Good Riddance to Alex Jones

In 2022, well-known provocateur, Alex Jones, was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in damages at the conclusion of defamation lawsuits. The cases were brought by relatives of Sandy Hook victims who had suffered due to Jones's insistence that the December 2012 massacre, in which 26 people were killed, did not occur. Jones had "long claimed the shooting was 'completely fake' and a 'giant hoax' perpetrated by opponents of the Second Amendment." As a result of his lies, relatives of the adults and children who were killed experienced the worst kind of harassment. Jones was instrumental in spreading these falsehoods. According to the suits, he profited off the turmoil. 

Jones filed for bankruptcy not long after the verdicts. In late 2023, a judge ruled the bankruptcy "will not shield Infowars host Alex Jones from more than $1.1 billion in damages he owes." And then last week came the news that Infowars, Jones's platform, will be shut down and sold to help pay some of the damages. 

Alex Jones has long been a purveyor of disinformation, misinformation, and conspiracy theories. This is willfully done in order to gain a following. Clearly, given the popularity of his platform and his name, there is an audience. For his part, Jones eventually said he understood that he was to blame for spreading lies about Sandy Hook. He also said during his trial that he believes the massacre did occur, saying "Especially since I've met the parents. It's 100% real." 

In a country that prizes freedom of speech - even hate speech - what are freedom lovers supposed to think of Jones, his words and actions, and the astronomically high dollar amount of the verdict? Suffice it to say, it's complicated. 

Overall, it has been a spiral of destruction. Nearly 12 years ago, 6 adults and 20 young children, all innocent, were taken at the hands of a mentally ill monster whose name I will not repeat. Each death on that day was a tragedy. Each was a violent end to what was and what could have been. Families were shattered. Regardless of where one stands on gun rights or gun control, the general reaction should be the same: utter horror. 

We should not blame Alex Jones for pulling the trigger. Even though it took him far too long to publicly admit it was real, he is not responsible for the destruction on that day. But he is responsible for his related words and actions since. As a fully-functioning adult with a working intellect, he must be held accountable for defaming the Sandy Hook victims and their families. His behavior led to harassment of relatives who were then forced to sustain further mental and emotional injury. 

Freedom of speech is a privilege none of us should take lightly. We don't have to fear in the way citizens of other nations do. Ours is a wealth that is not measurable in physical currency. At the same time, there are certain exceptions to the speech protections we collectively enjoy. Included in the short, narrow list is defamation. Alex Jones was found guilty of defamation. As a result, he was ordered to pay a sum of over $1 billion in restitution. It is reasonable to question the dollar amount, which is excessive and impossible to meet. An argument can be made against the verdict sum. But an argument cannot and should not be made in defense of Alex Jones. 

This is an uncomfortable truth: freedom is not the greatest and highest good. If freedom were the ultimate aim the byproducts of freedom would not matter at all. But they do. As citizens of this country, you are not allowed to do anything you want at any time. There are written, legal boundaries that help maintain societal order. Whether or not the law persuades hearts to make the right decisions is another discussion entirely (Short answer: it doesn't.) It is possible and indeed preferable to protect the rights we all enjoy while admitting there should be and are proper limitations. Words and actions have consequences. 

The defense of Alex Jones as it exists on the right side of the political aisle, I would imagine, largely centers around the fact that he's not a leftist. This should not earn anyone favor, but in this political climate, partisanship is intoxicating. It allows for the worst of human impulses to be overlooked because "at least he's not one of them!" Additionally, one of Jones's main themes surrounding the Sandy Hook massacre had to do with the Second Amendment. Jones's skepticism and blatant falsehoods were draped in "they're trying to take away our guns!" The fear-mongering is the point. The grifting is the point. By alarming his audience to the threat, they were quick to look past the lack of human decency. This made his antics easy to swallow. But distant observers not accustomed to his brand were shocked. 

To some, Alex Jones is a sort of free speech martyr. "If he can be a target, anyone can be a target!" they say, shaking their heads. Well, yes, that's true. Anyone who engages in defamation, an act with a clear definition, can be held accountable. A foolproof way to steer clear of it is to avoid this behavior entirely. That's relatively easy for the average American. It's not all that easy for a conspiracy theorist who delights in and profits off of untruths. He respects neither the subject of his proffered harassment nor the audience that consumes it. A defense is not necessary. 

Alex Jones capitalized on a tragedy because it was good for his brand. There was no regard for the lives connected to it. Jones accomplished a seemingly impossible task: making the December 14, 2012 massacre worse.

Jones's mission of nonsense and harm will continue despite his personal, financial ruin. He behaves as a scapegoat, an innocent party singled out for his bravery. In reality, he is a peddler of cheap, sometimes harmful wares whose actions are mistaken for courage. 

Don't feel sorry for Alex Jones. I can't say if he's learned his lesson or not. But perhaps the rest of us have a better appreciation of the broad freedoms we are fortunate to enjoy. 

Kimberly Ross is a freelance opinion writer who has written political and cultural commentary since 2015. She has bylines at The Federalist, USA Today, The Bulwark, Arc Digital, and ACN Ireland, among others. She was a senior contributor at RedState from 2015-2019. She has been a contributor to Washington Examiner's Beltway Confidential Blog since 2018 and frequently appears in Washington Examiner magazine. She is co-host of The Right Thoughts Podcast. She holds a BA in History with graduate work in political science. She lives with her husband and two energetic sons in the Southern United States. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @SouthernKeeks.