A Grammy Award-winning rockstar left White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stunned with his question about free speech and political asylum during Monday’s briefing.
Winston Marshall, the former banjoist with British folk group Mumford & Sons, called on President Trump to grant asylum to his fellow countrymen and women who faced prosecutions over “hate speech” in the UK.
Marshall, who left the band in 2021, claimed that people in his country faced “extensive prison sentences for tweets, social media posts and general free speech issues,” before ramping up to his question.
“Would the Trump administration consider asylum for British citizens in such a situation?” Marshall, who now hosts his own podcast The Winston Marshall Show, asked.
Leavitt appeared taken aback by the question.
“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,” she replied.
