CNN analyst Van Jones says it’s better to work with President Trump where there can be principled compromise than to continue the “everything or nothing” approach of the Obama era.
One of Mr. Trump’s longtime critics has gone from calling his 2016 election a “whitelash” to working with Jared Kushner and the White House on prison reform issues. The reason: It would be “the definition of insanity” to snub good-faith efforts at bipartisanship.
“I think the civil rights community right now is actually a little bit divided,” Mr. Jones said during a Monday interview on CNN. “Some people are saying if we can’t get everything … we’ll just take nothing. We said everything or nothing under Obama and we wound up with nothing. And so I think continuing to do the same thing [while] expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity.”
Mr. Jones’ comments come against a political backdrop in which nearly 50 House lawmakers are attempting to forward the First Step Act through the legislative process.
The bill (H.R. 5682), is sponsored by Republican Congressman Doug Collins of Georgia.
The Hill recently called the legislation “a solid proposal that should prompt further criminal justice reform at the state level — where sound policy is even more needed.”
Mr. Trump said last Friday that passing prison reform will benefit all Americans if it allows inmates “to re-enter our society as productive, law-abiding citizens.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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