Nigel Farage Brands UK “North Korea” in Washington Hearing, Shares Oval Office Photo with Trump

London, September 4, 2025 - Reform UK leader Nigel Farage intensified his free-speech crusade on Thursday by testifying before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and posting a photograph of himself with former President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

Farage appeared before the Republican-controlled committee in Washington, D.C., to warn American lawmakers that Britain’s new Online Safety Act-and, by extension, Europe’s Digital Services Act-posed a grave threat to free expression. He painted the UK as an “authoritarian censorship regime” and asked, “At what point did we become North Korea?”

During the hearing, Farage spotlighted two high-profile UK cases:

• Irish comedian Graham Linehan’s detention at Heathrow Airport over social-media posts about transgender issues.
• Lucy Connolly’s 31-month prison sentence for incitement following a racially charged tweet.

He argued these examples illustrated the law’s chilling effect on legitimate political speech and urged the U.S. to caution Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government that continued enforcement could damage bilateral trade and innovation.

Following his testimony, Farage took to X to share a snap of himself and Donald Trump behind the Resolute Desk, captioning it, “It’s good to be back in the Oval Office.” In Parliament on Thursday morning, Prime Minister Starmer condemned Farage’s U.S. lobbying as “unpatriotic” and accused him of “badmouthing and talking down our country” instead of representing his constituents at Westminster.

The transatlantic exchange has amplified debate over the balance between content moderation and free speech. Farage insists his intervention serves as a “klaxon” warning to the U.S. against gradual erosion of liberties, while critics view his actions as opportunistic grandstanding ahead of next year’s general election.