Over the weekend, Hillary Clinton called out Donald Trump’s allegiance to the batsh*t crazy conspiracy theories of Alex Jones. She did in “Briefing” spot that highlighted how Trump repeated theories that were posed by Jones. The spot began with Jones telling his audience how the Sandy Hook massacre was faked by the government and never really happened: “Sandy Hook is a synthetic completely fake with actors, in my view, manufactured.” Jones made this preposterous statement in a January 13, 2015 InfoWars episode.
The Daily Beast spoke with Mark Barden — whose son, Daniel, was among the 20 children killed in the massacre — about the willingness of Trump to spread Jones’ theories (including the claim that Hillary Clinton was on drugs at the last debate) to the mainstream. Naturally, Barden is absolutely revolted: “The Republican presidential nominee of the United States is being advised by a delusional sociopath. It speaks for itself,” he said, “What else can you say about that? It’s disgusting.” The rest of the interview is heartbreaking, as Barden reveals the very real and continuing nightmare that he lives:
“This is almost four years now, so for everyone else it’s kind of ancient history. But our particular journey through this has not been one of creeping in and out of consciousness. Every second of the day I am forced to consider the fact that my sweet little Daniel is gone and he’s gone forever, and he’s gone because someone shot him to death. Those are the recurring themes that I live with every waking and sleeping moment. It’s unrelenting.”
Several Sandy Hook families recently saw a setback in the form of a dismissed lawsuit against gun manufacturer Remington Outdoor Co. However, Barden has now dedicated his life to advocacy. He and other grieving parents formed a nonprofit organization called Sandy Hook Promise, which has resolved to “to honor all victims of gun violence by turning our tragedy into a moment of transformation by providing programs and practices that protect children from gun violence.” The program also works with educators, parents, and students to recognize signs of a trouble person and help these people before a preventable tragedy strikes. The org has reportedly trained one million students since the 2012 massacre.
Stepping back from the emotional nature of Barden’s words, Trump’s adherence to Jones’ theories says a lot. It must be noted that Trump is not officially advised by Jones, who also seems surprised at how Trump’s paying attention to him. He is thrilled, of course, and so the world waits for Trump to start repeating other insane theories. Will Trump soon claim the Oklahoma City bombing was “an inside job” or that chemicals in the water turn frogs gay? Considering the weirdness of this election … maybe.
(Via The Daily Beast)