Media Matters for America

Savage says Muslims, others should be banned from US, but he's "going to sue" UK for banning him

May 06, 2009 5:38 pm ET

Michael Savage is outraged and says he is "going to sue" U.K. Home Office Secretary Jacqui Smith over the decision to ban him from entering the U.K. -- but Savage himself has repeatedly called for people to be banned or deported from the U.S.

During the May 5 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, responding to the British Home Office's decision to ban him from entering the United Kingdom for "stirring-up hatred" -- specifically, "engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence" -- Michael Savage claimed that "I am going to sue" Home Office Secretary Jacqui Smith. Later, Savage stated: "This lunatic Jacqui Smith, in my opinion, has defamed me, and if possible, I will sue her personally." Savage himself has a history of calling for the deportation or banning of individuals and groups from the United States. For example:

From the May 5 broadcast of Talk Radio Network's The Savage Nation:

SAVAGE: Well, I don't know who this pork-eater is, but I have a question for her. I hear she's the home secretary of the former England. When has this witch heard my show, since it is not syndicated in England? When has this witch listened my program in England, and which show or shows is this witch referring to?

Now, I will say this, that when I awoke this morning in the 7 o'clock range and went down to my computer; I turned on various websites. I go to The Drudge Report because it is the newspaper of today amongst anyone with a brain; you know that and I know that. And it has some great, you know, linkages.

I was shocked and I thought I was seeing things when it said Michael Savage banned in England. Am I seeing -- so the first thing I thought was darn, there goes the summer trip to receive their -- their dental care. And I'm going to have to give up a summer trip where I was going to do a tour of British restaurants for their famous cuisine. But then it dawned on me who they had linked me with; I thought this is a joke or a mistake. They linked me up with Russian skinheads who had murdered 10 people, Islamists who had smashed in the heads of Jewish children with rifle butts, preachers in the UK who call for the destruction and overthrow of the government.

How could they put Michael Savage in the same league with mass murderers when I have never avowed violence? Had I avowed violence, I wouldn't be on the radio. I wouldn't have lasted 15 minutes, let alone 15 years. In fact, my opinions are more in keeping with the mainstream of America than you would like to believe. I am closer to the heartland of America than is, let us say, this woman. I want to remind you, though, that the whole point of the First Amendment, which we enjoy in America and apparently these Brits do not enjoy, is to protect offensive speech, not polite speech.

Let me repeat that. The whole point of the First Amendment was to protect offensive speech, not polite speech.

And I want to remind you liberals: Whatever happened to your famous sayings from the '60's, "I may disagree with you but I will fight to the death your right to say it"? Now I suggest that my 8 to 10 million listeners cancel your trips to England immediately and tell your travel agents why. I suggest you stop buying English-made goods. I don't know what they make anymore, but whatever they make, I suggest you don't buy anymore. If they want to play hardball, we'll play hardball. Will they ban my listeners from attending -- going to their wonderful, great nation as well? I mean, I've been banned from Britain. I mean, I hadn't planned on going there; I haven't been there in over 25 years. And when I woke up this morning, I thought this can't be true. But the point is today it's me, tomorrow it's someone else.

And my second reaction was the land of the Magna Carta has now become the land of the Mini-Carta. They published 16 of the 22 names of those banned from England since October, but they didn't include six additional names, right? Now, I'd like to know who it is who put together this list. I'd like to know which six names are not being published. I'd like to know why they have not banned, for example, Kim Jong Il the third -- the second, who allegedly has starved over a million of his fellow countrymen to death.

Is Kim Jong Il banned from England? What about Chavez, Hugo Chavez? Is he banned from England? He has driven half the Jews out of his nation with his hate talk. Is he banned by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith? No, she picked an easy target. She doesn't know my show, obviously, but someone in America sent her my name, and as a result of this, I'm going to sue her. I don't know if I can win; I don't know the laws of England. I have seven lawyers working on this right now.

Britain defamed Michael Savage, putting me in a league with mass murderers because of my opinions. For this lunatic Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary of England, to link me up with skinheads who are killing people in Russia; to put me in a league with Hamas murderers who killed Jews on buses, is defamation. Moreover, I've been endangered by this lunatic. She has painted a target on my back, linking me with people who are imprisoned for killing people.

Does she not think that this will bring harm to me, and if she does, will she pay for it? We'll find out soon enough what the laws of England protect and don't protect. But even liberals listening to this show should be disturbed at the move by the British Government because they wonder -- they should wonder who's next. Today it's me, tomorrow it's you. And I have to say to you that this is -- some ways, people are saying, "Savage, it's a badge of honor. Savage, it's a good thing to be on this list. Savage, this is a last gasp of a troubled Labor Party that is out of touch with the voters of England." According to the most recent surveys, Labor and highly unpopular Prime Minister Gordon Brown are expected to be swept from power by conservatives at their next general election. That's all well and good, but will the conservatives undo the damage that this lunatic has done? We'll have to wait and see.

The Home Office of England said that I was banned because I am engaging in unacceptable behavior. Behavior? How is it behavior for me to publish books? Now, I thought about this, and it could be that my latest book, Psychological Nudity, on the cover of which you see Michael Savage and my 10-pound dog, Teddy, it could be that One-Armed Frank, or Fat Al's tuna, or Dead Man's pants, or Woodchuck Bill, or Love By the Sewer Plant -- it could be that one of those stories is offensive to those in England. I really don't know.

I do know this: that I've written many best-sellers. But prior to my political life, I had written about 18 books in the field of health that were well received as well. Perhaps they're out of touch with the English today. Perhaps my books on vitamins and nutrition are considered a threat to the social order in England. Some would say, "Savage, don't be so upset. It's gonna help the sales of Psychological Nudity."

Well, OK, great. Go on to MichaelSavage.com and buy a copy and tell them to send it to a friend in England, and tell them to walk around with it proudly. Do me a favor. It's not gonna change my lifestyle.

[...]

SAVAGE: This lunatic Jacqui Smith, in my opinion, has defamed me, and if possible, I will sue her personally.

&mdash T.A.

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