Ali Alexander’s Twitter Account Reinstated, Sparking Controversy
Ali Alexander, the prominent figure behind the “Stop the Steal” movement, saw his Twitter account reinstated on Monday.
Alexander’s account was initially banned shortly after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. At the time, a Twitter spokesperson informed Newsweek that his account was permanently suspended for violating policies on evading bans.
However, under the new leadership of Elon Musk, Twitter has opted to restore Alexander’s account. As of now, many tweets containing disinformation about the 2020 election remain visible on his timeline.
Alexander, alongside other “Stop the Steal” proponents, heavily utilized the social media platform to push their agenda of keeping then-President Trump in office. Their campaign involved spreading false claims about voter fraud and, in some instances, advocating for violent action. This movement reached its peak on January 6.
During the Capitol insurrection, Trump supporters breached police barriers, clashed with law enforcement, and surged up the Capitol steps. Alexander observed the chaos from a nearby terrace.
In a video shared on Twitter and initially reported by Right Wing Watch, Alexander stated, “I don’t disavow this. I do not denounce this,” as he pointed towards the rioters.
Despite describing the attack as “completely peaceful” and distancing himself from a “couple of agitators,” Alexander continued to call for a rebellion. He declared, “Stop the Steal is going to be the home of the rebellion against an illegitimate government.”
This is Ali Alexander, leader of the so-called Stop the Steal campaign, saying: “I don’t disavow this. I do not denounce this.” pic.twitter.com/0mP0xThAYP
— Kristen Doerer (@k2doe) January 6, 2021
The day preceding the riot, Alexander had organized a “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House, where he led chants of “Victory or death!” Other speakers at the event called for civil war and revolution.
Moreover, on December 30, 2020, Alexander tweeted that if Congress certified the 2020 election results, “everyone can guess what me and 500,000 others will do to that building. … 1776 is *always* an option,” according to the Daily Beast.
Following the Capitol attack, Alexander faced bans from numerous platforms. He transferred his persistent posts and disinformation efforts to Telegram, though he struggled to regain the large following he once had on Twitter. Nonetheless, his extreme rhetoric persisted.
In recent months, Alexander has advocated for Republicans to “jail Democrats,” telling January 6 participant Tim Gionet, “We’ve got to make them hurt.”
Alexander has also been vocal about his views on elections, stating in a video, “Any election I don’t like is stolen. … If I don’t like it, it’s stolen. If I like it, it’s not stolen. If you win, it’s stolen.”
When the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack concluded its work without filing charges against him, Alexander boasted that he had “raped the January 6 Select Committee.” He even claimed to have outsmarted the committee by being a time traveler and likened himself to Jesus.
In a voice message to his followers on Telegram on Monday, Alexander mentioned that he would resume tweeting soon. Later, he posted that his account “will be dedicated to Jesus Christ, Love, @J6Families, YE, and beating up naughty Republicans.”
