Watch: Sunny Hostin And Ana Navarro Grill Van Jones On 'The View' For Being A 'Political Opportunist'
Political commentator Van Jones appeared on The View this morning (Feb. 5) to discuss a documentary he executive produced with Meghan McCain called The Reunited States. The other co-hosts, however, didn’t let him get away with just promoting his film: he was also held accountable for his past statements about former President Donald Trump.
Former federal prosecutor Sunny Hostin began the conversation coolly saying, “Van, you do spend a lot of time threading the middle and trying to unite people, but there are those who accuse you of being a political opportunist—a chameleon, so to speak—who provided racial cover for former, disgraced, twice impeached President Trump.”
She then quoted Jones praising Trump several times, including that instance when he said Trump has done “good stuff”’ for the Black community.
Hostin continued, “Yet just recently you cried on CNN when Joe Biden was elected the 46th president, and you said it’s easier to be a parent now, character matters now, truth matters. You even mentioned George Floyd and said a lot of people felt they couldn’t breathe. People in the Black community don’t trust you anymore. What is your response?”
Jones, 52, stammered and eventually said, “I don’t think that’s true.” He then listed his accomplishments as a response to Hostin’s confrontation.
Later, Hostin’s guest co-host Ana Navarro, a former Republican, also presented him with a slew of questions. She reminded Jones of how Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner allegedly tried to get them fired from CNN.
“All of a sudden, you show up working with nepotism Barbie and nepotism Ken,” she said, referencing Kushner and Ivanka Trump, “and showing up in pictures with Eric Trump and Candace Owens. So I think there are people who wonder, and I’m one of them, how did that evolution happen?”
Navarro continued, “How did you go from being this very principled critic of the Trump administration as I was to all of a sudden, being in the White House celebrating with them?”
Again, Jones tried to list his resume but stopped short of answering her direct questions.
“95% of what I said on CNN — I wouldn’t even be on CNN as a Democratic critic of the Republican Party. But when they do something right, I’m going to say it, and then I’ll get beat up for saying it! And I don’t get the 95% credit,” he said.
Navarro continued, “But you took smiling pictures with Candace Owens.”
Among the many things Owens has said, she once stated white supremacy is “not a problem” and made vile comments about George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.
Navarro added, “Do you not regret that? Do you not see that’s giving her legitimacy? You don’t regret taking smiling pictures with Candace Owens? How does that help the issue?”
The show had to go to a break before Van Jones could respond.
Watch the exchange below:
