Opinion | Alex Jones and the Lie Economy
POLITICOAug 10, 2022
On Thursday, Infowars founder Alex Jones took the stand at his defamation trial in Connecticut over his false claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre, which killed 20 children and six educators, was a hoax. His comments have since been retracted.
Jones testified that he "legitimately thought" the shooting "might have been staged" and that he won't "apologize for it."
Jones has consistently profited from his labors in the Lie Economy and his entire success is based upon taking money from the impressionable via his damaging conspiracy theories. While the ongoing legal battles are a step in the right direction to holding him accountable, unfortunately, the court-ordered payments likely won't amount to anything more than a meagre business expense.
Jones' defamation trial is a concerning enigma. While the Infowars founder has undeniably been a purveyor of disinformation, the First Amendment, a cornerstone of American rights, still exists — no matter how distasteful the speech. Jones is being targeted with the clear goal of preventing others from questioning the establishment.