedly the handsomest man in the world. But I’m asking you a different question,” the congressman said.
“If I go back the last 25 years, I can’t think of banning anybody. But, I mean, maybe somebody else did.”
