Van Jones apologizes for tone-deaf comments on children in Gaza
CNN political commentator Van Jones has apologized following widespread criticism over comments he made about Gaza during an appearance on HBO’s Overtime with Bill Maher.
While discussing how younger audiences perceive the war, Jones said, “If you are a young person, you open up your phone and all you see is dead Gaza baby, dead Gaza baby, dead Gaza baby … That’s basically your own feed.” He attributed the online sentiment to what he claimed was a “massive disinformation campaign” by Iran and Qatar.
VAN JONES WARNS OF IRAN-QATAR SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 4, 2025
Jones claims Qatar and Iran running massive disinformation operation on TikTok and Instagram to divide the West using repetitive Gaza casualty content.pic.twitter.com/JKA6FDUqLI https://t.co/TDROaaJgg3
The remarks sparked backlash online, with prominent Muslim American scholar Omar Suleiman calling them “truly disgraceful and vile.” Suleiman wrote on X, “I’m sorry dead Gaza babies bother you so much. Maybe tell the people paying you to put lipstick on a genocide to stop killing them.”
Jones later took to X to apologize, saying, “Yeah, I messed up on this one. And I’m sorry. I was trying to raise awareness about foreign adversaries creating chaos online… But what I said was easily misunderstood, and the way I said it was flat-out insensitive.”
He added, “Babies are dying every day in Gaza. Nobody should dispute that fact or make light of it in any way. To the people living in fear and burying family members every day, of all ages — I apologize.”
Yeah, I messed up on this one. And I’m sorry. I was trying to raise awareness about foreign adversaries creating chaos online - which is undermining democracy everywhere. But what I said was easily misunderstood, and the way I said it was flat-out insensitive. Babies are dying… https://t.co/98MYOuhK2U
— Van Jones (@VanJones68) October 5, 2025
In a follow-up post, Jones reiterated that his remarks were “insensitive and hurtful,” emphasizing that “the suffering of the people of Gaza — especially the children — is not a punch line.” He said he was praying and working for “an immediate end to this war, and for peace and safety for every family caught in its path.”
