Van Jones Calls Trump's Indiana Primary Wins 'Embarrassing' and 'Petty'

CNN Senior Political Commentator Van Jones sharply criticized President Donald Trump over his endorsement of Indiana State Senate challengers, describing the president's involvement in the races as 'embarrassing' and calling him a 'petty little punching down bully.'

The Details

During a discussion on CNN's 'Anderson Cooper 360' on May 5, 2026, Van Jones reacted to projected primary results showing that at least three Trump-backed GOP challengers had won their races in Indiana State Senate contests, while at least one challenger was projected to have lost. Jones directly questioned the president's priorities, stating, 'I would be embarrassed if I were the president. United States, with the level of crisis that we have, that this is his most important objective.' He added that these wins were 'the only thing he's gotten right, apparently, in the past six months.'

Context

Trump was using endorsements to oust Republicans in Indiana who had defied him, according to CNN. Van Jones characterized the president's focus on state-level races as misplaced, saying, 'And what a petty little punching down bully to be losing a war. He can't figure out how to get our gas prices down. He can't find the Epstein's files. We've got time to wander over here and slap around a bunch of state senators to feel better about himself.' Jones described Trump's actions as 'embarrassing.'