CNN contributor Van Jones said Wednesday that Democrats are in a “perilous situation” that could mean the reelection of President Donald Trump because they are ignoring the “economic devastation” of violence and rioting in urban America.
“I do know that the longer we talk about violence and unrest and how he’s handling it or not handling it it’s all advantage Trump,” Jones told CNN’s “New Day” after being asked to assess the president’s Tuesday visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin.
”In other words, this campaign is going well for Donald Trump because we’re not talking about the economic devastation that people are experiencing or the virus really. And I think it’s time for us to recognize we — we are in a very perilous situation if you want to see a change in November,” he said. (RELATED: Van Jones: No Candidate In Democratic Debate ‘Could Take Donald Trump Out’)
Although Jones said Trump “is not going to challenge very strongly the police violence,” he said the question remains how Democrats and progressives are “going to deal with the edges of violence in our own movement?”
Jones said for Biden “to move his own movement in a better direction” he must address the looting and rioting conducted by those on the left. He suggested, “We need a national moratorium on these nighttime marches.”
The CNN contributor suggested that would separate legitimate peaceful protests from “other demonstrations that are just not as useful” while he encouraged Democratic presidential nominee to “push down” on violence and begin to recognize “the people who are actually suffering.”
“There have been a couple of hundred businesses that have been hurt by arsonists, there have been thousands that have been destroyed by mishandling this virus. We’ve got to get off of this conversation around unrest and back to the conversation around literally millions of people who are suffering from the Trump economy.”
During an appearance in Pittsburgh Monday, Biden condemned the violence that has erupted in cities across America, and asked if people really felt safe “ under Donald Trump.” (RELATED: Democrats Blamed The Feds For Violence In Portland. But The Violence Continued Even After They Pulled Back)
A police armored vehicle patrols an intersection on August 24, 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. This is the second night of rioting after the shooting of Jacob Blake, 29, on Aug. 23, 2020. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
The Biden campaign said Tuesday that the former vice president also wants to visit Kenosha but is waiting so as not to upset “the peaceful nature of what’s currently happening” in the city.
Van Jones has previously warned his CNN audience that Democrats should never underestimate Trump’s electoral prowess and to “wake up” because he is “effective” in “going after enough black votes to cause us problems.”