LONDON — Tommy Robinson, the British far-right activist and a convicted criminal who has served five jail terms, was hosted at the State Department by a senior adviser this week, according to their social media posts.
Robinson, 42 — whose legal name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon — is referred to as "the best-known far-right extremist in Britain" by the anti-extremism campaign group Hope Not Hate. He is known for organizing high-profile demonstrations against immigration and Islam, which have occasionally descended into violence.
His visit is the latest olive branch from Washington to a network of hard-line nationalists across Europe, with Vice President JD Vance shattering norms last year by meeting with leaders from Germany’s far-right AfD party.
On Wednesday, Robinson met senior State Department adviser Joe Rittenhouse and toured the Harry S. Truman Building in Washington, including its historic John Quincy Adams State Drawing Room, according an X post by Rittenhouse.
Rittenhouse praised Robinson as a “free speech warrior,” adding: “The World and the West is a better place when we fight for freedom of speech and no one has been on the front lines more than Tommy.”
Earlier, Robinson posted his own image alongside the caption, “In America making alliances & friendships , today I had the privilege of an invite to the @StateDept.”
Once a fringe figure on the radical right, Robinson has had an increasing influence on British politics as his online following has grown in recent years.
While Britain's major political parties, including the hard-right Reform UK, refuse to engage with Robinson, protests linked to the activist and his associates have become a common sight in British cities amid hardening public views on immigration.
“Tommy Robinson visited the State Department in an unofficial capacity on a tour yesterday,” a State Department spokesperson said. They did not respond to questions about any other meetings he may have had while there.
Robinson has complained previously that he was barred from entering the United States, which people with criminal convictions frequently are. But in X posts earlier this month, he indicated he had received a visa.
On his current U.S. tour, he has documented meetings with Republican Reps. Randy Fine of Florida and Keith Self of Texas, as well as former national security adviser Mike Flynn.
“Great meeting with American Patriot @GenFlynn and British Patriot @TRobinsonNewEra today,” Self posted to X. “DEFEND WESTERN CIVILIZATION. BAN SHARIA,” he added, referring to an interpretation of Islamic law that some on the right claim is pervading Western society.
