CNN commentator Van Jones says he has received an overwhelming response after publicly urging Democrats to confront what he described as increasingly extreme ideas being promoted by some Democratic Socialist candidates.
Jones, a longtime Democrat, wrote on X Monday night that his criticism had prompted a flood of calls from political leaders across the country.
“The response has been overwhelming,” Jones posted. “Leaders in both parties called to tell me the same thing: This stuff has gone too far.”
His comments come as Democratic Socialist candidates have scored a series of high-profile primary victories that have rattled the Democratic Party. In New York City, Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated longtime Bronx Congressman Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., while in Colorado, Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros unseated 15-term Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.
Chevalier has also drawn attention for previously deleting older social media posts in which she expressed support for abolishing police and prisons and seizing private property.
Jones expanded on his concerns during an appearance Sunday night on CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront alongside journalist Gretchen Carlson, using Chevalier as an example of what he believes is an increasingly troubling trend within the Democratic Party.
“Well, listen, I cannot tell you. This phone has been blowing up all day,” Jones said.
According to Jones, governors, senators, and members of the House from both political parties reached out to thank him for voicing concerns that he believes many elected officials have privately shared.
“Governors from both parties, senators from both parties, Democrats in the House calling, thanking me for saying what everybody’s been saying behind the scenes, which is that this stuff is going too far,” he said.
Jones emphasized that his criticism was not directed at progressive causes in general. Instead, he pointed to his own record on criminal justice reform as evidence that he supports many progressive priorities while rejecting what he sees as more radical proposals.
“I am a Progressive Democrat,” Jones said. “You want to talk about prison reform? I’ve done it as well as anybody.”
He noted that he has worked on prison reform efforts involving Republicans and Democrats, including officials in the South during President Donald Trump’s administration.
At the same time, Jones argued that advocating for prison reform does not mean eliminating prisons altogether.
“I’ve done prison reform. I never said have no prisons. Where are you going to put the Klan?” he said.
He made a similar distinction regarding policing, saying he supports reforming law enforcement but not abolishing police departments.
“I’ve done police reform. I’ve never said no police. Where are you going to put the pedophiles? Who’s going to grab the pedophiles?” Jones asked. “This stuff is going too far.”
Jones also warned that Democrats risk repeating what he believes happened within the Republican Party when leaders failed to push back against ideas they considered extreme.
“And part of the thing that has to happen is, we saw what happened in the Republican Party when things started going in a nutty direction, and nobody stood up,” he said.
While praising younger voters for organizing around issues such as affordability and Medicare for All, Jones argued that their movement is being overtaken by more extreme voices.
“I am happy that the young people are fighting for affordability, a Medicare for all, all the good things,” Jones said. “I’ve been waiting my whole life to see a youth movement do what it’s doing, but it’s being hijacked by people who are putting in nutty ideas, supporting terrorists, nutty ideas, saying that we don’t need cops in prisons. We can’t. We can’t deport anybody, even if they rape somebody. Who said this? Chevalier.”
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