Owen Jones humiliates Piers Morgan in awkward TV argument over anti-Trump protests

Morgan labels lack of protests of other regimes 'hypocrisy' despite Jones having protested the Saudi regime specifically

Journalist Owen Jones hit back at Piers Morgan’s accusation of hypocrisy on live television in an argument over the anti-Donald Trump protests that brought thousands onto the streets of Britain on Monday night.

Mr Jones appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, hosted by Piers Morgan, the morning after protests he himself helped organise that called for the UK government to cancel the invitation of a state visit to Donald Trump because of his immigration ban.

“My issue is the hypocrisy of banning Donald Trump," said Mr. Morgan, "removing his audience with the Queen…given that year after year we’ve roll out the red carpet for politically expedient reasons for Vladimir Putin, for King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia….with shocking records of human rights."

“Where were the mass marches?” Mr Morgan asked.

Mr Jones had in fact lead marches at the Saudi embassy and written columns for the Guardian criticising the Saudi government’s behaviour.

“This is unfortunate, you could have Google'd this before you came on. I lead the protests,” said Mr Jones.

Mr Morgan, who had received attention for attacking the Women’s March that brought an estimated 100,000 people onto the streets in Britain alone to protest Donald Trump’s inauguration, continued to lambaste “mass amounts of people” who “shout and scream about everything they don’t agree with”.

Actor Ewen MacGregor had previously pulled out of an appearance on Good Morning Britain because Mr Morgan attacked the Women’s March as “vacuous” and attracting “rabid feminists”.

Mr Morgan went on to unpick the size of the anti-Saudi march Mr Jones referred to on Twitter, asking for photos to be shared.

Mr Jones in response called for Mr Morgan to share on his feed some of Mr Jones’ videos and columns attacking the Saudi regime, given his “sudden conversion to the cause of opposing Saudi human rights violations”.

Later in the televised discussion, Mr Jones complained at Mr Morgan speaking for too long, saying “this is a monologue, not an interview,” before Mr Morgan shot back, with “from the monologue king himself!”

Philip Davies MP, a long-standing campaigner against policies that specifically help women, was also on the show and said he “doesn’t see the point of the marches”.