President Donald Trump attempted a call for unity during his State of the Union address on Tuesday evening, but he found little favor from a host on his least favored cable news network, CNN.
"I saw this as a psychologically incoherent speech with cookies and dog poop," said Van Jones in the aftermath of Trump's 82-minute speech.
"He tries to put together in the same speech these warm, kind things about humanitarianism and caring about children," he added. "At the same time he is demonizing people who are immigrants."
Jones could get no further before he was interrupted by fellow panelist Rick Santorum. The former Republican presidential candidate exclaimed that Trump was "demonizing child trafficking."
But Jones passionately continued.
"There were people in that gallery who were children who had been torn away from their mothers at the border," he said, referencing guests brought to the State of the Union by Democratic lawmakers. "He did not mention them. There were soldiers who were transgender who have been thrown out of the military. He did not mention them. There were veterans who he has thrown out of this country who are Dreamers. He did not mention them."
While reading almost entirely from a teleprompter, Trump used more unifying and less heated rhetoric than in so many other settings.
Still, he pressed his case to fulfill his long-promised wall along the southern border.
"Simply put, walls work and walls save lives. So let's work together, compromise, and reach a deal that will truly make America safe," he said.
He also warned of the dangers of illegal immigration.
"Now is the time for the Congress to show the world that America is committed to ending illegal immigration and putting the ruthless coyotes, cartels, drug dealers, and human traffickers out of business," he said.
Tweeting following the segment on CNN, Jones was keen to point out the things Trump left out of his address.
"Not a mention about the rise in white supremacy & extreme violence," he wrote. "This is a missed opportunity to address the people who feel emboldened by Trump's dog whistles."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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