Update 02/08/2021 10:08pm:

According to PageSix, a source close to Van Jones says the CNN political commentator felt "ambushed" by the line of questioning on The View. Jones appeared on the daytime talk show to discuss his upcoming documentary in partnership with Republican and The View co-host Meghan McCain. 

The source indicated that McCain was even taken aback by her co-hosts' confrontational questioning. “[Van] expected a friendly environment, and I don’t think Meghan even knew there was anything controversial about him. It was how they asked the questions that was off-putting. It was shocking how intolerant they were,” the source said. 

Another source explained that Jones was livid and expressed his discontent with the producers. “He told them, ‘I didn’t expect to be ambushed.”

However, an insider for The View refutes Jones's claims, and the sources backing him. “Producers told him they would question him about his flip-flopping. Sunny and Ana, like many other influential voices, gave Van the chance to not only address his conflicting political positions but also his cozy relationship with [Trump],” said the insider. 

“It’s unfortunate that instead of addressing the very real distrust of him within the black community, Van chooses to attack two women of color via social media, hiding behind the guise of ‘unity,'” they continued. “Van is taking a page from Donald Trump’s playbook, whom he called the ‘uniter-in-chief’ in 2018. His exposure as a persona non grata in the black community is clearly jeopardizing his grift.”

Original 02/05/2021 1:49pm:

News commentator Van Jones was confronted for his perceived political flip-flopping during an appearance on The View.

During the interview, lawyer and co-host Sunny Hostin brought up accusations of Jones being an opportunist and providing "racial cover" for former President, Donald Trump. She continued by quoting Jones' support of the disgraced president.

"Donald Trump -- and I get beat up by liberals everytime I say this, but I'm gonna keep saying it -- he's done good stuff for the Black community, opportunity zone stuff, Black college stuff," Jones previously said. "There's a side to Donald Trump that I think he does not get enough credit for."

After reading the quote to Jones, Hostin brought up Van Jones crying on-air after Joe Biden was elected as the new president. During that segment, Jones said, "It's easier to be a parent this morning, it's easier to be a dad. It's easier to tell your kids character matters, it matters. Tell them the truth matters. Being a good person matters."

"People in the Black community don't trust you anymore," Hostin told Jones after reading the quote back to him.

Jones defended his first quote by claiming he also said Trump doesn't get credit for the good stuff because of all of the horrific things he's done. He also accused social media of not providing the full context of his statements.

"My entire life has been about bringing people together to solve tough problems for people at the very bottom who don't have anything," Jones responded. "I've spent 25 years fighting against the prison system, I've helped to close five abusive prisons, and by working with Republicans at the local, state, and federal level -- and yes, including the Trump administration -- I have helped the past 18 bipartisan bills."

Jones added that he's helped release 70,000 people from jail during the COVID-19 pandemic before listing statistics related to incarcerated African Americans.

"The people behind bars are not sitting up here worried, 'Then get me out of prison, Van. But whatever you do, don't talk to a Republican,'" Jones continued. "They say, 'Get me out of prison,' and I am proud of the fact that my team at the Reform Alliance, Dream Corps, and Cut50 have been able to work with anybody to get folks home."

Jones ended his response by encouraging viewers and listeners to focus on results rather than rhetoric and challenged skeptics to compare his critics' results to his.

"[Whoever] is in that White House, I've got a responsibility to go in there and advocate and try to get people home and out of prison and I'm gonna keep doing it."