On Thursday's Anderson Cooper 360, CNN showed a pre-recorded report highlighting liberal contributor Van Jones speaking with three black voters who switched from voting Democrat to voting for Donald Trump.
But, toward the end of the segment, as host Cooper spoke live with Jones about the piece, the two hinted that these voters supported Trump because of "misinformation" they were getting from social media and other alternative sources.
During the report, Seth Dawkins was seen citing illegal immigration as a major reason he voted for Trump, leading him to throw some shade at the news media for not highlighting the money it costed the government to take care of them so that he had to go elsewhere to hear that perspective:
SETH DAWKINS, TRUMP VOTER: I just don't like the idea of someone coming here illegally and getting benefits that can serve my community. So that's the reason I support him on that border policy.
VAN JONES, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: When you think about the border, you think about people coming here who are getting more help that people who live here who were born here.
DAWKINS: Yeah. And I got that perspective not from news channels -- I got it from social media. TikTok is like a holy grail. We even see it with the things that we learn about the United States government outside of the United States. People are showing Americans, "Hey, look at what's going on. Do y'all know that your government is doing this? Have you seen this? Have you looked at it from this perspective?"
As Cooper spoke with Jones, he began by observing: "It's interesting that most of the information that they are getting -- or misinformation that they may be getting -- is coming from online."
Jones responded:
Really 100 percent. The thing that surprises me the most was how much social media is dictating, especially the younger guy. You know, he said, "Look, I'm learning all this stuff about America that I didn't know." Well, I'm like, "Where are you hearing it from?" "TikTok." China? Guys, you're a Republican, and you're taking the Chinese narrative about your own country to heart? But that was a big part of their whole information ecosystem. Social media.
These CNN experts made no attempt to explain how it's "misinformation" that a lot of illegal immigrants received taxpayer-funded benefits. That reality is not in doubt. CNN used to brag they were "Facts First," but they weren't fact-focused on this.
As Cooper followed up by asking about whether they watch the news, Jones seemed to lament that, even though they are good people, they get their news from alternative sources that would normally not be in his social bubble:
COOPER: Does it seem to you that they -- do they follow news closely, I mean?
JONES: No, that was the other thing, too. It's like, you know, one of the women said, "Look, I do not watch any of the media." She says, you know, "I have some influencers that I follow" -- Candace Owens being a big deal, and Newsmax. And that is their information system. And, listen, these are hard-working people, they're good people, they care about the country, but they are in a completely different information environment than people I talk to every day.
"Good people" following "fake news," apparently.
Transcript follows:
CNN's Anderson Cooper 360
May 1, 2025
8:55 p.m. Eastern
VAN JONES, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: You weren't always a Republican.
SETH DAWKINS, TRUMP VOTER: No, actually, I come from a family that was, like, super-Democratic. My first time voting, I voted Democrat. I voted for Joe Biden.
JONES: What about Trump appealed to you?
DAWKINS: Am I allowed to cuss?
JONES (laughing): Yeah, you can do that!
DAWKINS: I mean, part of it is, he's an a**hole. I like authenticity.
JONES: You voted for Obama, and then you voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, but, 2020, you voted for Donald Trump. What made you change?
DETRA GERMAN, TRUMP VOTER: I began listening to someone -- her name is Candace Owens. And I read her book, and it just opened my eyes to maybe he's not this person that I have been led to believe that he was.
JONES: So you voted against Trump in 2016?
KYASIA KRAFT, TRUMP VOTER: Yes.
JONES: But then in 2020 you voted for him?
KRAFT: Absolutely.
JONES: Why?
KRAFT: I saw how things were going during his first term, and I was pleasantly surprised, and I was pleased with what was happening. I saw the economy getting better. I saw country relations in certain countries getting better.
JONES: What are some things he's doing that you do like?
DAWKINS: For me, I like the border. I just don't like the idea of someone coming here illegally and getting benefits that can serve my community. So that's the reason I support him on that border policy.
JONES: When you think about the border, you think about people coming here who are getting more help that people who live here who were born here.
DAWKINS: Yeah. And I got that perspective not from news channels -- I got it from social media. TikTok is like a holy grail. We even see it with the things that we learn about the United States government outside of the United States. People are showing Americans, "Hey, look at what's going on. Do y'all know that your government is doing this? Have you seen this? Have you looked at it from this perspective?"
JONES: People think about a Trump voter -- they usually think about, like, a white dude with like a red hat on and a pickup truck, and y'all are not that at all.
(...)
JONES: If you had to do it over again, would you vote for Donald Trump? Yes or no?
KRAFT: One thousand percent, absolutely yes!
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST: And Van Jones joins me now. It's interesting that most of the information that they are getting -- or misinformation that they may be getting -- is coming from online.
JONES: Really 100 percent. The thing that surprises me the most was how much social media is dictating, especially the younger guy. You know, he said, "Look, I'm learning all this stuff about America that I didn't know." Well, I'm like, "Where are you hearing it from?" "TikTok." China? Guys, you're a Republican, and you're taking the Chinese narrative about your own country to heart? But that was a big part of their whole information ecosystem.
COOPER: Yeah.
JONES: Social media.
COOPER: Does it seem to you that they -- do they follow news closely, I mean?
JONES: No, that was the other thing, too. It's like, you know, one of the women said, "Look, I do not watch any of the media." She says, you know, "I have some influencers that I follow" -- Candace Owens being a big deal, and Newsmax. And that is their information system. And, listen, these are hard-working people, they're good people, they care about the country, but they are in a completely different information environment than people I talk to every day.
COOPER: Van Jones, thanks very much.
