Alex Jones peddles Trump assassination conspiracy as MAGA ramps up violent indictment rhetoric

Alex Jones, the InfoWars broadcaster and conspiracy theorist, said he believes that former President Donald Trump may be assassinated by the so-called deep state.

Mr Jones, who lost a defamation lawsuit after spreading disinformation about the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting, has said that if it appears as if Mr Trump may win the 2024 election, deep state operatives may take him out by blowing up his plane or shooting him.

The host was speaking on Sunday after Mr Trump had held his first 2024 rally on Saturday in Waco, Texas on the 30th anniversary of the deadly standoff by federal authorities and a religious cult leading to the deaths of 86 people, and spawning conspiracy theorists among Americans with anti-government sentiments.

It was one of the most lethal battles against law enforcement in US history, and Mr Trump spent a significant part of his speech railing against those investigating him for various alleged offences.

While Mr Jones said that he still has “issues” with Mr Trump, he called Mr Trump’s violent rhetoric on Saturday “hardcore,” suggesting that his words would frighten those the conspiracy theorist has claimed are in control of the US and the wider world, Newsweek notes.

Mr Trump slammed the investigation into the 2016 hush money payment made to porn actor Stormy Daniels by his then-fixer Michael Cohen to avoid her speaking publically about an affair she alleges she had with Mr Trump in 2006.

The investigation is led by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who Mr Trump appeared to attempt to threaten last week when he shared a social media post of him holding a baseball bat juxtaposed to an image of the prosecutor.

Mr Trump said on Saturday in Texas that his “enemies are desperate to stop us,” and that “our opponents have done everything they can to crush our spirit and to break our will”.

Speaking to the press on his plane after the speech in Waco, Texas, he said, “I think they’ve already dropped the case”.

“It’s a fake case. Some fake cases, they have absolutely nothing,” he added. The ex-president has claimed on several occasions that the probe is politically motivated and he has rejected the allegations.

If Mr Trump is indicted he would be the first US president to be charged with a crime. The grand jury reviewing the case is set to meet again on Monday, the Associated Press reported.

On Saturday, Mr Trump said his adversaries had “failed” and “only made us stronger”.

He added that “2024 is the final battle, it’s going to be the big one. You put me back in the White House, their reign will be over and America will be a free nation once again”.

“Whether Trump is for real or not, the deep state hates his guts and is scared of him, because they see him as a power rival,” Mr Jones said on Sunday.

He said that Mr Trump’s aggressive rhetoric was “not a good thing in action,” but that it did show that he was not being controlled by unseen powers, Newsweek noted.

“He’s awake to what’s happening and going on now, and I definitely like everything I’m hearing from Trump,” Mr Jones said.

“It was amazing,” he added. “More hardcore stuff said at that rally than had been said in the last six, seven years of Trump combined, so Trump is definitely born-again hard, as they call it. I think they’ll probably try and assassinate him or something, this is just insane.”

Mr Jones spoke of the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July last year, arguing that it was an example of a killing of a conservative political leader.

“If it looks like he’s about to win again, I think they’re gonna shoot him. I think they’re gonna blow his aeroplane up,” Mr Jones said of Mr Trump.

The InfoWars host asked his viewers “what do we do other than Trump?” going on to say that he was “better” than his top rival in the 2024 race, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has yet to officially announce a campaign.

Mr Trump’s rhetoric grew increasingly violent on Saturday, mimicking the message he put forward in the lead-up to the January 6 insurrection.

“If we don’t win this election in 2024, I truly believe our country is doomed,” he said, slamming “demonic forces” who are “destroying the country”.

“Either the deep state destroys America or we destroy the deep state,” he said.

“They’re flooding your towns with deadly drugs selling your jobs to China, mutilating your children … setting fire to your life savings, releasing violent criminals to prey on innocent people,” the ex-president told the crowd.

“I am your warrior. I am your justice. And I took a lot of heat for this one, but I only meant it in the proper way — to those who have been wronged and betrayed, of which there are many people out there, I will be your retribution,” he added.

He said the investigations into him were “something straight out of the Stalinist Russia horror show”.

“This is really prosecutorial misconduct, that’s what it’s called. The innocence of people makes no difference whatsoever to these radical left maniacs,” Mr Trump said.

“The thugs and criminals who are corrupting our justice system will be defeated, discredited and totally disgraced,” he added.