CNN commentator Van Jones offered praise to President Trump for attending the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) Dinner, but later sharply criticized the president's speech delivered at the event. Jones noted that Trump's decision to stay and listen to awards being presented to journalists, some of whom cover his administration critically, was a significant step.
"You really do have to give President Trump credit tonight," Jones stated during CNN's coverage. "I mean, we were saying he was going to basically do his thing and run away. He's not running away. He's going to be there."
The dinner had been rescheduled from its original April 25 date following an incident where a gunman fired a shot near the White House security perimeter.
However, after Trump's remarks, which included lighthearted jabs at the press and candid reflections on his relationship with the media, Jones's assessment shifted. "I think the worst thing you can say is that it just wasn't funny at all. It just wasn't funny. It was mean and small. But you can be mean and small and funny. This was mean and small and not funny," Jones said.
Jones also expressed disappointment with the content of Trump's speech, suggesting the president missed an opportunity to address broader American concerns. "And he didn't talk about any American besides himself and his enemies," Jones observed. "There are people at home who can't figure out how to pay for gas. There are people at home who worry about their nephew who's serving overseas. There's people at home who have real problems, who would love to see somebody reflect their reality and maybe make fun of some of their enemies, some of their problems. He missed the entire opportunity to talk to those people."
In separate remarks on social media platform X, Jones recently distanced himself from what he described as far-left activists within the Democratic Party. He condemned positions on Hamas, policing, and immigration, labeling them as "regressive" and potentially divisive for the party. Jones contrasted these with what he considers true progressive ideas, such as universal healthcare, free education, and environmental protection.