CNN’s Van Jones expected to hear regret from Black Trump supporters. He got a reality check instead.
The leftist network hosts thought they could corner these voters into admitting they made a mistake.
But Black Trump voters left CNN’s Van Jones stunned with these damning answers.
“I like authenticity” – Former Biden supporters explain their Trump vote
During a segment that aired Thursday on Anderson Cooper 360, Jones sat down with three Black voters who cast their ballots for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. All three had previously voted against Trump, making their switch even more significant.
What made this segment remarkable wasn’t just that these voters supported Trump – it was how confidently they defended their choice when confronted with CNN’s typical anti-Trump framing.
Trump secured 13% of the Black vote in 2024, including an impressive 21% of Black men and 7% of Black women, according to CNN’s own exit polling. These numbers represent significant growth from previous elections.
Seth Dawkins, who had previously voted for Joe Biden in his first-ever election, didn’t mince words about why he supported Trump.
“I mean, part of it is he’s an asshole,” Dawkins candidly told Jones. “I like — I like authenticity.”
His refreshing honesty seemed to catch Jones off guard, as the CNN host likely expected a more apologetic tone.
“He’s not the person I was led to believe he was”
Another voter, Detra German, who had previously supported Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, explained that conservative commentator Candace Owens helped change her perspective on Trump.
“It just opened my eyes to maybe he’s not this person that I have been led to believe that he was,” she explained.
Kyasia Kraft, who opposed Trump in 2016, pointed to his actual record in office rather than media narratives.
“I saw how things were going during his first term, and I was pleasantly surprised, and I was pleased with what was happening,” she said. “I saw the economy getting better. I saw country relations in certain countries getting better.”
When Jones tried to pivot the conversation to border security, expecting to find disagreement, Dawkins doubled down on his support for Trump’s policies.
“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,” he explained. “So that’s the reason why I support him on that border policy.”
Jones grew increasingly desperate, throwing out divisive racial issues in an attempt to shake their support. He brought up claims about the Trump administration temporarily removing Harriet Tubman’s pictures and “trying to knock out the Black museums.”
Dawkins wasn’t taking the bait.
“In some ways, it’s a slap in the face. In other ways, I don’t care,” he responded bluntly. “I care more about how I’m going to take care of my children.”
CNN’s desperate attempts to shake Black Trump support fail
Jones then tried another angle, claiming Trump ended police reform agreements that had been established under previous administrations.
Kraft pushed back, explaining her personal connection to law enforcement.
“I have a lot of issues with police reform and just with how police officers are treated as a whole. Her husband is currently going through the process to become a police officer,” she said. “The amount of hatred that cops get, even the best ones, I think, has become a huge problem.”
She added that the narrative that “cops are bad” and “cops hate you because you’re Black” intensifies around election time, suggesting it’s politically motivated fearmongering.
Holy sh*t! 🚨
The media is wrong again, a massive “USA USA” chant breaks out for President Trump at the University of Alabama by graduates as he takes the stage to deliver their commencement address!pic.twitter.com/24AUnTRcEP
— Jay – MAGA Response (@MAGAresponse) May 2, 2025
“1,000% yes” – Voters stand firmly behind their Trump support
In a final attempt to sway them, Jones brought up Trump’s comments about potentially campaigning for a third term. While German opposed the idea, Kraft dismissed it as “a prime example of him trolling people” – showing she understands Trump’s communication style better than many media figures.
The most revealing moment came at the end when Jones asked if they would vote for Trump again. All three confirmed they would, with Kraft being especially enthusiastic.
“1,000%,” she declared. “Absolutely, yes.”
This CNN segment isn’t the only evidence of Trump’s growing support among Black voters. NBC News conducted a focus group in March with Black male swing-state Trump voters and found that most stood firmly by their choice to back the president.
The media can’t seem to understand why Black Americans are increasingly supporting Trump, but these voters made it crystal clear – they care about results, not rhetoric.
