Alex Jones defiant over $965m damages to Sandy Hook families: ‘Ain’t no money’

Many people across the US have praised a verdict against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones that will force the rightwing online personality to pay almost $1bn to those affected by his lies about the Sandy Hook shooting being a hoax.

But Jones himself has maintained a defiant attitude that he does not have the money to pay.

On Wednesday, a judge ordered the Infowars host to pay $965m in damages to the families of Sandy Hook victims. The damages will be divided among 15 plaintiffs who sued Jones for defamation as apart of a Connecticut lawsuit, with amounts ranging from $28m to $120m.

In a separate Texas lawsuit against Jones in August, a jury awarded almost $50m to the parents of another child who was killed in the Sandy Hook massacre, a 2012 mass shooting in which 20 children and six adults were killed.

Jones was not physically in the most recent courtroom, but reacted to the verdict on his Infowars show. Jones laughed and mocked the amounts that were awarded to the various individuals.

During his broadcast, Jones called the trial "all made up", reported the Associated Press, encouraging his audience to donate money to his company and buy its products to offset the damages owed.

Jones has routinely claimed that he does not have the money to pay the large damages that he now owes. "Ain't going to be happening. Ain't no money," he said on Wednesday during his show.