text: This morning, Twitter’s Jack Dorsey and Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg faced questions from the Senate Intelligence Committee about how their companies handle myriad issues, including misinformation, content moderations, and foreign intrusion. And since it happened at a congressional hearing, it was open for anyone to attend. 
   
   So it shouldn’t have been entirely surprising that Infowars host Alex Jones decided to stop by. The well-known conspiracy theorist was recently banned on platforms including Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. Though he claims these banned only made his online presence stronger, data shows that Infowars’s audience is shrinking. 
   
   This is perhaps why Jones attended the hearing–to, once again, enter the spotlight. He didn’t just want to hear what the technology giants had to say, but also intended to make his presence known. And he made quite the statement to Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. 
   
   According to Daily Beast reporter Will Sommer, Jones found Rubio in the hallways giving an interview during a hearing recess. He began talking over Rubio, accusing the United States of censorship akin to China’s. Rubio first attempted to answer his questions, then tried to ignore Jones’s heckling, but the troll kept going. 
   
   “Is that a heckler or the press?” Rubio asked. 
   
   Realizing Rubio was no longer going to answer his questions, Jones started calling Rubio a snake while laughing like a disturbed schoolboy. The online broadcaster then went to touch the senator on the shoulder, and Rubio recoiled. “Don’t touch me again, man,” he said with a death stare. 
   
   Ultimately, Rubio left to go back to the hearing while reporters asked Jones some questions. ||||| Tweet with a location 
   
   You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| The exchange quickly went downhill when Sen. Marco Rubio warned Alex Jones, who was standing beside him in the hallway, to “not touch me again.” | Scott Mahaskey/POLITICO 'Frat boy': Alex Jones taunts Rubio in tense Senate standoff 
   
   Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and InfoWars host Alex Jones clashed outside a Senate Intelligence committee hearing today, with the lawmaker saying he’d “take care of” Jones as the far-right provocateur mockingly called him a “little gangster thug" and "frat boy." 
   
   Rubio, addressing reporters outside the hearing room, was badgered with questions by Jones, who made a surprise appearance at the Senate hearing devoted to foreign interference on social media. 
   
   Story Continued Below 
   
   The exchange quickly went downhill when the senator warned the conspiracy-peddling host, who was standing beside him in the hallway, to “not touch me again.” 
   
   “I’m just patting you nicely,” Jones responded, before accusing Rubio of trying to get him arrested. 
   
   Rubio rebuffed the charge, adding: “I’ll take care of you myself.” 
   
   "Rubio just threatened to physically take care of me," Jones replied, an insinuation that Rubio disputed. 
   
   As Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey began their testimony before the committee, Jones livestreamed his entrance into the building and later took a seat in the first row of the hearing room, sitting mere feet away from the tech executives. 
   
   Internet companies including Facebook and Twitter removed or suspended Jones’ content last month for violating their terms of service. The action came as many conservatives, including President Donald Trump, accuse Silicon Valley of being biased against their views. ||||| Tweet with a location 
   
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target: – The biggest stars of Wednesday's Senate Intelligence Committee hearing seem to be an empty chair and Alex Jones of InfoWars. The former was reserved for Google's leadership, which unlike Twitter and Facebook was a no-show. The latter got into it with Sen. Marco Rubio outside the hearing, which Fast Company notes is open to the public; Politico reports Jones sat in the first row just behind Sheryl Sandberg and Jack Dorsey. During a hearing recess, Daily Beast reporter Will Sommer tweeted that Jones went into the hallway outside the room and got into a "heated exchange" with Rubio. Video Sommer tweeted of the exchange shows Rubio speaking with reporters as Jones keeps interrupting with questions and statements before moving on to calling Rubio a "snake" and "frat boy." Rubio replies, "I swear to God, I don't know who you are, man." As Jones tries to clarify, Rubio tells him "not to touch me again." Replies Jones, "I'm just patting you nicely," before suggesting Rubio wants to get him arrested. Rubio says, "You're not going to get arrested man. I'll take care of you myself." Jones tells him, "You are literally like a little gangster thug." As Rubio excuses himself to go back to the committee, he refers to Jones as "this clown." Responds Jones, "Go back to your bathhouse."