Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial reveals shocking motives in political manifesto

A man set himself on fire outside the Manhattan courthouse where the former President Donald TrumpThe trial took place today, citing political motivations in a manifesto.

The individual, identified as Max Azzarello, is alive but seriously injured. Police saw him douse himself with a liquid before bursting into flames. Emergency services at the scene helped put out the fire.

Azzarello’s brochures and social media posts allude to conspiracy theories, but officials don’t believe he targeted anyone in particular.

Man Who Set Himself On Fire Outside Donald Trump Trial Explains Why In Manifesto

A recently released manifesto attributed to the man who set himself on fire outside the Lower Manhattan courthouse, where Trump’s secret trial is taking place, appears to be purely politically motivated, according to reports.

Identified as Max Azzarello, he reportedly ran a Substack page titled “The Ponzi Papers,” with his latest entry titled: “I set myself on fire outside of the Trump trial.”

In the opening lines, Azzarello declares his extreme act as a means of bringing to light an urgent revelation, writing: “My name is Max Azzarello and I am an investigative researcher who set himself on fire outside of the Trump trial in Manhattan. The act of protest involves drawing attention to an urgent and important discovery. »

He went on to boldly assert, “We are the victims of a totalitarian scam, and our government (along with many of its allies) is about to hit us with a global apocalyptic fascist coup.” »

The manifesto includes references to a complex conspiracy involving cryptocurrencies and government collusion, echoing themes of Azzarello’s recent social media activity.

“I hope you know how powerful you are. I wish you more than just luck,” he concluded in the lengthy manifesto.

Man who set himself on fire ‘alive and intubated’ but in critical condition

New York authorities confirmed that Azzarello is alive but in critical condition.

At an afternoon press briefing following the incident, New York Police Chief Jeffrey Maddrey explained: “At 1:30 p.m. this afternoon, we observed a man enter the park, he starts to move his clothes, he opens a bag of books, takes many pieces of paper, he throws the brochures all over the park, then he takes out a container and puts some kind of liquid on himself, and it lights on fire.”

“Civilians, court officers, police, they’re running in the park, they’re trying to put it out, they’re using their coats, they’re using fire extinguishers. Finally, the New York Fire Department has was able to put out the fire,” Maddrey said.

Eventually, New York City Fire Department responders were able to put out the fire, and Azzarello was reportedly “alive and intubated” at the burn center at New York’s Cornell Medical Center.

The shocking scene where the man set himself on fire outside Donald Trump’s trial

The incident occurred just as Judge Juan Merchan adjourned for lunch on the third day of Trump’s fraud trial, near a section of the square where small groups of protesters had been gathering daily since the beginning of the trial on Monday, except for the break on Wednesday.

Live video footage showed Azzarello kneeling on the ground, his arms flailing frantically as flames consumed him. Television commentators reported the distressing scene as several police officers and a civilian rushed towards him.

Amid the chaos, one individual attempted to smother the flames with a coat or blanket while another brandished a fire extinguisher. Azzarello remained motionless after the fire was extinguished and was later attended to by paramedics.

A passerby who witnessed the event expressed shock, saying: “He made noise and threw all these pamphlets. It’s shocking. There are people crying in the park. You simply can’t do anything.

Donald Trump’s trial likely wasn’t a direct motivation for Max Azzarello’s actions

Joseph Kenny, chief of detectives for the New York Police Department, noted that Azzarello’s pamphlets and social media posts suggested that the trial served as a backdrop rather than a direct motivation for his actions.

Kenny described the pamphlet as propaganda-driven, stating: “The pamphlet appears to be propaganda-based, almost like a conspiracy theory type pamphlet, information regarding Ponzi schemes and the fact that some of our establishments Local education institutes are a front for the crowd. »

Max Azzarello called a “conspiracy theorist” by authorities

Kenny revealed that Azzarello, a native of St. Augustine, Florida, had no criminal history in New York and was not previously known to authorities.

Tarik Sheppard, deputy commissioner of the NYPD, stressed that detectives did not perceive Azzarello’s actions as targeting any specific individual or group, including Trump or his supporters.

“We’ve just labeled him a conspiracy theorist, and we’ll go from there, but the investigation will continue,” he said.