Van Jones: 2020 Hard to Predict — Trump’s Base Is ‘Intense’

Tuesday on CNN, network political commentator Van Jones said the 2020 presidential race is “hard to call” given the different reactions between conservatives and liberals to the protests, riots, and looting tied to the death of George Floyd.

Jones said, “I’m always surprised. I’m one of the few progressives —I work closely with Trump supporters. I refuse to be part of the civil war when it comes to issues I care about, criminal justice reform, addiction, et cetera. I am always shocked by the tale of two countries when I talk to my friends on the right. For instance, everyone I know on the left is outraged by the president’s use of military force inside the U.S. borders. They see it as something that is violating our laws, our norms. It’s terrible. Don’t assume that everyone feels the same way about it. On the right, people have been —they have swung very hard. At first, they just were so shocked by this murder, this killing, seeing a police officer just take someone’s life in that way, and they had great sympathy for the protests when they were peaceful. But as the protests have gotten more disrupted or disruptive, they have swung back. And you saw the right-wing media begin to pile on the president saying, hey, why aren’t you doing something? Why aren’t you doing something? The left-wing media were laughing at the president, why are you hiding in the bunker.”

He continued, “When President Trump moved as he did yesterday, there were people who felt comforted by that in the red parts of America. And so that’s something that makes this thing very, very hard to predict. I think the president has a smaller base than he needs, but a very intense base. I think Biden has a broader base, but lacking in intensity. That matchup is still hard to call.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN

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