Nigel Farage left the evidence session early to attend a meeting.

He refused to deny earlier suggestions that he was seeing the US President Donald Trump.

Nigel Farage was challenged by US representative Jamie Raskin about his commitment to free speech, after the Reform UK leader suggested pro-Gaza protests were not appropriate on Remembrance Day.

The Reform UK leader told the US House Judiciary Committee: “There was one particular day, and it was the Sunday nearest November 11, which was where we had big memorial services in London, and I think a march being allowed to go ahead on that day would have been a mistake.”

The Democrat politician responded that the United States has a written constitution where “freedom of speech applies 365 days a year here”, suggesting Mr Farage’s call to halt a pro-Gaza march in November 2023 meant he was not committed to year-round free speech.

Mr Raskin also questioned why Reform UK had prevented its councillors in Nottinghamshire from speaking with the local newspaper and its website, the Nottingham Post and Nottinghamshire Live.

Mr Farage responded by describing himself as the “most open” political leader when it comes to answering journalists’ questions.

It was put to Nigel Farage whether he would be leaving the committee early to meet with US President Donald Trump.

Mr Farage, signalling “discretion”, did not deny this despite being pressed a few times.

Nigel Farage said JK Rowling came from the “liberal wing of politics”, but that she had “taken a view that women should be safe in women’s spaces”.

“She has faced cancel culture and abuse on a huge scale,” he added.

Nigel Farage has entered into an amusing exchange with a Georgia Democrat.

Asked if he had come to the US last year, Mr Farage responded that he had been visiting the country since the 1980s.

Hank Johnson, went on to ask if Donald Trump was Mr Farage’s mentor, to which the Reform UK party leader responded: “no”.

The Democrat then asked if Mr Farage is trying to become prime minister, to which he quipped: “I’ve been trying for years.”

Mocking religion will become an offence if a new definition of Islamophobia is passed, Nigel Farage has warned.

The Reform UK leader said he was worried freedom of speech would get worse. “The Labour government is intending to pass a law that has a definition of Islamophobia,” he said.

He added that religion – including the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury – have often been subjects of mockery in British public discourse.

Nigel Farage has been descibed as the “future prime minister” by a Republican Congressman.

Darrell Issa, the California Republican, said: “I hope more comes to the fringe parliamentarian, as you were called, and probably the future prime minister.”

Responding to Mr Issa, and picking up Democrat Jerry Nadler’s earlier criticism, the Reform UK leader referred to his party as a “very big fringe”.

Veteran Democrat Jerry Nadler has dismissed Nigel Farage as a “fringe politician”.

He said: “Our Republican colleagues have brought us here today to talk about Europe, they’ve invited a fringe politician from the United Kingdom to attack the laws regulating certain conduct online in his country and the European Union, laws that are intended to combat disinformation by hustler foreign actors, hate speech and other fraud.”

Nigel Farage has said that Britain has become an “awful authoritarian” state like North Korea.

He asked: “At what point did we become North Korea?”

Graham Linehan’s arrest is a warning to American citizens travelling to the UK, Nigel Farage said.

He added: “He put out some tweets months ago when he was in Arizona, and months later, he arrives at Heathrow Airport to be met by five armed police.

“Armed Police, not a big deal in the USA, a very big deal in the United Kingdom, five of them, and he was arrested and taken away for questioning.

“He’s not even a British citizen. He’s an Irish citizen. This could happen to any American man or woman that goes to Heathrow that has said things online that the British government and British police don’t like.”

Nigel Farage tried to bring Lucy Connolly with him but she was blocked from travelling to the US because of her conviction.

Ms Connolly, the wife of an ex-Tory councillor, was jailed for three months after last summer’s riots for an intemperate post she made on X about migrants.

Mr Farage told the committee: “I wanted to bring her with me today as living proof of what can go wrong. Sadly, the restrictions that have been put on her, banned her from making the trip, which is a very, very great shame.”

The Reform UK leader condemned Ms Connolly’s post as “wrong”. He highlighted how she was sentenced to 31 months in prison despite removing she removed the statement three and a half hours later.

Nigel Farage began his testimony by mocking Jamie Raskin, who moments earlier accused him of loving Vladimir Putin.

The Reform UK leader said: “I’m delighted to reacquaint with the charming, Mr. Raskin. Delightful testimony you gave me earlier on with your speech,” the Reform UK leader quipped. “But hey, that’s fine. You can say what you like. I don’t care, because that’s what free speech is.”

Nigel Farage has denied suggesting that the US potentially impose trade sanctions on countries over freedom of speech.

“I have not suggested that for one moment. That is the interpretation of the Prime Minister, who is very much on the back foot,” he told Sky News ahead of giving evidence on freedom of speech to the US House Judiciary Committee in Washington DC.

Pressed on what he did say, the Reform UK leader said: “I’ve said that I hope that American political parties, leaders and businesses have a frank conversation with the British Government and say, ‘if you don’t sort this out, it’s going to have serious trade implications for both of us’.”

Asked if there was “hypocrisy” in him speaking on the topic in the US amid a crackdown on free speech in that country, he said: “Even more reason for me to be here to say, look, we’ve gone way down this path. Be vigilant in this country.”

He added: “I’m not saying Trump’s gone a bit far. I’m here to talk about what’s happening in the United Kingdom.”

The Reform UK leader stood and raised his right hand while taking an oath.

It came moments after Jamie Raskin, the Democrat representative for Maryland’s 8th district, laid into Nigel Farage.

Mr Farage was branded a “Putin-loving free speech impostor and Trump sycophant” by the US congressman.

Mr Raskin echoed Sir Keir Starmer’s criticism of the Reform UK leader for missing Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons to fly to America to voice concerns about free speech in Britain to politicians in Capitol Hill.

Mr Raskin said: “He should go and advance the positions he’s taking here in Congress today, in Parliament, which is meeting today, if he’s serious about it.

“To the people of the UK who think this Putin-loving free speech impostor and Trump sycophant will protect freedom in this country, come on over to America and see what Trump and Maga are doing to destroy our freedom… you might… think twice before you let Mr Farage make Britain great again.”

Earlier at PMQs, Sir Keir had said, in response to a question about Reform UK’s opposition to the Online Safety Act, that the “honourable member for Clacton is not here representing his constituency, in the House he was elected to.”

He said Mr Farage had instead “flown to America to badmouth and talk down our country” and suggest the Americans impose sanctions on the UK, adding that “you cannot get more unpatriotic than that, it’s a disgrace”.

A Republican congressman has accused the UK and the EU of trying to “shake down” US tech companies with “censorship laws”.

Jim Jordan, the chairman of the House judiciary committee, said companies such as Facebook and X provided the “modern town square”.

Jim Jordan, the chairman of the US House Judiciary Committee, is laying out background ahead of Nigel Farage’s testimony later.

Before the hearing, Nigel Farage said: “The Graham Linehan case is yet another example of the war on freedom of speech in the UK. I will discuss this, the Lucy Connolly case and the increasing role of our police in non-crime ‘hate’ incidents on Capitol Hill.

“Free speech is under assault and I am urging the USA to be vigilant.”

Lucy Connolly was sentenced to 31 months in prison for inciting racial hatred after she called on people to “set fire” to migrant hotels during the Southport riots that followed the murder of three young girls at a dance class by Axel Rudakubana.

Nigel Farage has risen from his seat while the Pledge of Allegiance was said.

Nigel Farage is giving evidence to the House Judiciary committee at 3pm. The hearing is about “Europe’s threat to American speech and innovation”. He is expected to raise the recent cases of Graham Linehan and Lucy Connolly.