>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
MY NEXT GUEST IS A FORMER OBAMA WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR AND CNN
POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR WHO HAS A FEW OPINIONS ON PRESIDENT TRUMP.
PLEASE WELCOME VAN JONES.
♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: OKAY, SO YOU-- NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: I INTERVIEWED YOU A LONG TIME AGO IN CHARACTER
OVER AT "THE COLBERT REPORT."
HOW MANY YEARS AGO WAS THAT?
>> NINE AND A HALF YEARS AGO.
MY FIRST NATIONAL TV SHOW WAS WITH YOU, NINE AND A HALF YEARS
AGO.
>> Stephen: NO WAY.
I'M HONORED.
THAT WAS BEFORE BARACK OBAMA BECAME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
WHAT'S THAT GUY DOING THESE DAYS?
>> HE'S LAUGHING AT ALL OF US.
>> Stephen: HE'S ON DAVID GIVEN'S BOAT RIGHT NOW.
>> HE'S LIKE, "HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW?
YOU WERE ALL COMPLAINING."
>> Stephen: YOU ARE A CONTRIBUTOR OVER AT CNN.
HOW IS THE FAKE NEWS NETWORK DOING?
HOW FAKE IS IT?
DO YOU GUYS GET TOGETHER AND DECIDE HOW YOU'RE GOING TO FAKE
THE NEWS EVERY DAY.
>> FIRST OF ALL, FIRST OF ALL, I WISH THIS NEWS WAS FAKE, BECAUSE
YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP.
YOU CANNOT MAKE THIS STUFF UP.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) SO I WISH IT WAS FAKE.
>> Stephen: >> Stephen: ARE YOU GUYS-- CNN
HAS DECIDED-- FOR PEOPLE OUT THERE, THERE'S A CHRISTMAS PARTY
AT THE WHITE HOUSE, AND THE PRESS GETS INVITED.
THERE'S A SERIES OF THEM, AND THE PRESS GETS INVITED TO ONE OF
THE WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS PARTIES.
AND CNN SAID, "NO, WE'RE NOT GOING THIS YEARMENT.
IT'S A NICE PARTY.
>> I THINK WE WOULDN'T HAVE MADE IT BACK OUT ALIVE.
I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN, LIKE, THE RED WEDDING YOU KNOW
"GAME OF THRONES."
>> Stephen: WHY IS ANY NEWS ORGANIZATION WILLING TO GO TO
THAT PARTY IF THEY'VE BEEN CALLED FAKE, THEY'VE BEEN CALLED
THE ENEMY OF AMERICA BY THE PRESIDENT.
ANYBODY BUT FOX NEWS, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL," AND THE "NEW
YORK POST" SHOULDN'T GO.
>> I'M SURE THEY HAVE GOOD HORS D'OEUVRES BUT IF I WAS A
REPORTER, I WOULDN'T EAT ANY OF THEM.
>> Stephen: ON A SLIGHTLY SERIOUS NOTE, WHY WOULD YOU GO
TO A WHITE HOUSE-- YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET ACCESS.
YOU WON'T GET NEWS THERE.
YOU ARE JUST THERE TO GO, "ISN'T THIS FUN TO BE WITH A GUY WHO
DISO DOES NOT BELIEVE WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK HIM QUESTIONS."
>> THAT IS MY VIEW AND THAT IS WHY CNN IS NOT GOING.
I THINK WE'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE A PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES WHO JUST DOESN'T BELIEVE IN THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
HE HAS LIKE A PEANUT ALLERGY TO FACTS AND I'VE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
LITERALLY, IF YOU JUST SAY THINGS THAT ARE TRUE, HE GETS
MAD.
>> Stephen: CNN SHOULD HAVE A LABEL BEFORE EVERY SHOW,
"PROCESSED IN A FACTORY THAT ALSO PROCESSES INFORMATION."
( APPLAUSE ) JUST AS A WARNING.
NOW, THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION-- THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION IS
ESCALATING.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO DOWNPLAY IT ANYMORE?
IS IT POSSIBLE TO SAY, "THIS ISN'T GOING TO GO ANYWHERE?"
>> LISTEN, I WILL TELL YOU THIS.
YOU HAD FLYNN PLED GUILTY.
I DID CRIMINAL JUSTICE WORK IN OAKLAND FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
HERE'S HOW I WOULD SAY IT: WHEN YOUR MAIN HOME BOY TURNS SNITCH,
A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE ARE ABOUT TO GO TO JAIL.
THAT'S HOW THAT WORKS.
