CNN host Piers Morgan just called to discuss his interview last night with Alex Jones, the conservative radio host and gun advocate who went on a tirade against Morgan, gun control legislation, and a litany of government conspiracies.
"He was the best advertisement for gun control you could wish for," Morgan told POLITICO.
"That kind of vitriol, hatred, and zealotry is really quite scary. I didn't feel threatened by him, but I'm concerned that someone like him has that level of influence," Morgan said. "There's got to be a level of discourse that can rise above what happened last night. It was undignified, unedifying."
In what Morgan described as a "big, long rant," Jones -- the man who started the White House petition to deport Morgan -- shouted questions about gun control legislation, gave premonitions of a 1776-like rebellion, and pronounced conspiracy theories -- including his belief that 9/11 was an inside job -- while Morgan tried calmly and in vain to conduct a civil interview.
"Sometimes it's better to let somebody have the rope they need to tie themselves in knots," Morgan told POLITICO, noting that he had been far more vocal and more passionate in previous interviews with gun advocates. According to Morgan, Jones continued ranting straight through the commercial break that divided the two-segment interview.
