President Donald Trump received a major compliment from a left-wing CNN personality and former Obama administration official for his political shrewdness and ability to prove his liberal media and Democratic political detractors wrong time and time again. In an interview with former CNN political analyst Chris Cilizza on his podcast Friday, Van Jones proclaimed Trump to be “smarter” than Democrats and the legacy media, the majority of which lean to the left.
Cilizza began: “How the hell did Donald Trump figure out the mainstream media is now the fringe and the fringe is now the mainstream? How the hell did Donald Trump figure out — I mean, Joe Rogan is obvious, right? Like we knew the guy had a big audience, it’s not like we were stunned. But how was he — this 78-year-old guy who doesn’t even have a computer and still writes handwritten notes — how did he become the guy who cracked the code on, to your point, running a cultural (I don’t even want to say campaign) heading a cultural movement?”
Jones responded: “It’s a movement. Every one of your people know: Elon, Elon, Elon.
The problem is you have this framework within your mind, ‘How can Donald Trump? How can Donald Trump? How can Donald Trump?’ Guys, can we cut it out? Donald Trump is not an idiot. Donald Trump, let me be very clear, Donald Trump is smarter than me, you, and all his critics.
“Do you know why we know? Because he has the White House, the Senate, the House, and the popular vote, he has a massive media ecosystem bigger than the mainstream built around him and for him, and a religious fervor in a political movement around him. And he is best buddies with the richest person in the history of the world. And the most relevant Kennedy is with him. This dude is a phenomenon. He is the most powerful human on earth, and in our lifetime, and we’re supposed to be like, ‘Well how did this guy…?’ We look like idiots,” Jones added, per the video below.
Von Jones: “Guys, can we cut it out? Donald Trump is not an idiot… Donald Trump is smarter than me, you, and all the critics… this dude is a phenomenal—he is the most powerful human on earth.” pic.twitter.com/jbVMkFjDFV
— Defiant World (@DefiantWorld) February 3, 2025