A Grammy Award-winning musician rattled Donald Trump’s spokeswoman with an entertaining, but serious, question.
Winston Marshall, former banjoist for Mumford & Sons, asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt during a briefing Monday if the Trump administration would grant asylum for British citizens prosecuted over “hate speech” in the U.K.
Marshall said people in his native country have been incarcerated for “reposting memes” and that the U.K. has “extensive prison sentences for Tweets [and] social media posts and general free speech issues.”
These harsh punishments are the result of the British government reportedly cracking down on free speech ever since army veteran Adam Smith-Connor was arrested in November 2022 after praying silently near an abortion facility that was designed to shield vulnerable women.
Marshall claimed the U.K. has had “a quarter of a million people issued non-hate crime incidents” since that time.
He eventually asked Leavitt, “Would the Trump administration consider asylum for British citizens in such a situation?”
The question appeared to catch her off-guard, as Leavitt responded with, “I have not heard that proposed to the president nor have I spoken to him about that idea, but I certainly can talk to our National Security team and see if it’s something the administration would entertain.”
Marshall’s proposal got mostly favorable reviews from his followers, with some congratulating the musician on his “new political fame” and others saying he should “be a regular attendee” at these press conferences.
But he did get some hate, as well.
“Retired banjo player Winston Marshall asking the White House to offer political asylum to British bigots,” one X user wrote.
“That well-known British reporter and member of the White House press pool, Winston Aubrey Aladar deBalkan Marshall,” another quipped on X, referencing Marshall’s full name, which reflects his family’s roots in France, Hungary and Romania.
Marshall played with Mumford & Son from 2007 until his removal in 2021 for speaking out against COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
He now hosts “The Winston Marshall Show” podcast. Marshall had also done a podcast for “The Spectator,” which is owned by his father, Sir Paul Marshall.
