Who is Alex Jones? The conspiracy theorist who targeted Londonderry’s first black mayor

Writing in two posts on social media website X, formerly Twitter, Mr Jones — who was previously banned from the website for abusive behaviour before his account was restored by Elon Musk in December — said: “The WEF (World Economic Forum) is now installing invaders as mayors in Ireland just like in London.”

His comments were posted to his 2.3 million followers alongside a screenshot of a BBC News NI article of Ms Seenoi-Barrr’s selection as mayor.

The World Economic Forum, which is based in Switzerland, brings together leaders from government, business, and civil society to discuss and address global challenges like climate change, economic inequality and technological disruption.

It’s routinely targeted by conspiracy theorists, like Jones, who falsely claim its members are responsible for pre-planning events to meet a left-wing, pro-immigration agenda.

Jones (50), who hosts the online ‘news’ programme InfoWars, which routinely shares false and misleading information, also shared another post on the website concerning Ms Seenoi-Barr, reposting a video of an interview with her, in which he used the term “replacement migration”.

Replacement migration, also known as the ‘Great Replacement Theory’, is a racist, far-right theory, which claims non-white immigration is strategically planned to replace white populations in Western countries.

Jones’ making remarks about the election of Ms Seenoi-Barr is not the first time he has commented on Irish affairs, having waded into the ongoing debate about immigration in the Republic.

The radio host, who was raised in Dallas, started his career in local broadcasting after being inspired by conspiracy theorist William Cooper.

He founded InfoWars in 1999 which has been frequently called a ‘fake news website’.

Jones is known for promoting unsubstantiated theories about government plots, including the Sandy Hook shooting being a hoax, the September 11 attacks being an inside job, and vaccines causing autism — a claim repeatedly debunked by the scientific community.

The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 saw 28 people, including children as young as six-years-old, killed.

Jones has previously accused the family members of the victims of being actors in a hoax and suggested their children were still alive.

Eight families of the victims later launched legal action against Jones for defamation. In October 2022, he was ordered to pay almost $1bn in damages to the families. InfoWars later filed for bankruptcy.

Other claims Jones has peddled include a theory the US Government was placing chemicals in drinking water which would turn people — and frogs — gay.

He also claimed former presidential candidate and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was behind a child sex trafficking ring being run in a pizza restaurant in Washington in a false theory known as ‘Pizzagate’.

Jones has also previously claimed the US Government was manipulating the weather and it was part of the ‘New World Order’ — a conspiracy theory which claims the world is heading towards a totalitarian government.

News Catch Up: Tuesday 30th April 2024