Social media has been roiling since the announcement yesterday of far-right conspiracy theorist and InfoWars founder Alex Jones' nearly billion-dollar verdict in the latest round of lawsuits brought against him by families of victims of the Sandy Hook massacre.
And after a humiliating appearance at a Trump rally and a bruising debate with his Democratic Senate race opponent Tim Ryan both went viral this week, Ohio Republican JD Vance was probably relieved to be wiped off the news cycle by a bigger story.
But that doesn't seem to be how things have shaken out, as Jones' verdict has resurfaced a trolling tweet Vance posted last year praising Jones as a "reputable source" of news and information.
\u201cJD Vance said Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is a \u201creputable source of information.\u201d\u201d— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen) 1665605958
Vance's tweet, posted last September, is still live on his profile despite the Jones verdict and the uproar that has ensued.
\u201cAlex Jones is a far more reputable source of information than Rachel Maddow.\n\nOne of them is censored by the regime. The other promoted by it.\u201d— J.D. Vance (@J.D. Vance) 1630858913
The tweet, which quotes a tweet in which controversial journalist and far-right darling Glenn Greenwald slammed MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, reads:
"Alex Jones is a far more reputable source of information than Rachel Maddow."
"One of them is censored by the regime. The other promoted by it."
None of that is true.
Jones has been banned from most social media apps for posting misinformation, especially about the COVID-19 pandemic, as social media companies, which are private corporations and are not arms of the government or its "regime." As such they are allowed to do as they see fit under the capitalist system Republicans like Vance and Jones worship.
More importantly, Jones' show InfoWars has continued to run unabated throughout his various social media bans.
Of course, the truly ludicrous part of his tweet is the "reputable source" part. Jones himself admitted on the stand during a previous trial in Texas that he lied about Sandy Hook, calling the massacre "100 percent real" and reneging on the very claims that landed him in court.
Jones has just been ordered to pay nearly a billion dollars, before attorneys' fees, to families of eight Sandy Hook victims and that of an FBI agent whom Jones accused of being actors hired by Democrats to stage the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre as part of a ploy to seize Americans' guns. The verdict is on top of the $50 million verdict a Texas jury ruled against Jones in August.
The families of Sandy Hook victims have been besieged by death threats, rape threats, and harassment by Jones' unhinged viewers for a decade, including incidents in which Jones' supporters showed up at their homes.
Vance's resurfaced tweet about Jones is only the latest humiliation Vance has endured during his run for Senate as a MAGA Republican.
During a recent Trump rally in Ohio at which Vance appeared, Trump himself mocked Vance onstage as "kissing my a**" because he "wants my support so much."
His opponent, Tim Ryan, immediately turned this into an attack on both social media and on the debate stage, using it as evidence that Vance is an empty suit who will simply do Trump's and other Republicans' bidding instead of actually governing.
Ryan has now done the same with Vance's support of Jones, creating a new campaign ad around Vance's comments on the matter.
\u201cJD Vance\ud83e\udd1dAlex Jones\n\nFriends \u2019til the end.\n\nhttps://t.co/9fIGCt1Jrb\u201d— Tim Ryan (@Tim Ryan) 1665681159
And on Twitter, people are making sure his ludicrous endorsement of Jones doesn't go unnoticed.
\u201cJD Vance believed Alex Jones was being silenced. It is not silencing it is consequences.\u201d— Geoffrey M. Wardle (@Geoffrey M. Wardle) 1665622120
\u201cStarting //// going (JD Vance & Alex Jones edition)\u201d— Molly Jong-Fast (@Molly Jong-Fast) 1665606667
\u201cHey, Ohio! Is this who you are?\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1665606596
\u201cWho else remembers when MAGA lunatic JD Vance said Alex Jones is a more reputable source of information than Rachel Maddow? I do.\n\nRachel Maddow actually won a defamation lawsuit brought against her by propaganda outlet OANN and they had to pay her/MSNBC $10M. Boom. \ud83e\udd23\u201d— Ricky Davila (@Ricky Davila) 1665613118
\u201cJust your occasional reminder that JD Vance considers Alex Jones to be a reliable source of information.\u201d— Santiago Mayer (@Santiago Mayer) 1665612819
\u201cSince @JDVance1 hasn't deleted the tweet below, we can safely assume that he still stands by the statement that Alex Jones is more credible than Rachel Maddow.\n\nJD Vance is hot trash.\u201d— Bryan \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8for\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Bryan \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8for\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1665663130
\u201cOhio Republican Senate candidate JD Vance endorses the lies of Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.\n\nTells you everything you need to know about Vance and the Republican Party.\u201d— Keith Boykin (@Keith Boykin) 1665664643
\u201cJD Vance says to trust Alex Jones and not care about Ukraine.\n\nWith judgment like that in the US Senate, who needs enemies?\u201d— Heath Mayo (@Heath Mayo) 1665606434
\u201cJD Vance candidate for the Senate in Ohio referred to Alex Jones as a far more reliable source of info than Rachel Maddow. Jones who denied the mass murder at Sandy Hook! Republicans have become the voice of evil in America. Please elect Tim Ryan.\u201d— Ptozer207 (@Ptozer207) 1665665514
\u201cJD Vance stanning Alex Jones is the latest low point in Republican evil, narrowly edging out anencephalic Tuberville's ostentatiously racist comments on crime a few days ago.\u201d— Airbag Moments \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \ud83c\udf3b\ud83d\ude37\ud83d\udc89 (@Airbag Moments \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \ud83c\udf3b\ud83d\ude37\ud83d\udc89) 1665668126
Despite Vance's various humiliations, he and Ryan are polling at essentially a tie for the open Ohio Senate seat.
