By Chloe Mayer
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InfoWars host Owen Shroyer has said he is leaving his show after disagreements with boss Alex Jones, who he suggested had branded him "too anti-Trump."
The War Room presenter on the right-wing website broadcaster shared the news with viewers on Monday night, revealing in a video stream on social media site X that he had a "shocking announcement" to make about his role.
He framed the decision to leave as his own, but also said Jones had told him not to work out the rest of this week.
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Newsweek is attempting to reach out to both Shroyer and Jones for comment.
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Why It Matters
Shroyer, a former radio host, began working for InfoWars in 2016 and has become a key figure on the hard right.
His exit from the channel suggested a possible difference of opinion between himself and Jones, but political analysts may wonder whether it also points to a wider split within the Trump-supporting Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement as some question Trump's decisions now he has assumed office.
Some MAGA supporters have revealed they are not happy with Trump's handling of various issues, including Israel's war against Hamas in Palestine, and the investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
What To Know
Shroyer shared the news about his InfoWars departure in a 5-hour video stream he posted to social media site X on Monday.
He went on to tell viewers he would set out exactly "why I am done here at InfoWars." He said: "There's a reason why I have to do this tonight and I'm going to explain it all because that's what you deserve as my audience [...] I consider myself extremely blessed for my time at InfoWars and I'm sorry that it had to end so abruptly, if you want to say that. But about an hour ago, I got off the phone with Alex and that was it. That was it."
Describing "what went wrong and why I decided to leave" he said: "Just to be perfectly clear, this is not how I wanted it to be [...] I did not want it to go this way. I tried everything so it wouldn't go this way. But I am left with no choice."
Shroyer said he had " walked off the show, mid-show" on Thursday after he felt Jones had been "disrupting" the broadcast. "I kind of just reached my point of no return," he said.
"I wanted to finish this week and I wanted to finish positively at InfoWars," he said, claiming he had even offered "to stick around like a satellite to go down with the ship," but Jones instead "told me that he didn't need me and good luck. And that was that."
He had hoped to make the announcement on InfoWars alongside Jones, but was unable to do so, which is why he was sharing his own video broadcast instead.
"Alex is not easy to work for, and that's fine, that's OK," Shroyer said. "He says I'm too negative, I'm a pessimist, whatever, I'm too anti-Trump." He said he took a break to consider Jones' comments, adding: "If Alex thinks I'm too negative, then maybe he's right."
But, he said, the same issues remained upon his return. He told viewers to "imagine someone staring over your back 24/7." He later added: "I couldn't do what I wanted to do."
Shroyer later followed up with an additional X post claiming he had "exciting things in the future" and also shared a "fundraising link" that was titled "Help Owen Shroyer Build Independent News Career."
The link led to a donations site that said the campaign was created by "Jonathon Shroyer" and by the early hours of Tuesday it had raised $12,437 of a $30,000 goal. "Owen plans to continue on with his daily show without interruption under any and all circumstances, but we need your help," the fundraising appeal said. "Due to the abrupt change, we may need assistance with possible studio costs, hiring crew, and other expenses as things transition."
During his time at InfoWars, Shroyer had fallen foul of the law, alongside Jones.
In September 2023, Shroyer was sentenced to two months behind bars for his role during the 2021 Capitol riots; he had led chants outside the building claiming that then-President Joe Biden had stolen the 2020 election from Donald Trump.
In 2022, Sandy Hook families won nearly $1.5 billion in judgments against Jones and Infowars' parent company, Free Speech Systems, in lawsuits filed in Connecticut and Texas accusing him of defamation and inflicting emotional distress. They sued over Jones' repeated comments that the 2012 school shooting in Connecticut that killed 20 first graders and six educators was a hoax
Last month, a state judge in Texas appointed a receiver to take over and sell Alex Jones' InfoWars assets to help pay the more than $1 billion owed in legal judgements to the families, the Associated Press reported.
What People Are Saying
Shroyer's video was shared on X more than 2,500 times and garnered a little over 2,000 comments. Many were people simply asking why he quit, while news of his departure appeared to split viewers. Some said they were sorry to see him go, while others celebrated his departure.
One fan, whose profile said she was a "free speech enthusiast," told Shroyer: "Just the beginning for you! Stay strong."
But another added: "I'm pretty glad you're leaving because you ruined info wars as a long time listener I don't know what happened to you, but you lost it dude."
What Happens Next
Shroyer continues trying to raise cash from his fans in order to continue broadcasting online. It remains to be seen what effect his departure from InfoWars will have on the channel or the wider MAGA movement.
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