Conspiracy theorist and Donald Trump media ally Alex Jones claimed that then-President-elect Trump called him and begged to come onto Jones’ show, but Jones demurred, claiming the appearance would be used to hurt Trump.

During his May 12 broadcast, Jones said that Trump called him following the election and repeatedly asked to come on The Alex Jones Show in the near future. Jones said that he refused, saying that he told the president-elect, “I think at this time that they might use that against you, and you’ve got too much going on” and that “I really don't want it to then be used against you. Just get your agenda, cut the taxes, and defend the Christians that are being murdered.”

Jones expressed fear that critics would “misrepresent what I’ve said,” noting that they “take stuff out of context that I’ve done” to hurt Trump. He used the conversation to bolster his own image, stating, “Who else you think does that with Donald Trump? Nobody. Nobody. So the media can stick that in their pipe and smoke it. I don’t need Donald Trump, even though I admire him and think he’s a great guy.”

Later, while musing about the reported conversation, Jones questioned his previous decision to decline Trump’s repeated requests to come on the show, saying, “And quite frankly, maybe it would be good just to have Trump on because it’s all about defeating them, throwing it in their face, destroying them, showing how they don’t care.”

In November, Jones talked about a different conversation he had with Trump following the election, saying in a video that Trump told him, “I wanted to talk to you to thank your audience, and I’ll be on in the next few weeks to thank them.” In the video, Jones also said, “You’ll hear Trump on the show.”

Following reporting on that video, Erica Lafferty, whose mother Dawn Hochsprung was principal at Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed during the 2012 mass shooting at the school, published an open letter to Trump urging him not to appear on Jones’ radio show because Jones has called the Sandy Hook shooting “a giant hoax.” Trump had appeared on Jones’ show in November 2015 and praised Jones’ “amazing” reputation.

Jones has promoted other toxic conspiracy theories including that the United States government perpetrated the 9/11 attacks and the tragedies at Columbine, Oklahoma City, and the Boston Marathon.

Jones has claimed that he speaks with Trump regularly. In a video Jones released in February, he touted his connections to the president, saying that he regretted having “missed” Trump’s phone calls, and claimed that Trump “or his sons” watch his videos and show “every night.” He has also said that Trump calls him to ask if he’s “happy” with his performance as president.

More of Jones’ discussion of his conversation with Trump:

ALEX JONES (HOST): So Donald Trump was president-elect and he gave me a call to congratulate me on being married to my second wife, my dear wife. And we were sitting there talking -- I’m at the airport, I’m talking to the president about some issues I won’t get into -- and he was like, “Well I got to do the show soon. Let’s do it in the next few weeks.” I said, “No sir,” I said, “I think at this time that they might use that against you, and you’ve got too much going on.” I just said, “Maybe just down the road come on.” He goes, “No, no, let’s do it soon,” and I said, “No.” I said, “I really don't want it to then be used against you. Just get your agenda, cut the taxes, and defend the Christians that are being murdered.” He goes, “I will, I will, [unintelligible] keep my promise.” I said, “Absolutely, sir.” I just said, “They will misrepresent what I’ve said and they take stuff out of context that I’ve done,” and I just said, “Let’s just hold off.”

See, I didn't have Donald Trump on when he was ready to come on the next week. When he called up and talked to my wife for five minutes and told her stuff I won’t say off record. That’s the kind of guy -- I didn’t even call Trump to say I was getting married. No one knew; it was a secret. I’m telling you about it right now. I was in Hawaii and Donald Trump called me. That’s the kind of guy Donald Trump is. I said, “Sir, you don’t need to come on the show, OK? I believe they might --” I just said, “I’m not 100 percent sure in my gut that’s the right thing.” He said, “No, let’s do it. I told you.” I said, “No.” He said, “All right, all right, well.” See. Who else you think does that with Donald Trump? Nobody. Nobody. So the media can stick that in their pipe and smoke it. I don’t need Donald Trump, even though I admire him and think he’s a great guy.

[...]

JONES: So the truth is I told the president -- I’m like, “Down the road some time, once we’ve got the big agenda through, please come on.” And he’s like, “How about soon? how about, yeah, I want to come on. How about next week?” “Sir, I’m not sure that would be good. I’ve said a lot of things -- a lot of things out of context. I’m just not sure about that.” He just paused. See. See how that works? It isn’t about me. It’s about victory. It’s about defeating the globalists. And quite frankly, maybe it would be good just to have Trump on because it’s all about defeating them, throwing it in their face, destroying them, showing how they don’t care. They try to demonize me, they try to say I’m a horrible person, they try to lie about me, and it still fails, they still can’t destroy our audience, they can’t get rid of our listeners, we still go on. So maybe in that moment I was hesitating, scared that they would use me against Trump, but maybe he’s right that he needs to be radical and out there in the open and show what a joke they are and call them out. Did I make the wrong decision? I went with my gut. My spirit said, no don’t have Donald Trump on next week. Don’t do it. Because they’ve already sat there and hurt him by taking more radical things out of context. But then that kind of gives them the power. They’re always going to lie anyways, so I don’t know. It’s one of those things where actually kinda not sure, but I made the decision.