Tucker Carlson’s TikTok account is platforming far-right conspiracy theorist and Infowars network head Alex Jones, even though TikTok has banned both Jones and his network.
Carlson’s account is verified by TikTok and has amassed nearly half a million followers since he began posting in August. The account’s bio also includes a link to the former Fox News host’s new streaming service, the Tucker Carlson Network.
On December 10, Carlson uploaded a clip of a recent interview he did with Jones to TikTok. The video is a classic gravelly Jones monologue, complete with extreme accusations about journalists (like calling Brian Stelter an “agent of anti-American totalitarianism”) and complaints about the loss of Infowars sponsors.
The TikTok ends with an Infowars clip of Jones screaming, “You are my enemy!” in front of a picture of Stelter.
Jones is a conspiracy theorist who has been sued and found liable for defamation and ordered to pay roughly $1.5 billion in damages for his false claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting — which killed 26 young children and school employees — was a hoax. Jones also claimed he helped fund and organize the pro-Trump event that culminated in a violent failed insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
TikTok has taken repeated action against content from Jones and Infowars on its platform, going as far as to block the search for the name “Alex Jones,” citing its potential association with “behavior or content that violates our guidelines.”
Carlson’s video of Jones has already racked up over 138,000 views and nearly 12,000 likes in just one day, with supportive users writing variations of “boost” in the comment section — seemingly trying to manipulate TikTok’s “For You” page algorithm in an effort to spread the video more widely across the platform.
TikTok has continuously struggled to control the spread of Infowars content on its platform. But this time, Carlson’s account — an account that TikTok verified — is shamelessly uploading dangerous content directly from Alex Jones, exposing TikTok users to his far-right conspiracy theories.
