After a year of criticizing President Trump, CNN pontificator Van Jones is singing Trump’s praises on his empathy for prison reform.
On Friday, Jones sat on a White House panel to discuss prison reform. It was the same meeting rapper Meek Mill backed out of after talking to rapper Jay Z.
Rumor has it that former President Barack Obama called Jay Z and begged him to ask Mill not to go to the White House to meet with Trump.
During an interview on CNN Monday morning, Jones explained his change of heart after discussing prison reform with Trump.
“On this issue, he has been tough,” said Jones, who noted that the president showed compassion for prisoners “that most liberal Democrat would have agreed with.”
Jones seemed to scold Democrats who talk the talk, but remain inactive on the issue of prison reform.
“If we can’t get together for liberty and justice for all, something’s wrong with this country. We’ll do something on this issue; we’ll fight about everything else, but on this issue, let’s get together.”
Jones then turned his attention to Obama, who spent 8 years partying in the White House with celebrities such as Jay Z and his wife Beyonce.
“I think the civil rights community right now is actually a little bit divided,” Jones said on Monday. “Some people are saying if we can’t get everything … we’ll just take nothing. Well, the problem is, we’ve been saying that now for eight years. We said everything or nothing under Obama and we wound up with nothing. And so I think continuing to do the same thing [and] expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity.”
Trump was optimistic after speaking to black leaders about prison reform on Friday.
“Prison reform is an issue that unites people from across our political spectrum,” Trump said. “It’s an amazing thing. Our whole nation benefits if former inmates are able to re-enter our society as productive, law-abiding citizens.”
“Send a bill to my desk,” Trump said. “I will sign it.”
