Latest news with #WinstonMarshall
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Mumford & Sons star blasts celebrities for their silence on Colorado terror attack
Former Mumford and Sons guitarist Winston Marshall slammed celebrities for the lack of acknowledgment of the Colorado terror attack on Israeli protestors. Marshall spoke out on Fox News in the aftermath of the attack in Boulder, Colorado on Sunday evening, saying he was left disappointed by the response to the horror episode that wounded eight people. 'My frustration isn't just at the horrific things that we see, but the failure by certain parts of the country to acknowledge it's even happening,' he said. 'I'm disappointed by also the reaction in the music industry where I have spent my career so regularly.' Pointing his remarks to pro-Palestine protestors that have seen young people chant Hamas slogans such as 'from the river, to the sea', Marshall said attacks will continue so long as they support the terror group. 'What do you think they mean when they say, 'globalize the Intifada?' he continued. 'If you have these big groups chanting this, then there will be individuals like this case in Boulder who will actually act on it.' It comes as Egyptian illegal immigrant Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was heard yelling 'Free Palestine' and other anti-Israel chants as he allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at a rally for Israeli hostages in Gaza. Marshall said he found the attack on Sunday as 'horrific' but 'unsurprising', as he pointed to the growing anti-Israel sentiment within the United States. The musician cited the double murder of two Israeli embassy workers in Washington DC just two weeks prior, which was also allegedly carried out by an anti-Israel protestor yelling 'Free Palestine.' Marshall said the instances were evidence of a rise in 'far-left violence', adding: 'In Europe, things are much worse. 'In London, we're seeing this sort of attitude and philosophy regularly.' Marshall's criticism of the rise of far-left violence in Europe comes days after he surprised fans by appearing at a White House press conference, where he asked Karoline Leavitt if the Trump administration would consider asylum for Brits prosecuted for free speech. In his appearance on Fox News, Marshall said he has been left confused at how pro-Hamas sentiments gained traction despite the terror group's atrocities, including crimes against Palestinian civilians. 'I should also note, there are 58 hostages still in Gaza, 23 of whom are still presumed alive,' he continued. 'Why is it that these protestors aren't protesting against Hamas? It is in the interest, if you are pro-Palestine, you should be anti-Hamas. If you are pro-Israel, you should be anti-Hamas. 'Hamas are literally killing Palestinians themselves. It seems like a complete moral inversion, I don't quite know how to get into their frame of mind, because it's so twisted to me. 'It is very dark to see this happening in America.' The Fox News host added to Marshall's condemnation of the music industry's response to the anti-Israel attacks by pointing to the recent controversy where Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds kissed a Palestinian flag on stage. The American rock band - known for hits like 'Radioactive' and 'Demons' - was performing at the I-Days Festival when Reynolds held the flag aloft and draped it over his shoulders before kissing it before tossing it into the crowd. Marshall's appearance on the network comes as the former Mumford and Sons guitarist left the band four years ago after sharing his conservative political views. The musician said he was a victim of 'cancel culture' as he was ousted from the band and hounded by fans for sending a tweet to conservative journalist Andy Ngo thanking him for his book, which was critical of Antifa. Marshall, son of multi-millionaire hedge fund manager Sir Paul Marshall, told Ngo: 'Congratulations . . . Finally had the time to read your important book. You're a brave man.' Left-wing social media users immediately piled on to the star, accused him of being a 'fascist.' Before he posed the question of granting asylum to British people convicted on free speech grounds to Leavitt in the White House, Marshall often spoke out about cancel culture within the entertainment industry. In 2022, this included appearing at the Conservative Party Conference
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ex-Mumford & Sons guitarist criticizes music industry for silence after Boulder antisemitic attack
Former Mumford & Sons guitarist Winston Marshall said Monday he is "disappointed" by the music industry's failure to condemn Hamas following a brutal antisemitic attack that unfolded in Boulder, Colorado over the weekend. Speaking on "Fox & Friends First," Marshall called the attack "horrific" and "unsurprising," especially in light of the recent murders of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C. nearly two weeks ago. "My frustration isn't just at the horrific things that we see, but the failure by certain parts of the country to acknowledge it's even happening…" he said. Liberal, Pro-israel Comedian Says There's A Double Standard For Celebrities Who Back The Jewish State "What do you think they mean when they say, 'globalize the Intifada?' If you have these big groups chanting this, then there will be individuals like this case in Boulder who will actually act on it," he said. Egyptian national Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was arrested by authorities on Sunday after he allegedly set his victims on fire as they peacefully rallied on behalf of Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza. He was heard yelling "Free Palestine" and other anti-Israel slogans during the attack on victims ranging in age from 52 to 88. Read On The Fox News App Marshall criticized high-profile examples of what he sees as the music industry failing to condemn such violent acts while some embrace pro-Palestinian messaging. In one recent case, rock band Imagine Dragons set social media ablaze after lead singer Dan Reynolds waved a Palestinian flag on stage during a concert in Milan, Italy. Video clips of Reynolds picking up a Palestinian flag and waving it before draping it across his shoulders at the concert's end racked up millions of views and drew mixed reactions on social media. Radiohead Singer Confronts Anti-israel Protester During Concert: 'Come Up Here And Say That' He also kissed the flag and threw it back into the crowd. "I'm disappointed by also the reaction in the music industry where I have spent my career so regularly," Marshall said. "I should also note there are 58 hostages still in Gaza, 23 of whom are still presumed alive. Why is it that these protesters aren't protesting against Hamas? It is in their interests. If you are pro-Palestine, you should be anti-Hamas. If you're pro-Israel, you should be anti-Hamas. Hamas are literally killing Palestinians themselves. It seems like a complete moral inversion, and… I don't quite know how [to] get into that frame of mind because it's so twisted to me." He went on to say the slew of antisemitic violence is "very dark" to see in America. Fox News' Kristine Parks, Alexandra Koch and Landon Mion contributed to this article source: Ex-Mumford & Sons guitarist criticizes music industry for silence after Boulder antisemitic attack
Fox News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Ex-Mumford & Sons guitarist criticizes music industry for silence after Boulder antisemitic attack
Former Mumford & Sons guitarist Winston Marshall said Monday he is "disappointed" by the music industry's failure to condemn Hamas following a brutal antisemitic attack that unfolded in Boulder, Colorado over the weekend. Speaking on "Fox & Friends First," Marshall called the attack "horrific" and "unsurprising," especially in light of the recent murders of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C. nearly two weeks ago. "My frustration isn't just at the horrific things that we see, but the failure by certain parts of the country to acknowledge it's even happening…" he said. "What do you think they mean when they say, 'globalize the Intifada?' If you have these big groups chanting this, then there will be individuals like this case in Boulder who will actually act on it," he said. Egyptian national Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was arrested by authorities on Sunday after he allegedly set his victims on fire as they peacefully rallied on behalf of Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza. He was heard yelling "Free Palestine" and other anti-Israel slogans during the attack on victims ranging in age from 52 to 88. Marshall criticized high-profile examples of what he sees as the music industry failing to condemn such violent acts while some embrace pro-Palestinian messaging. In one recent case, rock band Imagine Dragons set social media ablaze after lead singer Dan Reynolds waved a Palestinian flag on stage during a concert in Milan, Italy. Video clips of Reynolds picking up a Palestinian flag and waving it before draping it across his shoulders at the concert's end racked up millions of views and drew mixed reactions on social media. He also kissed the flag and threw it back into the crowd. "I'm disappointed by also the reaction in the music industry where I have spent my career so regularly," Marshall said. "I should also note there are 58 hostages still in Gaza, 23 of whom are still presumed alive. Why is it that these protesters aren't protesting against Hamas? It is in their interests. If you are pro-Palestine, you should be anti-Hamas. If you're pro-Israel, you should be anti-Hamas. Hamas are literally killing Palestinians themselves. It seems like a complete moral inversion, and… I don't quite know how [to] get into that frame of mind because it's so twisted to me." He went on to say the slew of antisemitic violence is "very dark" to see in America.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Maga media mob: meet the new rightwing faces in the White House briefing room
A disgraced ultra-conservative banjo player ousted from his Grammy-winning band; a far-right conspiracy theorist with alleged ties to Russia; a TikTok creator known as 'Maga Malfoy' for his resemblance to the Harry Potter character; and an extremist social media 'influencer' once banned from Twitter for posting a video depicting sexual abuse of a child. These are just some of the 'new media' personalities courted by the White House to take part in a series of alternative briefings championed by Donald Trump's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt. An extraordinary gallery of Trump-promoting characters has paraded through the West Wing in recent days, answering Leavitt's call for 'independent journalists' and 'influencers' to attend her press gatherings. Some of their fawning, softball or otherwise baffling questions have provoked derision and concern, while the topics, predictably, have covered a wide range of propaganda, conspiracy and other extremist talking points. Here are some of the highlights: Winston Marshall He showed up in the West Wing on Tuesday in a sharp black suit to first congratulate 'Madame Leavitt' for inviting him, then try to gauge her position on the 'quarter of a million' Britons he insisted had been penalized in the UK for social media posts or perceived speech infractions. 