For all those who plan to come to the US to spread terrorist propaganda and call for the destruction of our allies, Marco Rubio has a public-service announcement: Think again. Or as Jack Nicholson put it in As Good As It Gets, "Sell crazy someplace else. We're all stocked up here."
This all started in Glastonbury, where a major rap festival featured an act called 'Bob Vylan,' a duo that decided to get edgy at the concert. And by edgy, I mean adopting the tiresome pose that supports Hamas and vents Jew-hatred to get the clicks and the lolz:
“Death, death to the IDF” chanted from the stage by Bob Vylan in front of 200k people at @glastonbury.
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) June 28, 2025
Tens of thousands singing happily along.
This is coming to NYC #ZohranForMayor pic.twitter.com/t6vtHVhNQa
Now, consider this in light of current British policies on free speech and religious expression. Simply tweeting anything critical about Islam or transgenders can get one prosecuted in the UK. Praying outside of an abortion clinic, even while not on the property, gets people arrested too -- even if the prayers are silent. And yet, chanting pro-Hamas slogans and publicly demanding death to Israel's armed forces gets no reaction at all.
Well, not in Britain, anyway, even though the state-owned BBC broadcast it live. Here in the US, it gets plenty of attention, especially at the State Department. They have spent the last few months trying to cancel visas issued to pro-Hamas propagandists already in the US and to expel them. Rubio's in no mood to let more of them in, even those who have 20-city tours already set up across the country.
Strike that -- I mean especially those:
The State Department is looking to revoke the visa for Bobby Vylan, a British rap duo whose performance at a festival over the weekend went viral for his virulent anti-Israel lyrics that included a call for death to all Israeli soldiers.
A senior State Department official told The Daily Wire that it is “already looking at revocation” of their visas ahead of a roughly twenty-city tour through the United States, with performances planned in several major cities, including Washington, D.C.
“As a reminder, under the Trump Administration, the U.S. government will not issue visas to any foreigner who supports terrorists,” the senior official said.
British nationals don't need visas to visit the US. They do, however, need visas to work in the US. (These are reciprocal policies.) The 'Bob Vylan' duo could still enter the country, but if they pick up a mic for commercial purposes, they can get arrested, ejected, and barred from later entry for any purpose. That would be a problem for any act looking to expand its reach across the pond.
The State Department hasn't dropped that beat on 'Bob Vylan' yet, but it certainly sounds as though they are inclined to do so. When it happens, expect to hear much sturm und drang from the progressive elite and commentariat about free speech, artistic merit, etc. There is an argument to be made about free speech, but (a) that argument should be made in the UK first, and (b) that would apply more to US citizens and legal residents than a couple of moral idiots from abroad. In other words, we don't need to issue work visas to people promoting hatred and calls for death to Jews. Imagine if the State Department issued visas for some neo-Nazi death-metal band from the UK after going on tour in the UK with their big hit, "Death to the Pakis" or some such. None of those progressive elites would defend that as free speech; they would demand to know why the State Department issued visas to people attempting to stir up race-hatred.
So yes, perhaps it's time for the State Department to choke off access to terror symps and troublemakers, especially those who come here trying to profit off their hate. They can sell their crazy somewhere else, because we're all stocked up here. Might I suggest ... Gaza? Yemen? Somalia? I'm sure 'Bob Vylan' will find audiences for their message in those venues.
Addendum: These idiots do know that Bob Dylan is Jewish, right?
Update: The BBC is retroactively sorry for allowing the broadcast to continue. Or so they say now:
The BBC initially acknowledged that some of the comments were “deeply offensive”. It said a warning was issued on screen about the “very strong and discriminatory language” at the time.
However, in a statement on Monday, the BBC went further, saying it should not have allowed the comments to be broadcast and would look to update its guidance around live events. “Millions of people tuned in to enjoy Glastonbury this weekend across the BBC’s output but one performance within our livestreams included comments that were deeply offensive,” it said.
“The BBC respects freedom of expression but stands firmly against incitement to violence. The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves. We welcome Glastonbury’s condemnation of the performance.
They are pulling the replays of 'Bob Vylan' from the on-demand catalog. That may not be enough to keep the BBC from prosecution for airing it, however. The Home Secretary plans to push forward with legal action, which may explain the amplitude of the regret the BBC is venting at the moment.
Update: It wasn't a threat after all:
NEWS: Bob Vylan’s visas have been officially revoked, senior State Dept official confirms to me... https://t.co/ppTRx8EZzQ
— Adam Kredo (@Kredo0) June 30, 2025
Agree or disagree, Rubio and this entire administration don't bluff or bluster. When they say they will take action, they do.
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