From the man who infamously declared, on Election Night 2016, that Donald Trump’s win over Hillary Clinton was “whitelash” to a black president, CNN commentator Van Jones had a vastly different tone Tuesday night. The President’s address to a joint session of Congress was applauded by many for the emotional tone struck while speaking to the wife of slain Navy SEAL Ryan Owens; to which Jones declared “He became President of the United States in that moment. Period”
“There are a lot of people who have a lot of reason to be frustrated with him, to be fearful of him, to be mad at him,” he continued, “But that was one of the most extraordinary moments you have ever seen in American politics period.”
He described that portion of the speech as “extraordinary” and said that for those who held out in their belief that Trump could be presidential and unifying, “they should be happy with that moment.” But he had a dire warning for Democrats who think that they can just stroll into the White House in four years:
For people hoping that maybe he would remain a divisive cartoon, which he often finds a way to do, they should begin to become a little bit worried tonight. Because, that thing you just saw him do, if he finds a way to do that over and over again, he’ll be there for eight years. Now, there is a lot he said in that speech that was counter factual, that was not right and I oppose and will oppose but he did something tonight that you can’t take away from him. He became president of the United States.