Alex Jones responds to The Onion Buying InfoWars

Alex Jones remained defiant on Thursday as he reacted to the news that The onion had bought its Infowars platform.

Infowars and most of its assets hit the auction block on Wednesday, leaving Jones waiting to see if he will be allowed to remain on its online platforms or face removal.

The oniona satirical news publication, won the bid for Infowars in part thanks to the support of families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims, to whom Jones owes more than $1 billion in defamation judgments. Among the assets The onion acquired is Infowars’ website, social media accounts and its studio in Austin, Texas.

In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter), Jones said Thursday that he would stay in the studio until “they come in here and turn off the lights.”

He then asked his followers to tune into his AJN Live podcast before saying that “this is a total attack on free speech.”

Alex Jones’ bankruptcy

The private auction was part of Jones’ personal bankruptcy proceedings following nearly $1.5 billion in defamation judgments against him. Those rulings came after a judge and juries ordered the conservative host to compensate the families of the 20 children and six adults killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which Jones repeatedly claimed was part of a staged scam that involved crisis actors.

Earlier this week, Jones said on his show that auctioneers were in the building that day to mark down items like tables and microphones. He also promised to continue broadcasting in a different format if his Infowars site ends up being shut down.

Jones fought to preserve Infowars

On his show Wednesday, Jones revealed that he has partnered with a group that made a bid, though he did not share further details. He expressed concern that the administrator might overlook bids from his followers. Earlier this week he claimed – without providing evidence – that the bidding process worked “right”.

He warned that a sale to opponents could lead to an immediate shutdown. In preparation, Jones said he has already established a new studio, websites and social media accounts as backup.

According to Jones, if adversaries acquire Infowars’ assets and shut it down, he would “just drive down the road” to broadcast from a new studio he has prepared as an alternative.

Jones, who has since admitted that the Sandy Hook shooting was real, is currently appealing the libel convictions against him.

This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.