Trump Stooge ‘Honored’ to Meet With Convicted Far-Right Fraudster
Joe Rittenhouse, a senior adviser at the State Department, seemed enthralled to meet convicted criminal Tommy Robinson.

Joe Rittenhouse/X
A far-right agitator with a lengthy criminal record has been welcomed inside the U.S. State Department, with one Trump stooge saying he is “honored” to welcome the thug.
Tommy Robinson—whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon—said he was in America “making alliances and friendships” after meeting officials in Washington, D.C. Posting on X, he added that he had “had the privilege of an invite to the @StateDept.”
Robinson was pictured with Joe Rittenhouse, a senior adviser at the State Department. Rittenhouse wrote on X: “Honored to have free speech warrior @TRobinsonNewEra at Department of State today. 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. Good to see you my friend!”
Islamophobic Trump whisperer Laura Loomer called him a “hero,” writing: “He should be granted asylum in the US. He is a true political refugee, jailed for speaking truth about Islam in the UK.”

Robinson at the Treaty of Paris Desk in the John Quincy Adams State Drawing Room at the State Department.
Joe Rittenhouse/X
Robinson responded to critics online. After one person wrote, “this is not normal,” he replied: “It’s the new normal when America has an administration that believes in free speech, doesn’t mean they agree with everything I’ve ever said, they believe in my right to say it.”
ADVERTISEMENT
The visit marks a turnaround from six years ago, when Robinson failed in an attempt to travel to Washington to speak on Capitol Hill after his visa was not granted in time.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Last Thursday, however, he posted a video of himself in the United States, saying: “I’m in the United States of America, you see how happy I am? It’s been a long time coming, I’ve dreamed about this moment for so long.”
“tough s--t,” he told critics.
After his tour of the Harry S. Truman Building, he posted on X saying that the media had reacted fervently to his visit. “I posted a photo at the US State Department earlier, the legacy media have been falling over each other to condemn my visit, devastated that their decades of slandering is now transparent,” he said.
“‘Far right’ has lost all meaning. Their power is gone. Listen to me expose them,” he added, attaching a video of him speaking to a journalist from British publication The Telegraph.
In the video, he said he did not intend to travel to Miami to meet President Donald Trump. It is also unclear how he “exposed” the journalist and the “mainstream media.”
A State Department spokesperson justified the visit by basically saying that Robinson was a tourist. “Tommy Robinson visited the State Department in an unofficial capacity on a tour yesterday,” they told the Daily Beast.
The welcome comes despite Robinson’s criminal history in both the United Kingdom and the United States. He has convictions for using a fake passport, stalking, and contempt of court.

Robinson, whose real surname is Yaxley-Lennon, spoke in front of the Capitol building upon landing in the U.S.
Tommy Robinson/Urban Scoop
In 2012, he served time for entering the U.S. with a false passport. Then the leader of the now-defunct English Defence League, Robinson pleaded guilty to possession of a false identity document with improper intention and was jailed for 10 months.
Then 30, he used a passport in the name of Andrew McMaster to board a Virgin Atlantic flight from London Heathrow to New York. He was caught after customs officials took his fingerprints.
Robinson’s legal troubles date back more than two decades. In 2005, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison after assaulting a police officer who intervened in an argument between him and his then partner. Since then, he has committed a litany of crimes, including assault, contempt of court, and mortgage fraud.
The State Department was contacted for comment.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.


ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…
ADVERTISEMENT