Senator Trashes Van Jones Apology for ‘Sick’ Gaza Remark, Saying He Missed the ‘Deeper’ Problem
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) rounded on CNN’s Van Jones for missing the “deeper” problem in his Gaza remarks hours after the pundit issued a public apology following backlash for comments made on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher.
Jones had issued two apologies Sunday for his comments admitting he “messed up” and adding that his intent was to highlight foreign interference online, but the comments were “flat-out insensitive.”
He later wrote, “The suffering of the people of Gaza — especially the children — is not a punch line… I’m deeply sorry.”
Reacting to the apology, Van Hollen accused Jones of having “spread Netanyahu propaganda” that the killing of civilians was “Iranian fake news.”
During Friday night’s appearance in conversation with host Bill Maher, Jones claimed that “Iran and Qatar have come up with a disinformation campaign that they are running through TikTok and Instagram that is massive.”
He argued: “If you are a young person, you are opening up your phone, and all you see is — dead Gaza baby, dead Gaza baby, dead Gaza baby, Diddy, dead Gaza baby, dead Gaza baby.”
The comments triggered immediate outrage, with journalists and activists accusing Jones of trivializing mass death.