'Would the Trump administration consider political asylum for British citizens in such a situation?' he asked. Leavitt, amid guffaws in the room, said the question was 'a very good one' and she would 'see if it's something the administration would entertain'. Since quitting Mumford & Sons, the double Grammy winning folk rock band he co-founded, four years ago following his controversial endorsement of a conservative journalist's book, guitarist and banjoist Marshall has found his place in the rightwing ecosystem. The 37-year-old British son of GB News co-owner and hedge fund tycoon Sir Paul Marshall now hosts his own podcast, The Winston Marshall Show, in which he discusses politics with like-minded guests for his 14,000 subscribers. Tim Pool He appeared in the new media seat at a briefing last week, dressed in a black woolly hat and hoodie, to castigate 'legacy media' for promoting what he said were a succession of anti-Trump 'hoaxes', including the story of Kilmar Ábrego García, who was wrongly deported to El Salvador. His question, such as it was, was another attack on the mainstream media: 'I'm wondering if you can comment on their unprofessional behavior as well as elaborate if there's any plans to expand access to new companies?' 'We want to welcome all viewpoints into this room,' Leavitt replied, declining Pool's invitation. The host of several conservative podcasts was linked last year to a US content creation company the justice department said was paid almost $10m by Russian state media operatives to publish videos promoting Moscow's interests and agenda. Link Lauren One of the leading sycophants at Leavitt's alternative briefing, he asked the press secretary: 'You're a very high-profile young mother who seems to juggle and balance it all beautifully. What advice do you have to young parents out there who are starting their careers having kids, building families and trying to find that balance so desperately?' Leavitt had no advice to offer, but was keen to point out that 'there are so many new moms and dads on our senior staff, but also across the entire administration'. Bleached blond, and with a striking resemblance to the Harry Potter character Draco Malfoy, Lauren is a previously unknown musician and content creator who served as a social media adviser to Robert F Kennedy Jr during the new health secretary's failed presidential campaign last year. His recent wild claims include informing his 875,000 TikTok followers that the Biden administration was a 'cesspool of topless trans people on the White House lawn', and was responsible for countless suicides. Dominick McGee His question during his brief appearance at the new media briefing was thus: 'Is there any possibility for names such as Barack Hussein Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton, to ever possibly get investigated for … any of the wrongdoings they might have done?' Leavitt said it was 'refreshing' to hear McGee's question. 'The legacy media would never ask [it],' she said. Under the pseudonym Dom Lucre, election denier McGee was booted briefly from X (then Twitter) in 2023 for posting a video depicting child sexual abuse, but allowed back on at the insistence of the platform's owner, Elon Musk. Since then, the self-styled Black Maga influencer has disseminated numerous conspiracy theories on social media, including amplifying Trump's false claims that the 2020 election he lost was fraudulent, and promoting the QAnon fiction that the so-called deep state was conspiring to usurp the president. Arynne Wexler Her first attempt at 'stirring things up in the realm of political commentary', having been granted the honor of the opening question at Leavitt's alternative briefing, was a racially dubious statement praising the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. 'I can attest to the deportations in Florida, my Uber drivers finally speak English again, so thank you for that,' she enthused. Her subsequent question demanded to know what action would be taken against 'trans men … masquerading as women in girls' sport'. Leavitt replied: 'Obey the law or you will be prosecuted.' Billing herself as 'just a crazy nonlib girl in a crazylib world', Maga newcomer Wexler claims to have grown up 'as one of few conservatives on the outskirts of the very blue New York City'. 'The left doesn't know what to do with me,' she opines in a self-aggrandizing biography that expresses her fixation on 'smashing the status quo and redefining what conservative commentary can be'. Rogan O'Handley With more than 7 million followers across several social media platforms, O'Handley was warmly welcomed by Leavitt to the new media seat during a briefing that included Trump's border enforcer, Tom Homan. He used his opportunity to deliver a lengthy monologue endorsing Trump's policy of deporting scores of migrants without due process, and excoriated judges who had issued orders trying to stop it. 'In Trump's first 99 days, we've seen a coordinated assault on the rule of law by radical judges,' he said. 'These judges are providing more due process to violent MS-13 and Tren de Aragua illegal aliens than they did for American citizens who peacefully protested on January 6.' Would Trump consider suspending the writ of habeas corpus for such migrants? O'Handley wondered. 'The administration is open to all legal and constitutional remedies,' Leavitt said, adding that she 'agreed with the premise' of his question. Better known by his alter ego DC Draino, O'Handley is a former entertainment attorney with a long history as a commentator on the political right. He was among 15 rightwing influencers given early access in February to what the White House said was key new evidence in the case of the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, but which many observers said 'fell way short' of the explosive revelations they promised.
