Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is urging the media to ignore rabble-rousing radio host Alex Jones, who on Wednesday confronted the Florida Republican outside a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill.
“I know you’ve got to cover them, but you give these guys way too much attention,” Rubio said of Jones, according to Twitter post by a CNN reporter. “We’re making crazy people superstars. So, we [are] going to get crazier people.”
Jones — the founder of Infowars who has said the September 11, 2001, attacks were an inside job and that the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a hoax — confronted Rubio as he was taking questions from the press on Wednesday. Jones, who was deplatformed by Apple, Facebook and YouTube in an apparently coordinated action by big tech, got in Rubio’s face.
“What about the Democrats purging conservatives? He’s not answering,” Jones said to Rubio. “Republicans are acting like this isn’t happening. Thank God Trump is.”
Rubio turned his attention to reporters and cautioned that oppressive regimes like that of China can and have used censorship to censor “the truth.”
“The Democrats are doing what you say China does,” interjected Jones.
“Is that a heckler? I just don’t know who you are, man,” Rubio told Jones. “I don’t really go on your website.”
“He plays dumb. Inforwars.com, you know what it is, full well. That’s why you didn’t get elected. You’re a snake,” Jones responded. “Marco Rubio the snake. A little frat boy, here.”
As Jones protested that Rubio knew who he was, he briefly placed his hand on the senator’s shoulder.
“Don’t touch me again, man,” said Rubio. “I’m asking you not to touch me again.”
“I just patted you nicely,” responded Jones, adding “I don’t wanna get arrested.”
“You’re not gonna get arrested, man. I’ll take care of it myself,” Rubio answered.
“Oh, you’re gonna beat me up?” Jones asked. “I didn’t say that,” Rubio replied.
“You really are a little gangster thug,” continued Jones. “Rubio just threatened to physically take care of me.”
Rubio laughed off Jones and took a question from a reporter about potentially regulating social media networks as a utility, which the senator said he would prefer not to do.
“But that’s already going on, here,” Jones interjected again. “The Democrats are raping the Republicans. The Democrats are raping Infowars.”
Rubio ended the spectacle and told reporters as he left, “You guys can talk to this clown.”
“Look at this little frat boy, so cool. Go back to your bath house!” yelled Jones. “There goes Rubio. Little punk.”