Haunting words of conspiracy theorist Max Azzarello claiming he was protester who set himself on fire outside Trump trial are posted online just hours before horror self-immolation - as dozens of his pamphlets are dropped at the scene

The man who set himself on fire outside former president Donald Trump's Manhattan trial has been named as Florida native Maxwell Crosby Azzarello.

Azzarello, 37, is in critical condition after setting himself on fire on Friday as horrified witnesses and CNN cameras watched. 

He described himself as an investigative researcher in a blog post published just hours before he self-immolated.

Azzarello dropped fliers that included a link to the Substack account explaining his actions before he ignited himself.

The blog was titled: 'I have set myself on fire outside the Trump Trial.' 

The conspiracy theorist claimed on the blog post that his 'extreme act of protest' was to draw light to what he called a 'totalitarian con.'

He wrote the government was 'about to hit us with an apocalyptic fascist world coup.'

Azzarello added: 'To my friends and family, witnesses and first responders, I deeply apologize for inflicting this pain upon you. But I assure you it is a drop in the bucket compared to what our government intends to inflict.'

Azarello travelled to New York City a week ago, saying on his Instagram he would be staying at Washington Square Park. 

On his LinkedIn profile, where he seemingly appears in a photo with Bill Clinton, Azzarello wrote: 'We've got a secret fascism problem.'

His profile claims he has been self-employed since March of 2023. 

Azarello received an undergraduate diploma in anthropology and public policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2009.

He went on to get a Master's degree in city and regional planning in Rutgers University in New Jersey in 2012. 

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. 

His complaint reads: 'Each of the defendants has knowingly conspired, participated in, benefitted financially from a decades-long fraudulent scheme.'

In bizarre Instagram posts, Azarello stares at the camera and sings about starting a revolution. 

He seems to have particular disdain for billionaires such as Mark Zuckerberg and Mark Cuban. 

Azarello also often targeted New York Univertsity. 

An hour before he self immolated, Azarello posted a text in his Instagram story that just repeated the words 'I love you.'

Azarello was arrested twice last year for disturbing the peace in Florida.

Shocking video showed the man twitching on the ground while engulfed by flames before another man ran over with a fire extinguisher. 

At the nearby courtroom, a jury of 12 New Yorkers and six alternates was selected in Trump's hush money trial.

Judge Juan M. Merchan, seemingly unaware of what was unfolding outside, told newly selected jurors that opening statements are set for Monday at 9.30am.

Azarello first walked into the park around 1:30 p.m., took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories and spread them around the park before he doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials said.

Authorities said they were also reviewing the security protocols outside the courthouse.

'We are very concerned. Of course we are going to review our security protocols,' Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said.