The controversy started when Marshall, in a now-deleted tweet, congratulated Ngo on the publication of his book Unmasked, which promises to take the reader “inside ANTIFA’s radical plan to destroy democracy.”
“Finally had the time to read your important book. You’re a brave man,” Marshall tweeted, before deleting the message following a backlash and intense mockery of the band.
Ngo, a conservative journalist who rose to prominence filming left-wing protests in Portland, has become notorious for his associations with the neo-fascist white nationalist groups the Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer.
The Ngo incident is not the first time Marshall, who also goes by the aliases Country Winston and WN5TN, and Mumford & Sons have courted controversy for associating with notorious right-wing personalities. Back in 2018, the band invited Canadian academic Jordan Peterson, who has been accused of transphobia, misogyny and Islamophobia, to visit their London studios.
After pictures of Peterson and members of the band appeared on social media, Marshall told a Canadian radio station, “I don’t think that having a photograph with someone means you agree with everything they say.” He added, “Primarily I’m interested in his psychological stuff, which I find very interesting.”
This article originally appeared in THR.com.
