Van Jones Nearly Weeps on CNN Delivering Maudlin Biden Eulogy: ‘I Love This Man’

CNN senior political commentator Van Jones nearly fell into tears on Sunday with a highly emotional reaction to the shocking news of President Joe Biden dropping out as the presidential nominee for Democrats.

“This is somebody, you wouldn’t be here without him,” said Jones at one point in his paean to Biden’s time in politics. “And you had to take something from him.”

Biden’s announcement came as a surprise when he posted it as a letter on his X/Twitter account Sunday afternoon, catching news networks and pundits alike off guard — not to mention, seemingly, his own team .

Jones, appearing on CNN Newsroom a short time after Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the party’s nomination, likewise appeared stunned. shellshocked, even overwrought.

When anchor Kaitlan Collins prompted him for a reaction, his voice was quavering in his reply as he spoke of Biden as a beloved family member.

“The Democrat Party is his family, at the end of the day, this is a family matter,” Jones began, adopting funereal and regretful tone. “You know, Joe Biden’s body may not be as strong as it used to be. His language skills may not be as sharp as they used to be. His heart is as big as ever.”

Jones said that everyone is heartbroken, even the Democrats who have been pushing for the decision, and, his voice thick with emotion, he compared to taking the car keys away from an elderly relative for their own good and everyone else’s.

“He’s fighting and he’s fighting and everybody’s so frustrated. And then you finally get the keys back. And then you just cry,” said Jones on the verge of tears himself. “Because this is somebody that you love. This is somebody that you care about. This is somebody who was there for you. This is somebody you wouldn’t be here without him. And you had to take something from him.”

“I just want to say, I don’t know who’s going to be the VP, the non VP. I don’t know anything about politics. I just know that I love this man, I care about this man,” Jones continued in his outpouring. “It was painful every day to sit up here and talk about him like he’s just a, you know, some some problem for the party.”

Jones also predicted that emotions will run similarly high at the Democratic convention, saying there will be “people crying, standing, screaming, cheering. He may not get a chance to talk for ten minutes. We finally get a chance to put our arm around this guy.”

“All of us are going to be in this situation someday, and I hope that we take a moment to honor this man and to love this man,” Jones haltingly intoned. “I love Joe Biden. I appreciate what he’s done. And a lot of people are heartbroken today. Even if it’s the right thing, it’s still just horrible.”

CNN’s Bakari Sellers had a different reaction as he attempted to portray the situation as an optimistic one.

There’s a lot of political stuff. The Democrat Party is his family, at the end of the day, this is a family matter. You know, Joe Biden’s body may not be as strong as it used to be. His language skills may not be as sharp as they used to be. His heart is as big as ever. His heart is as big and as true and as strong, and this is, this is the difference between a politician and a leader.

He made a selfless decision, and people are heartbroken. Even people who are pushing for this to happen. It’s kind of like, like when your grandpa, you got to take the keys and everybody, “you got take his his keys, you got to take his keys. You’ve gotta …” And he’s fighting and he’s fighting and everybody’s so frustrated. And then you finally get the keys back. And then you just cry. Because this is somebody that you love. This is somebody that you care about. This is somebody who was there for you. This is somebody you wouldn’t be here without him. And you had to take something from him.

Now, this is not, look, this, politics is politics. But this is a human moment for one of the great humans in America. This is a huge moment for him, for his family, for all of us who love him, for all of us who wanted him to get across the finish line. But if you’re a young person watching this, this is leadership. This is patriotism. This is what it means to put the country first and put the party first, and put the cost first. When your arm gets tired to let somebody else finish pitching the game. That’s what Joe Biden has done. And he’s done that for all of us.

And so I just want to say, I don’t know who’s going to be the VP, the non VP. I don’t know anything about politics. I just know that I love this man, I care about this man. It was painful every day to sit up here and talk about him like he’s just a, you know, some some problem for the party.

Wait till we get to the convention. You’re going to see people crying, standing, screaming, cheering. He may not get a chance to talk for ten minutes. We finally get a chance to put our arm around this guy. He did the right thing for this country. Did the right thing for this party. All of us are going to be in this situation someday, and I hope that we take a moment to honor this man and to love this man. I love Joe Biden. I appreciate what he’s done. And a lot of people are heartbroken today. Even if it’s the right thing, it’s still just horrible.

Watch the clip above via CNN .