The Trump Presidency
Politics of Hate

British white supremacist leader Trump retweeted is arrested for hate crimes

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

British white supremacist leader Trump retweeted is arrested for hate crimes By wagatwe Thursday Dec 14, 2017 · 3:12 PM EST



BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - DECEMBER 14: Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen (R) arrives at Belfast Laganside Courts along with Britain First leader Paul Golding (L) this morning on December 14, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Both Golding and Fransen were arrested inside the court buildings on separate alleged offences. The Britain First deputy leader was initially in court to face a charge of using "threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour" relating to a speech she made at a Northern Ireland Against Terrorism rally in Belfast earlier this year. Golding was arrested relating to a speech he made at the same rally while Fransen was re-arrested by PSNI officers in a matter relating to a video she posted about the Belfast Islamic Centre earlier this week. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Paul Golding, left, is the leader of far-right group Britain First.

You can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep (and retweet). As president, Donald Trump has surrounded himself with white supremacists like Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller and caused an international uproar after retweeting Paul Golding, another white supremacist across the Atlantic Ocean.

Golding is the leader of Britain First, which is a far-right group behind the fake news Trump spread to his followers just a few weeks ago. He was arrested in connection with hate speech uttered during a rally. The Guardian reports:

Paul Golding, 35, was arrested shortly after arriving at Belfast magistrates court. He was accompanying his deputy, Jayda Fransen, 31, to her first appearance after being charged with “using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour” at the same rally.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said: “Detectives investigating speeches made at the Northern Ireland Against Terrorism rally on Sunday 6 August this year have arrested a 35-year-old man today, Thursday 14 December, in the Belfast area. He has been taken to Musgrave PSNI station for interview. There are no further details at this stage.” Golding’s deputy Fransen was also arrested today and released on bail. Her next court appearance is in January.