Don’t mess with US Senator Marco Rubio.
The Republican senator was talking to reporters on Wednesday in a Senate hallway about social media companies’ role in elections and the spreading and blocking of misinformation, while a man spoke over him and reporters.
The man was conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who has fallen foul of several social media companies for violating their community standards, although Senator Rubio said he did not know who he was.
In a video posted online by a reporter, Jones at one point placed his hand on Senator Rubio’s shoulder.
Marco Rubio and right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones face off during the cringe-worthy exchange. Source: Reuters
“Don’t touch me again, man. I’m asking you not to touch me again,” the Senator said.
After Jones protested, Senator Rubio said, “I don’t want to be touched. I don’t know you. I don’t know who you are.”
Jones countered, “Oh, you want me to get arrested?”
The Republican senator was talking to reporters in a Senate hallway about social media companies’ role in elections when Alex Jones confronted him. Source: Reuters
Senator Rubio replied, “You’re not going to get arrested, man. You’re not going to get arrested. I’ll take care of you myself.”
Senator Rubio, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, answered another question from reporters before an aide announced he needed to leave.
US Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio. Source: AP
Jones, whose false theories include saying the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre was a hoax, was on Capitol Hill to watch an intelligence panel hearing on social media and politics.
While he was talking over Senator Rubio earlier, Jones charged Democrats with “purging” conservative voices, and Republicans with acting as though this was not happening.
Major technology companies have removed podcasts and channels from Jones, who founded the website Infowars, saying he broke community standards, and Twitter banned accounts from him and Infowars for seven days last month because of a tweet that violated Twitter’s rules against abusive behaviour.
