Van Jones didn’t hold back. The former Obama advisor declared the Democratic Party was "screwed" and stuck between two unpopular factions.
On CNN, he laughed at the party’s "nightmare" situation. The friction between Democrats has left them lost.
"Look, man, we’re screwed," Jones admitted on "CNN Newsroom" Sunday. "Democrats don’t know what to do. This is a nightmare."
He pointed out the party’s internal divide. Establishment members and progressives are pulling in opposite directions.
"Listen, the Democratic Party is going through a massive set of internal crises," he said. "You have a party that got trapped two ways."
"One, defending a broken status quo nobody likes. They thought Trump would make it worse. But when you’re defending the status quo, you’re going to lose."
"And then offending most people in the country. Calling everybody sexist, racist, transphobic—then asking them to follow you. That’s not a good strategy."
"Defending a broken status quo and offending most of the country? Turns out, that’s not as popular as my party thought it would be," Jones added.
The Democratic Party has struggled since Trump’s election in 2024. A Quinnipiac University poll from his first week in office showed only 31% viewed the party favorably.
Their approval ratings took another hit after Rep. Al Green disrupted Trump’s address to Congress. A CNN instant poll found 80% thought Green’s behavior was inappropriate.
The House later censured Green. Ten Democrats voted in favor of the measure.
A report on Thursday revealed other disruptive Democrats were reprimanded privately. The party is scrambling to regain control.