Van Jones, the CNN political commentator and outspoken critic of President Trump, has come around to admiring POTUS and Twitter can’t believe it, making him a trending topic who is getting panned on social media.
Asked by Anderson Cooper for his reaction to the standing ovation for the widow of a Navy Seal killed in action during Tuesday’s address to Congress, Jones said: “He became President of the United States in that moment, period.”
Jones went on to add that Trump “did something extraordinary,” and that people who wanted POTUS to remain a “divisive cartoon” should be worried after the speech.
“There are a lot of people who have a lot of reasons to be frustrated with him, to be fearful of him, to be mad — but that was one of the most extraordinary moments you have ever seen in American politics,” Jones said of Trump honoring Carryn Owens, whose husband Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan” Owens was killed in a recent Yemen raid.
Others saw it differently, with one user tweeting, “Van Jones just declared Trump became Presidential after he cynically exploited a woman he made a widow.”
"He became President of the United States in that moment, period" @VanJones68 on @POTUS honoring Navy Seal widow https://t.co/uZtnj0OLgs
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) March 1, 2017
Jones has emerged as one of the leading voices calling out Trump’s contradictions and conflicts in the post-election media landscape. His comments on election night, describing the result as a “white-lash” caused a sensation.
Jones also predicted “a horrendous abuse of power” by Trump, but now he’s changed his tune.
Check out some of the Twitter reaction:
https://twitter.com/American1765/status/836936946702131203
https://twitter.com/TheMarkRomano/status/836934908287266816
.@VanJones68 Trump decided OVER DINNER to send our Seals into a mission he knew nothing about…How dare you normalize & praise him.
— Sheila C. (@SheilaNJ) March 1, 2017
Attempting to elevate his credibility as objective journalist&elevate own career .@VanJones68 does huge disservice to legitimate #Resistance
— Mile Hi Hoser (@Mil3hih0s3r) March 1, 2017
https://twitter.com/FrenchieCat/status/836891813629800451
I must speak about Van Jones as well. Most of the time he is on it, but tonight he was waaayy out in the wilderness somewhere. "Van Jones"
— JᎬANᏆNᎬ (@eb0ni_J) March 1, 2017
What do the Russians have on Van Jones?
— Frank Conniff (@FrankConniff) March 1, 2017
That was one hell of a deflection tonight if it fooled Van Jones. Fool me once.. ok Van, that was your once.
— Steve Redmond (@sjredmond) March 1, 2017
Van Jones PRAISING the #JointAddress speech. He said @realDonaldTrump became President tonight.
You're a month late, but we'll take it.— PolitiSlap ❤️🇺🇸 (@PolitiSlap) March 1, 2017
Even @CNN's @VanJones68 praised it. What, no "whitelash"?!? Lefties finally discovered that Trump's a populist, a centrist.#JointAddress
— Larry Elder (@larryelder) March 1, 2017
Van Jones: Trump became President of the United States tonight.
I disagree. He won't become President until we have answers on Russia/Taxes
— David Yankovich (@DavidYankovich) March 1, 2017
Seriously @VanJones68 ?? He became 'President' by exploiting a grieving widow?? I think you've lost your mind. Period. @CNN
— Kimberly (@Kimberly_Mck) March 1, 2017
JONES can take his VAN full of deplorable normalizing cow shit and drive it straight off a tall cliff @CNN Van Jones
— Super Obama (@Bfrugal1) March 1, 2017
https://twitter.com/Real_Aldo_Raine/status/836945357066145792
Surprised and saddened to hear @VanJones68 tonight. The media got played tonight. And now media normalizes someone who can read a prompter
— Globalflyguy (@NYflightguy) March 1, 2017
Van Jones just declared Trump became Presidential after he cynically exploited a woman he made a widow.
— schooley (@Rschooley) March 1, 2017
So did @CNN use Van Jones to make Trump stop bashing them?
Trump reads teleprompter w/o being nasty & now he is presidential?#FarFetched
— Democracy vs Autocracy. VOTE 🇺🇸 (@bingwisdom) March 1, 2017