Lawrence B. Jones | |
|---|---|
 Jones in 2018 | |
| Born | Lawrence Billy Jones III (1992-12-10)December 10, 1992 (age 32) Garland, Texas, U.S. |
| Education | University of North Texas (BA) |
| Occupation(s) | Radio host, television host, commentator |
| Employer | Fox News |
| Political party | Libertarian |
| Website | https://www.lawrencejones.com/ |
Lawrence Billy Jones III (born December 10, 1992) is an Americanlibertarian political commentator, author and a current co-host of the weekday edition ofFox & Friends on theFox News Channel.[1] He served as host ofLawrence Jones Cross Country from 2022–2023. In September 2023, Jones, 30, became the youngest Black co-host on cable news.[1]
Jones was raised by his mother, Tameria, and father, Lawrence Jones II. Jones has stated that he served as "youth mayor" ofGarland, Texas, in 2009.[2] He graduated fromGarland High School in 2011[3] and studied political science and criminal justice at theUniversity of North Texas.[4][5]
Jones was hired as student advocate in theGarland Independent School District, becoming their youngest employee.[3][6] When he was 19, he ran for a seat on the school board for this district, but lost.[2] He served two years as a board member for Dallas County Child Welfare[clarification needed].[7][8] In 2012, Jones was on the Garland Parks and Recreation Board.[9]In 2013, he was named Activist of the Year byFreedomWorks.[7] That year, he went undercover forProject Veritas, the conservative organization founded byJames O'Keefe known for publishing deceptively edited videos,[10] for the purpose of exposing allegations of fraud among vendors who enrolled individuals in the healthcare marketplace of thePatient Protection and Affordable Care Act.[2]
In April 2015, Jones created a fundraiser forMemories Pizza, a pizza shop inIndiana that closed after receiving backlash when its owners said they would refuse to cater a gay wedding if asked. The fundraiser raised $844,000 for the family, which was used in part for bills and partly donated to charity and the owner's church.[11][12]
He hostsThe Lawrence Jones Show onTheBlaze Radio Network.[citation needed] He was previously a contributor to conservative television showDana, hosted byDana Loesch onBlaze Media.[13][14]
In February 2018, he becameeditor-in-chief of the conservative websiteCampus Reform.[15][16]
In 2020, Jones considered himself libertarian.[5]
In May 2018, Jones claimed onFox News that, becauseESPN personalityJemele Hill was unemployed, she therefore did not deserve a journalism award from theNational Association of Black Journalists, and that the NABJ was seeking to "applaud unemployment."[16]
In April 2019, Jones wore a small bulletproof vest during a Fox News segment where he was at theMexico–United States border inLaredo, Texas. He was subsequently mocked online, and a number of journalists who routinely cover the border region said they have never used protective gear in the course of the reporting. In his next appearance on Fox News, Jones wore a larger vest and said that theU.S. Border Patrol had told him to wear a bulletproof vest for his safety.[17][18][19]
In July 2019, Jones blamed theObama Administration for a lenientplea deal that sex offender and accused child sex traffickerJeffrey Epstein received in 2008, incorrectly asserting that Obama was president at the time.[20]
In October 2019, Jones relocated toNew York City after it was announced that he had been promoted to a regular substitute host and co-host role at Fox News.[21] In 2022, he began hostingLawrence Jones Cross Country on the network, in the former time slot ofJustice with Judge Jeanine.[22]
At the end of April 2023, Jones was selected to hostFox News Tonight for the week of May 1, the 8pm time slot on Fox News, serving as a temporary replacement forTucker Carlson on filling the cancelledTucker Carlson Tonight slot, following Fox's decision to part ways with Carlson.[23][24] Jones helmed the program again for the week of June 26, 2023.
On September 14, 2023, Fox News announced that Jones had been named a permanent co-host ofFox & Friends, and his weekend program was replaced with a program hosted byBrian Kilmeade.[25]
Project Veritas is known for publishing undercover sting footage that has been deceptively edited to reflect badly on organizations and people it disagrees with.