Right-wing talk show host Alex Jones publicly and profanely denounced President Donald Trump, whom he formerly supported, while broadcasting a segment of his show on Friday, as appearing on Infowars .
The talk show host launched into a brutal tirade, criticizing Trump and decrying the president in a most unflattering and homophobic way, calling him the “b*ttboy of Al-Qaida.” Jones made the incendiary remark after pointing out that Trump had suggested, during his campaign, that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were secretly supporting the terrorist organization.
Jones, who runs the conspiracy website, Infowars , had been a die-hard Trump advocate and gave the president a full-throated endorsement during his 2016 bid for the White House. Jones has emerged as an influential voice of the so-called alt-right movement and has amassed a large platform consisting of millions of followers.
Jones began his broadcast by questioning whether the recent chemical attack in Syria actually happened. The segment then went to a clip of Trump announcing that he had ordered a cruise missile attack against Syrian government targets, as co-host Owen Shroyer looked on.
At first, Jones offered up a few reasons for Trump’s actions, suggesting that the president could be drugged or the victim of mind control, then suddenly Jones shifted his narrative, abandoning all pretense of defending Trump.
At that point, Jones went into one of his characteristic bombastic rants that eventually turned into an emotional denouncement of Trump, as Jones broke down in tears.
“Blowing up a bunch of Russians and Syrians that have fought so hard makes me feel like a piece of crap, man… I did everything for this guy, and now he has sold us out.”
Pictured left to right: Alex Jones, Trump confidant Roger Stone, and Jonathan Alter
In a 2015 interview with Jones, Trump promised that Jones and his followers would not be disappointed if he got elected to the White House. Jones and Infowars have been promoting pro-Trump content on the website ever since. Trump also reportedly called Jones to thank him for his support after his electoral victory.
Trump himself has parroted talking points from the website and even linked to Infowars articles. The president also reportedly agreed to grant the outlet White House press credentials, according to Jones. It is unclear whether Trump is aware that Jones has withdrawn his support.
Alex Jones is not the only high-profile right-wing ally that has recently been critical of the beleaguered president and his administration. Fox News commentators Laura Ingraham and Tucker Carlson have also been uncharacteristically critical of Trump in the wake of the latest U.S. attack on Syria.
“This is not why Donald Trump got elected,” said Ingraham, during an interview with former Trump adviser, Sebastian Gorka.
Ingraham, Carlson, and Jones are among a growing chorus of conservative media figures who say that Trump has strayed away from his original agenda.
Even ultra-conservative firebrand Ann Coulter, who represents a large portion of Trump’s base, voiced disapproval, suggesting in a tweet that Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe could defeat Trump in 2020, by promising “no more stupid wars.”