THAT'S JUST HOW THAT WORKS.
>> Stephen: THAT'S NOT JUST WISHFUL THINKING?
YOU THINK THAT'S REASONABLE.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS MAKERS, IF YOU'RE IN VEGAS AND LAYING ODDS
ON SOMEBODY GOING TO THE GRAY BAR HOTEL, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO
GIVE ME ON THAT ONE?
>> ZERO, BECAUSE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE ARE ABOUT TO GO TO JAIL.
>> Stephen: YOU WON'T GIVE ME ANY ODDS ON THAT.
YOU'RE A FORMER OBAMA ADVISER.
YOU'RE A LIBERAL VOICE.
LET ME ASK YOU THIS, HOW DID THE DEMS-- BECAUSE YOU'RE A
DEMOCRAT.
YOU BELIEVE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY-- HOW DID THE DEMOCRATICS
SCREW IS UP SO BADLY THAT A GUY LIKE TRUMP WOULD WIN?
HOW DID YOU PERSONALLY DO IT, VAN JONES?
YOU'RE THE ONLY DEMOCRAT IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW.
HOW DID YOU DO IT-- NO, NO, NO, THEY'RE ALL INDEPENDENTS.
>> HELP ME!
HELP ME!
>> Stephen: HOW DID YOU DO IT?
>> LOOK, I THINK-- I WAS ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE THAT WAS WARNING,
BEG, PLEAD IEG GREW UP IN TENNESSEE.
I KNEW HE HAD A REAL SHOT.
BUT THE REALITY IS THAT WE DIDN'T FIGHT THAT HARD TO STOP
TRUMP.
I REMEMBER IN 2008, PEOPLE WORKED HARD.
2012, PEOPLE WORKED HARD.
WE GOT IN THAT OBAMA BUBBLE BATH, MAN, AND IT JUST FELT SO
GOOD, YOU KNOW.
AND -- >> Stephen: I NEVER GOT
INVITED TO THAT PARTY.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> IT WAS-- IT WAS AMAZING!
>> Stephen: I BET.
>> AND, YOU KNOW, WE STOOD UP AND WE'RE ALL WET AND WRINKLY
AND NOT READY TO FIGHT.
AND SO WHEN TRUMP CAME ON--
>> Stephen: YOU CAN STOP RIGHT THERE.
OKAY, SO, YOU'VE GOT A NEW BOOK HERE.
IT'S CALLED "BEYOND THE MESSY TRUTH."
THE SUBTITLE IS HERE, "HOW WE CAME APART.
HOW WE COME TOGETHER."
THAT'S A GOOD MESSAGE BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DOES
WORRY ME IS WHAT IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF ALL THIS?
YES, WE'RE AT THE LOWEST CONFIDENCE OF OUR GOVERNMENT OF
ALL TIME AND MORE DIVIDE BETWEEN NOW AND ANY TIME SINCE THE CIVIL
WAR AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION.
HOW DO WE COME BACK TOGETHER, VAN JONES.
IT'S A NOBLE GOAL AND, OBVIOUSLY, SACRIFICE WILL HAVE
TO BE MADE ON BOTH SIDES.
WHAT ARE THOSE?
>> A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGHT
ABOUT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO ABANDON IMMIGRANTS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO
ATTACK MUSLIMS.
THERE IS SOME STUFF WE HAVE TO FIGHT ABOUT AND THAT'S OKAY.
IN A DEMOCRACY YOU DON'T HAVE TO.
BEYOND THE BATTLEGROUND, THERE'S ACTUAL COMMON GROUND WE DON'T
TALK ABOUT ANYMORE.
THIS ADDICTION CRISIS IS KILLING BLACK INFORMATION, WHITE
INFORMATION, LATINOS.
WE SHOULD BE TOGETHER ON THAT.
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS BROKEN, I WORK WITH CUT50.ORG,
TO FIX THE JUSTICE SYSTEM.
THAT'S COMMON GROUND.
WHERE WE DISAGREE, WE SHOULD DISAGREE STRONGLY.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO DISRESPECT AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DISREGARD,
AND WE DON'T HAVE TO HATE EACH OTHER JUST TO VOTE AGAINST EACH
OTHER.
THAT HAS TO STOP IN AMERICA.
THAT HAS TO STOP.
>> Stephen: THAT'S A GOOD MESSAGE.
THE MAN IS VAN JONES.
THE BOOK IS "BEYOND THE MESSY TRUTH."
IT'S AVAILABLE NOW.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MICHELLE WOLF, EVERYBODY.