Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) got into a screaming match with controversial UK right-winger Nigel Farage during a presentation about free speech, Politico reported.
Raskin was in London as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation led by House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) to discuss the free speech implications of the UK's new Online Safety Act. Republican lawmakers argue the law "violates free speech and unfairly targets U.S. tech companies," according to the report.
In an interview with Politico, Raskin said he had begun talking about the history of free speech in the United States when he brought up "current threats posed by President Donald Trump."
That's when Farage, a Trump supporter, interrupted, exclaiming, "We’re not here to talk about Donald Trump,” Raskin said, adding, “[Farage] said that I am a guest here, and I should act like a guest. And I told him that he was a host, and he should act like a host.”
The leader of the right-wing Reform UK Party then accused Raskin of being “the most pig-headed person he’d ever met,” causing Raskin to retort, “This is why we had a revolution against you guys.”
Politico said the story was confirmed by Democratic reps Lou Correa (CA), Jasmine Crockett (TX) and Eric Swalwell (CA). "All called Farage’s eruption ironic for happening at the tail end of what had been a respectful discussion on free speech," the report stated.
Swalwell remarked, "Farage just looked unhinged and like a giant manbaby."
"Raskin said the outburst was the 'explosive reaction of one British politician who obviously didn’t want any challenge to his view that he’s a free speech victim,' a reference to Farage saying he’d been locked out of banking services and threatened online over his political speech," according to the report.