CNN commentator Van Jones went after politicians on former President Trump’s vice president shortlist on Monday, after they dodged questions over whether they would accept the results of the 2024 election.
Multiple candidates believed to be finalists for Trump’s presidential ticket — including Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) — have refused to say they will accept the results of the 2024 election. Others, including Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), have said they will outright reject the results if they believe there is fraud.
“This is like failing kindergarten,” Jones said of the remarks. “When it comes to politics, yes, you accept the election results, and you don’t insult the integrity of the American democratic process, which is the envy of the world.”
The dodges signal the potential vice presidential candidates could back false election conspiracies similar to the 2020 election fraud claims that inspired the Jan. 6 Capitol riots and are now at the center of two of Trump’s criminal cases.
“These are the termites that you unleash into the foundation of a democracy that later on can come back and crash the whole house,” Jones said. “When you have people who no longer believe in the integrity of our elections. They’re playing with fire. They’re playing with matches, they’re playing with nitroglycerin.”
Concerns over whether Trump will repeat election fraud claims if he again loses in 2024 has tested Republican leaders in the Senate as well.
Jones blamed the situation squarely on Trump.
“This is a one of the more despicable impacts of Donald Trump on the American body politic,” he said. “This sort of nonsense from otherwise, in some cases, good decent folks.”