Owen Shroyer rips Trump’s 'worst speech yet' after pardon, touts MAGA split
Former Infowars host criticizes year-end address as base appears to turn, says consequences loom for Trump and his circle
Owen Shroyer, a longtime right-wing media figure and former Infowars host, issued a sharp online rebuke of Donald Trump’s year-end address, calling the speech “Trump’s worst speech yet” after the former president pardoned Shroyer for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Shroyer, who left Infowars in September following a dispute with founder Alex Jones, posted a series of comments on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, arguing that Trump opened by attacking Biden and that the president failed to deliver a compelling case for his governance.
In one early post, Shroyer wrote, “This is Trump’s worst speech yet. He has to start by bashing Biden because he needs a fall guy. He then talks about stopping political corruption, 0 arrests.” He repeated the sentiment in subsequent posts, asserting that Trump claimed to have beaten special interests but that they had purchased the presidency instead. He also claimed that the speech sounded as if it were 2024 rather than the current year, remarking that Trump “isn’t as comfortable or charismatic as he was last night.”
In a longer video accompanying the posts, Shroyer criticized the president on the administration’s handling of multiple issues, especially the economy. He said the talking points Trump offered “can just easily be disproven,” adding that “all of that is just slop.” He contended, “No, the U.S. economy is not doing great. You can’t lie your way through that. You can’t tell Americans that the economy is great as if they don’t know they’re financially struggling themselves, as if they don’t know that.” He further noted that Trump appeared to lack his usual gravitas, stating that “he was not his usual confident self. He seemed to be speed-reading. The charisma was gone. The aura was gone, the swagger was gone, and the message was stale. There was nothing new.”
Shroyer also suggested the political moment signaled a turning point for Trump’s inner circle, hinting that others could follow FBI deputy director Dan Bongino’s lead and depart. “Things are really starting to get real for this administration and for Trump,” he said, implying that a broader realignment within the MAGA world could be underway. His comments reflect a broader pattern among some high-profile right-wing voices who have become vocal critics of Trump’s post-indictment messaging.
Shroyer’s criticisms are consistent with his recent career moves. He left Infowars in September after a public dispute with Alex Jones, who he said had described him as “too anti-Trump.” Jones denied the claim, and the public airing underscored a widening rift within the influential online movement. In a Wednesday broadcast accompanying his posts, Shroyer warned that the MAGA coalition could be fracturing, telling followers that the moment marked “the official split.”
The assertions about Trump’s speech, and the broader implications for his political coalition, were reported by HuffPost, which summarized Shroyer’s remarks and the surrounding online discourse. The piece noted that Shroyer used the occasion to reiterate long-standing grievances about political corruption and media coverage, while also predicting further divisions within Trump’s inner circle and the movement at large. Trump’s year-end address, which touched on the economy and immigration while renewing attacks on President Joe Biden, provided the backdrop for Shroyer’s critique and the broader debate among right-wing commentators about the strength and direction of the MAGA coalition.
The episode highlights the ongoing political friction inside conservative circles as Trump seeks to consolidate support ahead of potential 2026 or 2028 electoral considerations. For his part, Trump has continued to push his agenda on the economy and immigration, while frequently returning to attacks on Biden and other perceived adversaries. Supporters view his rhetoric as a rallying call; critics view it as a sign of waning momentum and growing divisions within his base.
As observers weigh the implications of Shroyer’s public rebuke, the larger question remains whether Trump’s strategy can sustain broad unity within a faction that has shown a readiness to splinter over leadership style, messaging, and political calculations. The exchange underscores how the post-presidency phase of Trump’s political influence is increasingly shaped by a new generation of media voices, who are not shy about challenging him when they believe the messaging falters.
The episode’s reception among right-wing audiences remains mixed, with some emphasizing loyalty to the former president, and others signaling that a more diverse coalition will require new, compelling messaging to maintain political relevance in a shifting landscape. As the political calendar moves forward, pundits will watch whether the tension within Trump’s orbit translates into tangible shifts at the ballot box or remains contained within online forums and media platforms.