Van Jones Explains 9/11 Petition In One Of His First Post-White House Interviews (VIDEO)

Van Jones, President Obama's former "Green Jobs Czar," spoke to Tavis Smiley in one of his first public interviews since his resignation last year.

Jones told Smiley he never signed the "truther" petition that was the catalyst downfall. The activist and author told Smiley about his "tough lesson":
Van Jones:... I believe that 9/11 was a conspiracy by Al-Qaida and Osama Bin Laden, and nobody else, trying to hurt America. What happened to me on that tough lesson learned for me, six years ago, I was at a conference, some people came up to me. They said, 'Hey, we represent 9-11 families.' I'm like, 'OK, good to meet you.' They said, 'We need your help. Will you help us?' I said, 'Sure, whatever you want.'

And then these people, I didn't know what their agenda was, they went and put my name on some abhorrent, crazy language they never showed me, I never saw. And it just sat there on this web site for years. Somebody discovered it, and then boom. So people actually believe that I actually signed onto something that I never saw and never signed onto. And that became part of the firestorm. I decided at that point that I needed to resign because I was becoming a distraction.

Jones resigned from his position at the White House in September 2008. He told Smiley that it was solely his decision to resign.

He has since joined the think tank Center For American Progress, and has been appointed as a fellow at Princeton University.

WATCH

Comments

[twitfixer]

03:19 AM on 03/10/2010

Van Jones claims that his name was put on an "apporent(?) crazy language they never showed me, I never saw..", trying to clear his name.

I don't buy it. Even a high school student would have a hard time selling this for a defense.

[Puncastle]

02:27 AM on 03/09/2010

Can someone explain why it is considered treasonous to bring justice to whomever was behind 9/11? For such a horrific event, I would imagine that every American would want to prosecute absolutely everyone involved.

[Sergeant]

06:34 PM on 03/08/2010

The fact he was a communist was also a distraction. And he was right to resign. Someone who lends his name to an unknown agenda is not very astute.

[StalinsLoveChild]

06:49 PM on 02/26/2010

Ok, so this product of Yale Law now says that he didn't know better than to let someone put his name on something he didn't read. I guess he missed hour #1 of class #1 on day #1 at Yale Law.

For crying out loud, he should have been booted just for suggesting such a ridiculous story.

[StalinsLoveChild]

06:53 PM on 02/26/2010

Oh and one more thing. I think it's poetic justice that's he'll be forever linked to Glenn Beck. This story is even on the Glenn Beck page on this website.
:-D

[kevel]

04:13 AM on 02/26/2010

Van you are a true patriot unlike some other folks who sent our brothers and sisters to pointless wars in Iraq

[Sergeant]

06:35 PM on 03/08/2010

If the world had more "patriots" like him there would still be a Soviet Union enslaving eastern europe.

[Krez2445]

05:16 AM on 03/09/2010

haha sergeant... finally someone on here with brain... fanned

[theguyfromchesapeake]

12:34 AM on 02/26/2010

So Van Jones was FRAMED!!??!! That's what happend to him, right? Somebody 'just started talking about him, saying all sorts of CRAZY stuff and whatnot...'. It was 9/11 FAMILIES who set him up! He was just sitting there, doing what he does best, which is spread race based love and harmony, then BOOM, he was in the firestorm.

It must be racism. Just because a man is on record as being an avowed communist should not mean he can't be an intricate part of a Presidential administration. Communists are people too! They have feelings! Stalin HAD to murder, er, eliminate, all those nasty peasants he supposedly was all about championing (sound familiar, like how the Dem Party is all for the 'little guy'?), they would have consumed too many resources if they had been left alone! Can't everybody see that? What's wrong with you all?

Of course, ol' Van wasn't let go for being a commie, he was thrown out for being a "truther'. Being a good old fashioned dyed-in-the-wool sympathizer for all things communist is still alright with those who are in charge of this admin, including the head cheese himself!

[kevel]

04:45 AM on 02/26/2010

I wouldn't worry about communism, your Goldman Sucks capitalism is dead anyway

[Sergeant]

06:35 PM on 03/08/2010

And I guess you are living in a box on the street, huh genius?

[Mark Harker]

03:32 PM on 02/25/2010

this headline should read: "I'm not a 9/11 truther, says former Obama administration "green job czar," I just willingly put my signature on stuff that I haven't read and have no intention of reading."

[MsWright]

02:11 PM on 02/25/2010

“Kudos to NAACP for rewarding such a brilliant man as Van Jones..”

[blacktea]

02:17 PM on 02/25/2010

The man is a filthy communist truther.

[mypov123]

07:52 PM on 02/25/2010

Agreed.

[willt7311]

11:23 AM on 02/25/2010

More of the victimhood strategy.

[blacktea]

11:08 AM on 02/25/2010

He's a truther, and a communists. He has contempt for Americans and our values.

[simarti44]

02:18 PM on 02/25/2010

BTW The "truthers" as you call them are some of the most patriotic people in this country. We the people want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. for the sake of our people and the US of A. We have never been told the whole truth about 9/11. Last time I checked that was a very patriotic thing to do.

[blacktea]

02:26 PM on 02/25/2010

We know the truth. A group of crazed Muslims flew jets into the buildings.

[StalinsLoveChild]

06:58 PM on 02/26/2010

Yes, it is patriotic to seek the truth. So long as that truth you seek has nothing to do with where a certain person may or may not have been born, if you what I'm talk'n bout. Cause then you're not patriotic, you're racist.

[Joe Caps]

10:19 AM on 02/25/2010

So he's not a truther hes just a fool who signs onto whatever people put in front of him....and thats supposed to be better?

I honestly could care less about the truther thing...what's scary to me is we had self avowed co(\/)(\/)ie in the WH.

[rick8055]

09:24 AM on 02/25/2010

Truther Vanjones not a truther? Yeah right. That's not what the other truthers are saying.

[MsWright]

09:16 AM on 02/25/2010

Kudos to NAACP for rewarding such a brilliant man as Van Jones..

[Krez2445]

05:18 AM on 03/09/2010

communist is put into the whitehouse and approved by the president... there is absolutly no way the president agrees and empathizes with that communist... right??

[Sam Deakins]

08:57 AM on 02/25/2010

Next thing you know he will be telling us he's not a communist. What a riot this joke of humanity is.

[JanusW]

08:43 AM on 02/25/2010

Van Jones is a POWERFUL BLACK MAN and a great face for the emergence of our group. Bravo Van Jones, Bravo! You are EXACTLY what "they" are afraid of....HERE WE COME!

[Sergeant]

06:38 PM on 03/08/2010

What group would that be? He jumped ship at the first sign of a problem. Yeah, here you come. That laughter you hear is really fear.