The man who set himself on fire outside former President Donald Trump’s trial in Manhattan has been identified as Florida native Maxwell Crosby Azzarello.
Azzarello, 37, is in critical condition after setting himself on fire Friday as horrified witnesses and CNN cameras looked on.
He described himself as a researcher in a blog post published just hours before his self-immolation.
Azzarello dropped flyers that included a link to the Substack account explaining his actions before going live.
The blog was titled: “I set myself on fire outside the Trump trial.”
The conspiracy theorist claimed in the blog post that his “extreme act of protest” was to expose what he called a “totalitarian scam.”
The man who set himself on fire outside former President Donald Trump’s trial in Manhattan has been identified as Florida native Max Azzarello.
The dramatic moment took place on the fourth day of the former president’s secret trial in Manhattan.
Leaflets found at the scene link to a Substack written by ‘researcher’ Max Azzarello.
He wrote that the government was “about to hit us with an apocalyptic fascist global coup.”
Azzarello added: ‘To my friends and family, witnesses and first responders, I deeply apologize for causing you this pain. But I assure you, it is a drop in the bucket compared to what our government intends to inflict.’
Azarello traveled to New York City a week ago and said on his Instagram that he would stay in Washington Square Park.
On his LinkedIn profile, where he apparently appears in a photo with Bill Clinton, Azzarello wrote: “We have a secret problem with fascism.”
His profile states that he has been self-employed since March 2023.
Azarello received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and public policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2009.
He then earned a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Rutgers University in New Jersey in 2012.
Azarello traveled to New York City a week ago and said on his Instagram that he was staying in Washington Square Park.
An hour before self-immolation, Azarello posted a text to his Instagram story that simply repeated the words “I love you.”
A post published moments before the horrific incident reads: “I set myself on fire outside the Trump trial.”
Last year he filed a lawsuit against the Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, Binance, Peter Thiel, Mark Cuban, Richard Branson and Mark Zuckerberg, among a dozen other entities.
Their complaint reads: “Each of the defendants has conspired, participated in, and knowingly benefited financially from a decades-long fraudulent scheme.”
In bizarre Instagram posts, Azarello stares into the camera and sings about starting a revolution.
An hour before self-immolation, Azarello posted a text to his Instagram Story that simply repeated the words “I love you.”
Azarello was arrested twice last year for disorderly conduct in Florida.
Shocking video showed the man writhing on the ground while engulfed in flames before another man ran over him with a fire extinguisher.
The tragedy unfolded while former President Trump (pictured Friday morning) was inside the courthouse.
Devastated witnesses described hearing screams as the man went up in flames.
Witnesses described the incident as a ‘political protest’ although it was not clear which side they were on.
In the nearby courtroom, a jury of 12 New Yorkers and six alternates was selected in Trump’s hush money trial.
Judge Juan M. Merchán, apparently unaware of what was happening outside, told the newly selected jurors that opening statements are scheduled for Monday at 9:30 am.
Azarello first entered the park around 1:30 p.m., took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories and spread them around the park before dousing himself with an accelerant and setting himself on fire, authorities said.
Authorities said they were also reviewing security protocols outside the courthouse.
‘We are very worried. “Of course we are going to review our security protocols,” said department head Jeffrey Maddrey.