Andy Ngo speaks out on Mumford & Sons musician's 'break': 'If you challenge the reigning orthodoxy, you will be made to suffer'

Journalist Andy Ngo has hit out at critics who ultimately prompted Mumford & Sons banjoist and lead guitarist Winston Marshall to take a break from the Grammy award-winning band.

Marshall announced this week that he was going on hiatus after critics blasted him for supporting Ngo's new book, "Unmasked."

Of the book, Ngo has said its intention is to take its reader "inside ANTIFA's radical plan to destroy democracy."

What are the details?

According to a Thursday report from the Post Millennial, Ngo appeared on Fox News to discuss the fallout from Marshall supporting his book and how it ties into the book's message.

During his appearance, Ngo said, "I know this is being covered a lot as the latest example of cancel culture, but I don't think that term fully encapsulates what's going on. We're dealing with a phenomenon of people who have powerful ties, who are working to systematically close minds and to silence voices. And they're doing this entirely without throwing a punch, without any legislative change.

"That's what makes it quite shocking, and subtle and insidious," he insisted. "I write in my book about how much of what Antifa does is entirely non-violent, but it doesn't make it not dangerous."

Ngo also noted that Marshall has been unfairly forced to suffer "very severe consequences" for what he said was a harmless tweet about liking a book.

"I think all of these campaigns work to undermine American norms, and to undermine civil society," he explained. "This musician has been made to suffer very severe consequences for a pretty innocuous tweet about enjoying my book, apparently. And I think the message is very clear: If you challenge the reigning orthodoxy, you will be made to suffer. And particularly, if you're in a vulnerable profession, such as entertainment or culture, you will stand to lose, potentially, everything."

Ngo on Thursday morning tweeted a clip from his appearance, writing, "Last weekend, Winston Marshall, a musician in Mumford & Sons, expressed support for my book, 'Umasked,' in a 15-word tweet. 72 hours later, he had to issue an apology & announced he's taking time away from the band. I went on @FoxNews to give my response."