A prominent YouTuber from the Dallas area was booted from the Republican National Convention on July 16 after an attention-grabbing interruption during a live interview.
Alex Stein, known for the show Prime Time with Alex Stein, caused quite a disturbance during Piers Morgan’s interview with Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks.
The incident unfolded during a video interview between Piers Morgan and Uygur when Stein abruptly interrupted, inserting himself into the frame and loudly proclaiming, “Cenk is transgender, Cenk is transgender.”
The disruption immediately drew reactions from both Uygur and Morgan. While the interview was still live, Uygur referred to Stein as one of the “lunatic Republicans” at the convention.
Footage of the incident quickly circulated on social media, garnering millions of views and sparking a widespread online debate about the boundaries of free speech in the political arena.
“It’s kind of sad that was the way I had to make my cameo on Piers Morgan, hijacking the stream, but that’s just my style,” Stein told The Dallas Express.
Stein later addressed the incident in a video posted on his YouTube channel.
In the video, Stein approaches Uygur at the convention to offer an apology. Uygur explains to Stein the inappropriate nature of his interruption and emphasizes the need to respect others’ broadcasts.
Stein maintained a calm and comedic demeanor throughout the encounter, suggesting that his interruption could have created a viral moment for the two. However, after Stein tried to explain his intentions to Uygur, he was quickly escorted out of the RNC.
“I didn’t think he would take it so personally, but now realizing that he said at one point that bestiality should be legalized, that makes me sick as an animal lover. So now him and I have a little bit of heat, and he got me kicked out,” Stein told DX.
Seen on video being walked out by Secret Service officials after the conversation with Uygur, Stein asked nearby security officials why he was being removed, but he received no answer. Stein confirmed to DX that he had yet to receive an official reason for his removal from the convention.
Stein spoke to Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) outside of the convention.
In response to Stein’s booting, Issa said, “We’re supposed to be a country of free speech, and the Secret Service is out of line anytime they stifle free speech. We were just complaining about how the president got shot by inept failure by the Secret Service under this administration.”
As previously reported by DX, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned earlier this month following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
According to documents from The Oversight Project, Cheatle informed the agency’s staff via email about her decision. Her resignation came just after she gave shaky testimony before the House Oversight Committee about the security lapses that potentially led to the attack.
“[The Secret Service] were incompetent. You know they try to stop Alex Stein, but they can’t stop a shooter they were warned about,” Stein said.
“It’s also important to give a special thanks to and recognize Congressman Issa for being a true proponent of free speech,” he concluded.