The Herald Scotland
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Who is Winston Marshall? Mumford & Sons' ex-banjo player
That kind of wokery won't fly in the brave new age of MAGA, but perhaps some alterations can be made should Donald Trump act on the suggestion of the former banjo player of Mumford & Sons and start offering safe haven for people who post memes - "give me your tweeters, your Redditors/your 4Chan edgelords bemoaning taking the knee..." This week Winston Marshall, who left the group in 2021, went viral for an appearance in the White House press pool in which he claimed there were people in prison for "quite literally reposting memes" and asked if the Trump administration would offer asylum in cases where free speech was under threat. Read More: Some even speculated that the question may have been directly inspired by Graham Linehan, a prolific user of 𝕏 (formerly Twitter), known for his anti-transgender activism. Reposting the video, actor Rob Schneider said: "We have filed for Political Asylum in the United States for a British Writer/Director who has been blacklisted and discriminated against in the United Kingdom for his 'Speech.'" We have filed for Political Asylum in the United States for a British Writer/Director who has been blacklisted and discriminated against in the United Kingdom for his 'Speech.' More info to come… — Rob Schneider 🇺🇸 (@RobSchneider) April 28, 2025 Linehan, who is the creator of the IT Crowd and the co-creator of Father Ted, is Irish but is working on a sitcom in Arizona alongside Schneider and Andrew Doyle. The 56-year-old is due at Westminster Sheriff Court on May 12 on charges of harassment without violence and criminal damage, and is also being sued for alleged defamation by the LGBT rights campaigner David Paisley at the High Court. According to a subsequent post by Schneider, Linehan is now "approved to work and live in the United States of America", though there's no indication has has been given formal political asylum. But who is the intrepid reporter seeking asylum for the victims of the meme wars? Winston Aubrey Aladar deBalkan Marshall is the son of Sir Paul Marshall, the multi-millionaire owner of GB News and Unherd. Winston Marshall Educated at the exclusive St Paul's school in London, he was inspired to play the banjo after seeing the Coen Brothers' film O Brother, Where Art Thou? Insulated from the pressure of having to go to university or get a job by his parents' wealth, he grew dreadlocks and toured with a band called Captain Kick and the Cowboy Ramblers. "I looked like a f***ing tit," Marshall admitted in a 2013 Rolling Stone interview. "Technically, I suppose I was following all the right behaviour patterns of a trustafarian." Seeing Captain Kick, though, had inspired University of Edinburgh student Marcus Mumford - whom Marshall had met a few years previously - to start writing music and ultimately form Mumford & Sons. The group, who all attended fee-paying schools, self-financed their debut album Sigh No More following several years of extensive touring which had built their following. Lead single 'Little Lion Man' proved an unlikely hit on both sides of the pond, cracking the top 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 Stateside and going top 30 back in Blighty. Sigh No More didn't make the top 10 on the album chart in the week of its release, but would eventually climb to number two in its 72nd week on the chart, having been named Album of the Year at the Brit Awards the previous week. Mumford & Sons (Image: PAUL JOHN BAYFIELD) It went three times platinum in the United States, meaning it sold more than three million copies, cracking America in the way few British bands ever do. Its follow-up, Babel went straight to number one in the UK and US, outselling the likes of Lana Del Rey, Green Day and Justin Bieber and the group backed Bob Dylan at the Grammy Awards. Not everyone, however, was enamoured with the sight of four posh boys aping the sound and look of country-folk. "They look like f***ing Amish people," said Liam Gallagher of Oasis while one review of Babel sniffed "to be able to look at a banjo without being overcome with a desire to use the neck end to beat its owner to death is a beautiful and underrated