CNN commentatorĀ Van JonesĀ is weighing in on President Donald Trumpās overnight tweets about the ongoing protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
During an appearance on the network, Jones described the presidentās tweets as āinappropriateā and āirresponsibleā as he offered an explanation for his opinion.
āI think it was highly inappropriate for the president to say that for a number of reasons,ā Jones said, adding, āOne: Thatās not the standard of the law. You use deadly force to protect life. You donāt use deadly force to protect property. And so, itās just a misstatement of the law.ā
Jones went on to stress how imperative it is for Trump to strike the right ābalanceā in his call for public safety and order.
āI think itās also just an irresponsible statement because this really is a moment where striking the right balance,ā he said. Jones went on to condemn the lobbying of āpro-crime,ā later adding, āThere is a balance that has to be struck.ā
Jones also believes the president should āreconsider his courseā in addressing the situation because āthis is not over.ā
See Jonesā remarks below:
Jonesā remarks follow Trumpās overnight tweets calling for order in Minneapolis as protest escalated in various parts of the city.
Amid the unrest, buildings were torched and stores were looted. The Minneapolis Police Departmentās third precinct was also set on fire Thursday night.
Trump criticized Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) as he described him as āweakā while demanding that he control the situation. The president was also flagged by Twitter for a follow-up tweet where he appeared to glorify violence.
In addition to the protests in Minneapolis, heightened protests also erupted in New York City, Memphis, Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Seven people were also shot at protests in Louisville, Kentucky over the police shooting of Breonna Taylor.
As of Friday, no arrests of officers have been made in connection with the death of Floyd.