Van Jones rails against Trump’s death penalty proposal: ‘It’s stupid and divisive’
The political pundit did not bit his tongue.
When Donald Trump told a New Hampshire crowd that he wants to see drug dealers get the death penalty, many people, including political pundit Van Jones, were taken aback.
When Donald Trump told a New Hampshire crowd yesterday that he wants to see drug dealers get the death penalty, many people, including political pundit Van Jones, were taken aback.
“This isn’t about being nice anymore,” said Trump, “These are terrible people, and we have to get tough on those people. We can have all the blue-ribbon committees we want. But if we don’t get tough on the drug dealers, we’re wasting our time—just remember that, we’re wasting our time—and that toughness includes the death penalty.”
Donald Trump is advocating for more than just the death penalty though. His approach to managing the “war on drugs” would be three-pronged: reducing demand through education, cutting off the flow of illicit drugs and saving lives by expanding opportunities for evidence-based addiction treatment.
In an appearance on CNN, Jones unleashed his unfiltered thoughts about the president’s words and even acknowledged that Trump got a couple things right.
–Trump proposes death penalty for drug dealers as part of anti-drug campaign–
“I like what the president said about hiring people and giving people second chances. I like what he said about being tough on the pharmaceutical stuff. I really like the fact that the first lady gave a shout out to Lily’s Place where they’re helping these drug-addicted babies,” said Jones.
But the praise ended there. Jones did not mince words when talked about Trump’s death penalty proposal.
“I’ve met with sheriffs, I’ve met with pastors, and nobody on the ground is saying ‘What we really need is the death penalty for drug dealers. What we really need is tougher/harsher sentences. What we really need is mandatory minimums.’ I don’t know where he’s getting that stuff,” scolded Jones. “That is 180 degrees from what the people on ground are saying. They’re saying people need more help, more compassion, more education.”
“Some say people need better Bible studies. That would be higher on the list than the death penalty for drug dealers. They need more help, they need more beds, they need more hope, they need more jobs. All that,” continued Jones. “This death penalty thing is a complete non-starter and it’s divisive and it’s stupid. It’s an offense to the people who are really trying to solve this problem. ”
Watch the whole clip from CNN:
