Trump administration rages at Keir Starmer with 4-word warning over free speech

The Trump administration has issued a warning to Sir Keir Starmer (Image: Getty )

Donald Trump's administration has promised to unleash a "full range of tools" against Sir Keir Starmer in a deepening row over free speech and plans to crack down on Elon Musk's X platform. Tech billionaire Musk's X social media site uses an AI chatbot called Grok, but campaigners are worried the tool is being used  to create "undressed images" of adults and children.

The use of Grok to create sexually explicit content has prompted a wave of concern among British ministers who have expressed support for a UK ban if Ofcom decides to block access to the platform. If X does not comply with UK rules under the Online Safety Act, the watchdog can issue a fine of up to 10% of its worldwide revenue or £18 million, and in extreme cases can get court approval to block the site.

Elon Musk, who was recently seen dining at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in January, fired back at the UK on his X platform, saying the move by Labour to possibly block the site was an "excuse for censorship". He added "so, what if Grok can put people in bikinis?" and pointed out "millions" of other apps could also do this. Musk has previously stated anyone uploading illegal content created by Grok onto X would suffer consequences.

Sir Keir has been urged to take action against X over AI generated images of women and children (Image: PA )

Now the US State Department's Sarah B Rogers has thrown her weight behind Musk. In an interview with GB News she compared Britain to the hardline Islamic regime in Iran, saying America has a "full range of tools" to open up internet access in "authoritarian, closed societies where the Government bans it".

"We are facilitating uncensored internet in Iran right now," she added, referencing efforts by Elon Musk to hook Iranians up to his Starlink satellite connection.

Ms Rogers added: "With respect to a potential ban of X, Keir Starmer has said that nothing is off the table. I would say from America's perspective, nothing is off the table when it comes to free speech.

"Let's wait and see what Ofcom does and we'll see what America does in response. This is an issue dear to us, and I think we would certainly want to respond."

Ms Rogers, the US Under-Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, said both Donald Trump and JD Vance were "huge champions" of free speech.

"Our leadership understands this because President Trump was himself a target of censorship. President Trump was banned by Twitter - the old regime before Elon bought it."

The State Department's Sarah B Rogers said "nothing was off the table" (Image: GB News )

She went on to reference how slain Russian dissident Alexei Navalny compared President Trump's ban to something Vladimir Putin's regime would do.

"You have to take that comparison seriously. That's why our President cares about this issue - because people couldn't deal with his popularity, they couldn't deal with his success, and they tried to just shut him up so no one could hear him."

Ms Rogers added that if Sir Keir's administration "cared about women's safety, it would have acted differently on grooming gangs", referencing the scandal of children being targeted by grooms of men in towns and cities across the UK.

Sir Keir issued a warning on Monday to Musk's X, saying the social media site could lose the "right to self regulate".

The Prime Minister told Labour MPs: "If X cannot control Grok, we will - and we'll do it fast because if you profit from harm and abuse, you lose the right to self regulate."

Sir Keir has faced calls to have the Government stop using X altogether and Downing Street said on Monday it was keeping its presence on the platform "under review".

Grok, developed by another company founded by Mr Musk called xAI, launched a new advanced image generation feature in July last year. But its use for creating nude deepfake images has become widespread over the last few weeks.

Ofcom will investigate the platform to determine whether it has complied with its duty to protect people in the UK from illegal content.

The regulator said: "There have been deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images of people - which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography - and sexualised images of children that may amount to child sexual abuse material."

Mr Musk has accused the UK Government of being "fascist" and trying to curb free speech in response to its threats.