CNN's Van Jones apologizes amid backlash over 'dead Gaza baby' joke
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Van Jones apologizes for remarks about Gaza during HBO’s Overtime with Bill Maher after backlash over a statement referencing images of dead Gaza babies.
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CNN commentator Van Jones speaks at the launch of a partnership among recording entertainment moguls, recording artists, business and sports leaders who hope to transform the American criminal justice system, Jan. 23, 2019, in New York (AP)
CNN political commentator Van Jones issued an apology on Sunday for comments he made on HBO's Overtime with Bill Maher, after he faced backlash for remarks that appeared to joke about images of dead children in Gaza, according to a report from Anadolu.
During the program, Jones claimed that younger audiences have a different view of "Israel" because of what he described as a "massive disinformation campaign" on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, run by Iran and Qatar.
“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,” Jones stated.
Omar Suleiman, a prominent Muslim American scholar, called the remarks "truly disgraceful and vile" on X and wrote, "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."
Truly disgraceful and vile @VanJones68.
— Dr. Omar Suleiman (@omarsuleiman) October 4, 2025
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. https://t.co/iyg7FFk4oS
Responding to Suleiman on X, Jones acknowledged his comments were wrong by stating: "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."
I made a comment on Real Time with Bill Maher about the war in Gaza that was insensitive and hurtful. I apologize.
— Van Jones (@VanJones68) October 5, 2025
The suffering of the people of Gaza — especially the children — is not a punch line. I’m deeply sorry it came across that way. What’s happening to children in Gaza…
"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,” Jones added.
In a follow-up post, he again stated that his remark about the war in Gaza was "insensitive and hurtful," adding, "The suffering of the people of Gaza — especially the children — is not a punch line. I’m deeply sorry it came across that way. What’s happening to children in Gaza is heartbreaking."
"I’m praying and working for an immediate end to this war — and for peace and safety for every family caught in its path," he concluded.
