The name "Hillary Clinton" and the words "one of the most honest politicians in America" are definitely not words one would expect to see someone use in the same sentence together, but liberal CNN political commentator Van Jones managed to do just that as he appeared as a panel member on Tuesday's CNN Tonight.
Responding to a question about a recent CNN/ORG poll finding abysmally low numbers of Americans find the Democratic presidential nominee "honest and trustworthy," Jones leaned on unnamed "fact checkers" to boost Clinton. Jones: "It actually turns out that Hillary Clinton, when you look at the fact checkers, she's one of the most honest politicians in America, according to the fact checkers. So there's a disconnect there that she's going to have to deal with."
Host Don Lemon brought up the issue of honesty as he posed:
Let's talk more about these poll numbers from our new CNN/ORC poll just out today. The two candidates are in a virtual tie. We're also seeing that this 50 percent of voters say that Trump, they see him as a more honest and trustworthy candidate -- 35 percent for Clinton. Does she need to get those numbers up to to win?
Jones began his response:
Well, she's got to do something. I mean, part of the thing is, Trump has mastered the art of being authentically inauthentic, right? Everyone knows he's kind of, you know, engaging in hyperbole and sarcasm or whatever, and so they, for some reason, decide to just discount him and let him say just whatever he wants to say and call him honest.
He then added:
Meanwhile, it actually turns out that Hillary Clinton, when you look at the fact checkers, she's one of the most honest politicians in America, according to the fact checkers. So there's a disconnect there that she's going to have to deal with.
As Lemon turned to Republican guest and Trump supporter Paris Dennard for reaction, the CNN host reiterated that Jones was basing his claim on "fact checkers":
DON LEMON: Okay, Trump supporter, Paris, you disagree with that?
PARIS DENNARD, GOP POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think the American people will disagree-
LEMON: He is speaking facts when he talks about the fact checkers, but go ahead.
