Megyn Kelly Says Alex Jones Isn't Going Away, But He Should

Megyn Kelly's interview with Alex Jones, conspiracy theorist and host of InfoWars, aired on her NBC show, Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly, on June 18, following weeks of controversy and protests from people who believe she was giving Jones gives a platform for hatred.

Kelly, who decided to air the interview despite the public outcry, opened the show with the following message:

"Some thought we shouldn’t broadcast this interview because his baseless allegations aren't just offensive, they're dangerous. But here’s the thing: Alex Jones isn’t going away. Over the years his YouTube channel has racked up 1.3 billion views. He has millions of listeners and the ear of our current president."

She also tweeted the below message on June 13, five days before the broadcast:

While Jones may not be planning to pull the plug on his radio show, which has been around since 1999, it doesn't mean he shouldn't — and he should be treated as such.

Throughout the nearly 20-minute interview, Kelly asked Jones to reflect on statements he's made on the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, his beliefs surrounding the absurd Pizzagate scandal, his bizarre feud with yogurt company Chobani, and his ties to President Donald Trump.

While discussing each instance, Kelly noted that Jones had invoked a sometimes violent reaction from followers — take, for example, the Florida woman who was sentenced to prison earlier this month after harassing the parents of a child murdered at the Newtown, Connecticut school — and that his words hold more weight than he may realize.

It's important to note that Kelly didn't appear to ask Jones about his claim that the massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando — notably one of the worst mass shootings in the history of the United States — was also a hoax.

Though Kelly pointed out that Jones has read apologies regarding some of the actions on his show, Sunday's broadcast made some things painfully apparent: His apologies aren't genuine, he doesn't take credit for inciting hostility, and he doesn't plan to stop spouting harmful conspiracy theories on his show.

Initially, I thought I'd report about the rapport between Jones and Kelly, covering his claims of "playing Devil's Advocate" and addressing Kelly's almost heartless request that the parent of a Sandy Hook victim share "a message" with Jones, keeping in mind the interview would air on Father's Day. But after watching the footage of a red-faced Jones and a member of his staff touting their successes, all I could do was grow angrier and angrier.

Jones doesn't deserve our compassion. He doesn't deserve our attention, no matter how often our Commander-in-Chief calls him to chat about politics and the state of the nation. And, most importantly, Jones doesn't deserve to have a platform.