Convicted felon Roger Stone trended on Twitter on Saturday evening as his longtime friend Donald Trump flew to Nevada for a controversial campaign rally.

Stone, an infamous dirty-trickster political operative, has long advised Trump. The president commuted Stone’s 40-month prison sentence after he was convicted of obstruction of justice, making false statements, and witness tampering.

Stone was in the news after shocking comments he made on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ Infowars network that were reported by the watchdog group Media Matters for America (MMFA).

“Roger Stone is making baseless accusations of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election and is urging Donald Trump to consider several draconian measures to stay in power, including having federal authorities seize ballots in Nevada, having FBI agents and Republican state officials “physically” block voting under the pretext of preventing voter fraud, using martial law or the Insurrection Act to carry out widespread arrests, and nationalizing state police forces,” MMFA reported. “Stone’s efforts are now underway, and his aim appears to be to spread conspiracy theories about voter fraud and call for actions that would likely intimidate potential Joe Biden voters.”

“During his September 10 appearance on The Alex Jones Show, Stone declared that the only legitimate outcome to the 2020 election would be a Trump victory. He made this assertion on the basis of his entirely unfounded claim that early voting has been marred by widespread voter fraud,” MMFA noted. “Stone also urged Trump to consider declaring ‘martial law’ or invoking the Insurrection Act and then using his powers to arrest Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, ‘the Clintons’ and ‘anybody else who can be proven to be involved in illegal activity.’”

The suggestions by Stone are noteworthy because of his role in the so-called “Brooks Brothers Riot” that successfully halted the counting of ballots in Miami during Florida’s 2000 recount.

Stone discussed leading the effort for a 2008 profile in The New Yorker by Jeffrey Toobin that was titled, “The Dirty Trickster.”

“I had walkie-talkies and cell phones, and I was in touch with our people in the building,” Stone said, describing how he managed the riot from a Winnebago. “Our whole idea was to shut the recount down. That was why we were there. We had the frequency to the Democrats’ walkie-talkies and were listening to their communications, but they were so disorganized that we didn’t learn much that was useful.”

“The recount in Miami was never re-started, depriving Gore of his best chance to catch up in the over-all state tally,” Toobin noted.

This generated a great deal of commentary on Twitter, including from Watergate figure John Dean, who has known Stone since the Nixon administration.

“Roger Stone wants Trump to declare himself America’s dictator. Roger is saying what many Republicans crave — a Trump dictatorship. Roger will be one of those provoking violence when Trump loses. Indeed, he will be leading the fruitcake’s protest parade,” Dean tweeted.

Here’s some of what others were saying about Stone:

Roger Stone calls for Trump to seize total power if he loses the election https://t.co/3nN9Uy1Exj

— Rick Hasen (@rickhasen) September 12, 2020

Roger stone is a racist who hates democracy

— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) September 12, 2020

Less than two months from election day, Roger Stone, the President's longtime informal advisor—whose sentence he commuted—is urging Trump to seize power by having federal agents physically block voting. https://t.co/gXbA0ly8G4

— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) September 12, 2020

cc: @FBI
Roger Stone is in violation of Federal code 2385 Advocating overthrow of Government. pic.twitter.com/ynBz4XK9b5

— AdaminChicago (@AdaminChicago) September 12, 2020

https://twitter.com/aravosis/status/1304887599199289345

So, Roger Stone is now calling for Donald to arrest perceived enemies and seize total control of the US if he loses the election.

He should be rotting in jail right now, but was clearly pardoned to help commit more treason against our country.

— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) September 12, 2020

If Trump loses and declares martial law as Roger Stone suggests, it's game over for Trump because America will not go along with the pathetic charade.

— Chip Franklin (@chipfranklin) September 13, 2020

Here's Roger Stone is meeting with the white supremacist Proud Boy militia. Trump's direct connection to a violent right wing group that would be happy to help during a coup.

Sure would be nice if this got widely circulated. pic.twitter.com/vbINYRHtUh

— we'll see (@wellseewellsee) September 12, 2020

For people who think @realDonaldTrump is joking about this, when he asked the Russians to get Hillary's emails, Roger Stone was the man he called to deal with Wikileaks. This is also the man he pardoned so he could crime again for him. https://t.co/L9DcpKxTSz

— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) September 12, 2020

Roger Stone is a shameless authoritarian who's been trying to bring about a GOP dictatorship since Richard Nixon.

— Pé (@4everNeverTrump) September 12, 2020

Roger Stone should be rotting in prison, not out here trying to convince trump to illegally seize power when he loses the election in November. https://t.co/JzSKNeSB78

— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) September 12, 2020

Roger Stone belongs in prison after a jury of his peers convicted him of seven felonies.

Instead, he's on Infowars encouraging Trump to shoot the Constitution in Fifth Avenue because he's going to lose the election.#SaturdayMorning https://t.co/QRLnyf49GO

— Grant Stern (@grantstern) September 12, 2020

So:
-the president's fixer
-who is clearly in contact with the president
-and helped coordinate his 2016 election interference strategy
-who the president pardoned

…is now calling for a literal coup, and we're all going to treat it as a goofy lark?https://t.co/S5Ghmqbbo4

— Will Stancil (@whstancil) September 12, 2020

Roger Stone has a vested interest in keeping Trump in power. The next administration will overrule his illegally obtained commuted sentence AND charge him w/MUCH more serious crimes (ie, Assange). For him, it's insurrection or life in prison (or worse). This REEKS of desperation. https://t.co/9dwMNGc3K2

— Greg Olear (@gregolear) September 12, 2020

Think this is irrelevant drivel? Think again. One of Stone's recommendations to Trump was to declare martial law or invoke the Insurrection Act after the election. Trump has ALREADY picked up on this. Look at what he said on Fox about "insurrection." (4/6) https://t.co/9fb0nqrmaZ

— Marshall Cohen (@MarshallCohen) September 12, 2020

Stone mastered the "dark arts" of politics for decades & calls himself an "agent provocateur." His unethical, illegal activity has been exposed many times. The law finally caught up with him this year — if not for Trump, he would've watched this election from a prison cell. (6/6)

— Marshall Cohen (@MarshallCohen) September 12, 2020