Alex Jones says ‘form of psychosis’ made him believe events like Sandy Hook massacre were staged

Alex Jones claimed that the false statements he made after the tragic shooting in Sandy Hook were caused by a ‘psychosis’, according to his three hour deposition that was posted on Friday.

Jones made the assertion during the sworn deposition for a defamation case brought against him by families of 10 people who lost relatives in the 2012 shooting.

The Infowars conspiracy theorist asserted that ‘the public doesn’t believe what they’re told anymore’ because of corruption in the government and the ‘mainstream media.’

He added: ‘And I, myself, have almost had like a form of psychosis back in the past where I basically thought everything was staged, even though I’m now learning a lot of times things aren’t staged.’

Alex Jones was defensive about his Sandy Hook remarks as he was deposed for three hours by law firms representing victims’ families who are suing him. He claimed that a ‘form of psychosis prompted a  

The Sandy Hook shooting claimed 26 innocent lives, the majority of which were children’s. 

For years, Jones claimed on his InfoWars podcast that it was a hoax orchestrated by Democrats to trigger a crackdown on gun laws. He also claimed some of the parents who spoke to media outlets afterwards were crisis actors. 

He has since admitted that he does believe it happened but is being sued by the families of some of the children killed for, among other things, emotional distress and defamation. 

 My opinions have been wrong; but they were never wrong consciously to hurt people

As part of their lawsuit, Jones sat for a three hour deposition and a video of it was released on Friday by the law firm leading the case.  

It shows him squirming as he is confronted with some of the claims he has made and apologizing to the victims’ families, saying: ‘If I I had it all over to do, I’d do a better job; but I didn’t do it on purpose be malicious. 

‘I’m not living this everyday. I’m not — and I — and I’m very sad for folks, you know, who have had to go through it and I’m sorry,’ he said, adding that his memory of all of his comments on the subject was not sharp. 

He went on to say he had never ‘consciously tried to lie or hurt people’ but had ‘learned a lot’ throughout the process.

‘I, myself, have almost had like a form of psychosis back in the past where I basically thought everything was staged, even though I’m now learning a lot of times things aren’t staged. 

‘So I think as a pundit, someone giving an opinion, that, you know, my opinions have been wrong; but they were never wrong consciously to hurt people.’ 

He repeatedly said that he did not remember videos he was being shown or could not understand the context of it so could not possibly answer the question. 

‘I talk four hours a day, and I can’t remember what I talked about sometimes a week ago.

‘Sandy Hook has been, in the aggregate, less than one-tenth of 1 percent of what I cover. 

‘And I understand that you’ve been living this and pouring over it constantly.

'I don't remember': Jones said more than once that he could not recall the context of a specific InfoWars clip so could not comment on it

‘I don’t remember’: Jones said more than once that he could not recall the context of a specific InfoWars clip so could not comment on it 

As part of the deposition, Jones watched years-old video footage of himself speaking about the shooting where he suggested that the dead children's parents were crisis actors

As part of the deposition, Jones watched years-old video footage of himself speaking about the shooting where he suggested that the dead children’s parents were crisis actors 

‘I have done almost no preparation for this. It’s very ― it gives me a headache, and I just ― you’re just showing me a bunch of edited tapes,’ he said. 

When asked if he knew the date of the massacre, he said: ‘I don’t know.’ 

Towards the end of the deposition, he said: ‘I could have done a better job, in hindsight, and I’ve apologized for that.’ 

He maintained that elements of the conspiracy theory have merit and says he was merely doing his job by probing the issue. 

‘I was going over why people had — the anomalies — some accurate, some not accurate — why people had questions,’ he said.

The majority of his theories, he admitted, came from Wolfgang Halbig, a conspiracy theorist from Florida.

Jones said that he ‘seemed credible at first’ but became ‘agitated’ over the years. 

They exchanged thousands of emails about the case and Jones had him on InfoWars as a guest. 

‘He seemed very credible anpd put together earlier on, but — I can’t remember the exact number — he seemed to get agitated about four years ago, three years ago,’ he said of Halbig. 

One of the lawyers deposing him called Halbig a ‘raving lunatic’.   

Halbig’s theories include that Avielle Richman, one of the children murdered in the attack, was still alive. 

Her father, who was one of the parents suing Jones, killed himself this week. Jones also tried to justify publishing the address of parent Leonard Pozner, whose son Noah died in the shooting. 

Two women are shown embracing outside the school on December 14, 2012, the day of the shooting when 26 innocent children and staff were murdered

Two women are shown embracing outside the school on December 14, 2012, the day of the shooting when 26 innocent children and staff were murdered 

One of the parents who complains Jones defamed him is Leonard Poezner whose son Noah died in the massacre

One of the parents who complains Jones defamed him is Leonard Poezner whose son Noah died in the massacre 

Jeremy Richman, 49, (right) was found dead from an apparent suicide at his Connecticut office on Monday. Richman and his wife Jennifer Hensel (left) lost their six-year-old daughter Avielle Richman (center) in the Sandy Hook massacre

Jeremy Richman, 49, (right) was found dead from an apparent suicide at his Connecticut office on Monday. Richman and his wife Jennifer Hensel (left) lost their six-year-old daughter Avielle Richman (center) in the Sandy Hook massacre 

‘I mean, the guy’s running an anti-free speech foundation,’ he said, referring to Pozner’s efforts to keep lies about his son’s death off of the internet.

At another stage in the interview, he said did was not mocking the crying parents of children killed when he impersonated them cruelly on his own show and said he was merely ‘showing what they were doing.’  

Wolfgang Halbig, one of Jones' most relied upon sources, was described by one of the lawyers as a 'raving lunatic

Wolfgang Halbig, one of Jones’ most relied upon sources, was described by one of the lawyers as a ‘raving lunatic 

The families allege that Jones knew the false claims about them being crisis actors were lies but he continued to push them because it made him money through advertisers.

He insists this was not the case and that he ‘lost money’ whenever he did a controversial episode because businesses did not want to endorse his views.

‘Sandy Hook, before I was ever sued, lost money. 9/11 Truth lost me almost all my radio stations and lost money.

‘Those type of really controversial stands, people don’t like them; and they have crippled us before these lawsuits. 

‘And, I mean, in fact, we look back and you can see where we’re talking about Sandy Hook and the listeners and everything goes down,’ he said. 

In the past, he defended the discussions on his show as ‘rhetorical hyperbole’ but denied it was defamation.

Jones has argued he was acting as a journalist and has previously cited First Amendment rights.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk