(Adnkronos) – The welcome extended by the Trump administration to British far-right activist Tommy Robinson is sparking protests among politicians in London. A State Department adviser, Joe Rittenhouse, posted a photo on X with Robinson, saying he was “honored to have a free speech warrior” visiting Foggy Bottom. “The world and the West are a better place if we fight for free speech and no one is more in the trenches than Tommy,” he added, referring to the extremist convicted in the UK for assault, fraud, and contempt of court.
The post was described as “incredibly alarming” by Labour MPs, including Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Commons, who told Politico that Robinson “has been presented in Washington as a freedom warrior, we need to show this administration that there is a difference between this and inciting violence and racist hatred.” Colleague Alex Ballinger said he was “disappointed” that the State Department hosted “a convicted criminal, a far-right agitator.”
During his visit to Washington, Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley Lennon, also met with Florida Congressman Randy Fine, who recently caused controversy for comparing Muslims to dogs. Known as a key figure in the anti-Islam English Defence League, Robinson organized the “United the Kingdom” march in London last September, which attracted 100,000 people and received open support from Elon Musk.
