The demise of Alex Jones, the patriarch of all great conspiracy theories, is slowly approaching. For years, the far-right fantasist has been at the cradle of big lies that he unleashes into the world, no doubt in his vocal cords — and without worrying about the damage they cause.
In his popular radio show InfoWars he said the US government is putting chemicals in drinking water that make frogs gay. That Hillary Clinton runs a child prostitution network from a pizza joint. That the government creates tornadoes that lead to deaths.
Now it looks like one of his biggest conspiracies is about to end. In 2012, a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School killed 26 people, including 20 children.
“A hoax,” Jones said on his internet platform InfoWars, that shooting was orchestrated. The massacre was allegedly staged by the anti-gun lobby. Those kids lying there dead on the floor weren’t real, their parents actors.
Several families of victims filed a lawsuit against Jones for defamation. He was charged in October. The thirteen prosecutors refuse to settle with Jones. In August it will become clear how much he has to pay the families, that amount may run into millions. Early last week InfoWars, which is full of videos, talk shows and articles about conspiracies, is on the brink of bankruptcy. In all likelihood, Jones hopes to escape the payment of damages in this way.
Branch Davidians
Long before Alexander Emric Jones (48) became known as the most paranoid man in the United States, he grew up in a suburb of Dallas, Texas, as the son of a housewife and dentist. As a teenager he falls under the spell of None Dare Call It Conspiracy, a 120-page booklet from 1971, which claims that bankers, not politicians, rule the world. There would be a ‘New World Order’: a conglomerate that would hold all the reins, made up of corporations, businessmen and politicians.
Jones sees that idea reinforced when the American police storm the complex of the sect Branch Davidians in Waco, a two-hour drive from his hometown. During a weeks-long investment and fire, 76 cult members are killed. The FBI’s crackdown proves to Jones once again that the government has evil intentions towards the people.
On the second anniversary of the Waco Siege, in April 1995, a massive bombing takes place in Oklahoma City, killing 168. The perpetrator, ex-soldier Timothy McVeigh, calls his act a reaction to the massacre in Texas. Jones thinks the government is behind the bombing and launches his media adventure.
On TV and radio, the twenty-something shares his first conspiracies about the New World Order and over the years he grows into the country’s greatest conspiracy theorist. His distinctive deep voice, which seems to contain a growl, can be heard in millions of cars and living rooms across the country.
“People think I’m depressed and angry, but it’s the exact opposite,” he once told the magazine Rolling Stone† “My life is a love letter to humanity.”
Toothpaste against corona
Jones builds a conspiracy empire with his garish and often factless opinions, making millions of dollars from the products he sells on his site. The outbreak of the corona pandemic makes him even richer. He sells “Nano-Silver” toothpaste that is said to protect people from the virus. His web store offers essential oils, herbal shampoos and survival kits that cost more than 2,000 euros.
Jones preaches doom. “Something big is coming, whether it’s the coronavirus or something else. Now it’s time to get ready and I recommend people buy their shelf-stable foods from InfowarsStore.com.” On his site alone, Jones earned about 152 million euros in three years.
In 2018, Facebook, YouTube and later Twitter banned Jones from their platforms for his hate speech and abusive comments. As a result, he loses a large part of his supporters.
Sandy Hook Primary School
During the trial, Jones comes back from his Sandy Hook hoax. The massacre would have happened anyway. Psychosis he had in the past would have given him the idea that ‘everything was staged’. He had never intended, he said, to “hurt people.”
Last week Alex Jones showed himself in his online talk show from his two sides that best summarize him: as a conspiracy dealer and as a wounded victim of the system.
“They want us under lock and key because of our statements,” he said. “If you want us to continue doing this in the future, you should head over to InfoWarsStore.com right now,” especially those listeners who have never seen “a book, or a movie, or a T-shirt, or supplement, or have purchased an air filter or water filter.”
THREE TIMES ALEX JONES
Even before former President Trump spoke about stolen elections, Jones was questioning election results. In his talk show, Jones gives many eulogies on the former president.
A lawyer for Jones once called him a “character” who puts on some sort of “play.” His ex-wife Kelly called Jones an unstable person.
Jones has also claimed that Barack Obama founded terror group IS and that juice cartons “make children gay.”