Speaking Thursday on CNN’s “The Source,” political commentator Van Jones argued that President Donald Trump is “just not in sync with where the American people are,” criticizing the tone and timing of Trump’s recent remarks.
Earlier in the day, during an appearance at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, Trump said, “We salute the service members working right now to ensure the world’s number one sponsor of terror, the Islamic Republic of Iran, will never, ever have a nuclear weapon.”
CNN host Kaitlan Collins responded by asking Jones, “When you hear the president’s remarks there, do you think that’s appropriate?”
Jones replied, “I think he was out of touch with the feelings of most Americans today.”
Collins then pointed to Trump’s activity on social media, noting, “There wasn’t really any explanation, but he posted the video that he had shared on social media on January 6. He reposted it. This is the video for people who don’t remember, it was where he’s telling the rioters to go home and he’s saying, we have to have peace. Go home. We love you. You’re very special. To the people who ransacked the Capitol.”
Jones said the repost struck him as jarring, especially given the solemnity of the day. “I was kind of, you know, drawn by that. I don’t understand. So these are people who are not patriotic, who are not heroes, who are traitors, who are treasonous, who attacked our capital and you’re reminding us of this on a day when we should be celebrating the actual patriots and the heroes of 9/11. So again, I just think sometimes the president is just not in sync with where the American people are. I don’t think there’s a single person who woke up and said, you know what I want to talk about today? January 6. Who does that?”