thing". A Facebook page named 'I Hate Mumford & Sons' set out its mission statement thus: "Let us forget our conflicts and put our differences aside, for there is a new evil at hand that threatens the very fiber of our being. Humanity must now unite in our hatred for the treacherous banjo bastards Mumford & Sons and join together as one force to ensure that our future is kept safe from the destruction of euphoric banjo anthems sung by annoying upper class waistcoat sporting husky little f***s." So far, so normal - band gets popular, band gets hated by the cool kids, band continues to shift records by the truckload. So it had gone for Coldplay and U2 before them and so it would for Ed Sheeran after them. In 2018 though the controversial professor Jordan Peterson posted an image on social media of a meeting with the group at their London studio. Dr Peterson is a right-wing academic who believes that white privilege is a "Marxist lie" and said of a man who killed 10 people with a van in his native Canada: "He was angry at God because women were rejecting him. The cure for that is enforced monogamy." That Mumford & Sons had invited the academic to their studio raised red flags, one Twitter user quipping: "I assumed they were 'my dad was a vicar' Tory, not 'concerned about white birth rates' Tory." It soon emerged that Marshall was the one who had extended the invitation, the banjo player explaining: "I primarily was very interested in Dr. Peterson's work on psychology, read both his books and found it very, very interesting. "I don't think that having a photograph with someone means you agree with everything they say." That might have been that, but then in 2021 Marshall posted approvingly about the right-wing agitator Andy Ngo. Ngo first came to prominence in 2017 when he was fired from student newspaper the Portland State Vanguard for what its editor called a violation of ethics in regard to a clip he'd posted of a Muslim student which was seized upon by the right-wing news outlet Breitbart. He's been described as "the most dangerous grifter in America" and accused of inciting harassment against left-wing protestors through false claims and selective editing. In 2019 he covered a protest organised by the far-right Proud Boys and was assaulted by masked demonstrators; receiving punches to the head and kicks. Ngo blamed the injuries on antifa counter-protestors - though no individual attackers were ever identified - and was ultimately awarded $300,000 in damages because three potential defendants refused to answer the civil case. In March 2021 Marshall praised Ngo, calling his book Unmasked "important" and the influencer a "brave man". The musician issued a statement saying he would be taking a break from the band "to examine my blindspots" and apologised if his post had come across as approving of "hateful, divisive behaviour". Three months later he made his departure permanent, stating that he wanted to be able to "speak my mind" without bringing "more trouble" to his bandmates. He later signed on as a contributor for The Spectator - which his father owns - for whom he launched the 'Marshall Matters' podcast in early 2022. The name is a pun on the real name of hip-hop star Eminem, and episodes included 'The True Cost of Net Zero' and 'How To Stop The Boats'. Marshall has since gone all-in on right-wing commentary, now hosting The Winston Marshall Show as well as a Substack blog. Podcast guests are a veritable who's who of the modern right: Douglas Murray, Nigel Farage, Bret Weinstein. Last year he appeared at the Oxford Union to debate the then speaker of the US Congress, Nancy Pelosi, on whether or not populism is a threat to democracy. Chiding the Democratic congresswoman on the word itself he said "elites use it to show their contempt for ordinary people" and that "populism, as you know, is the politics of the ordinary people against an elite". Quite how the privately-educated son of a hedge fund manager and media baron fits outside of 'the elite' is unclear. Perhaps more concerningly though, Marshall revealed on April 20 that he's picked up a banjo for the first time in four years on the urging of singer-songwriter Oliver Anthony. The 'West London folk scene' was bad enough, no-one needs to hear MAGA & Sons.
