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While chatting with former CNN colleague Chris Cillizza last week, CNN contributor Van Jones admitted that the mainstream media and fringe media have switched places when it comes to who is more influential.

“We woke up in body bag on Election Day and didn’t even know it,” continued Jones. “We thought that because CNN, NPR, New York Times, all of the mainstream media was pretty much beating the hell out of Donald Trump that Trump was getting the hell beat out of him. The mainstream media is actually now, by the numbers, the fringe.”

“We got beat on platforms I’ve never heard of,” continued Jones. “The problem you’re going to have now is when Joe Rogan sits down with Donald Trump, 48 million people watch the YouTube of the podcast. The YouTube! We didn’t have that many people watch the debate on CNN. So guys — get out of my face. We had the wrong analysis. We didn’t even have the conceptual framework to understand what’s happening to us.”

Jones also conceded that Trump is not an idiot — in fact, he’s smarter than his critics.

“Let me just be very clear: Donald Trump is smarter than me, you, and all of the critics. You know how I know? Because he has the White House; the Senate; the House; the Supreme Court; the popular vote; he has a massive media system bigger than the mainstream built around him and for him; and a … religious fervor in a political movement around him; and his best buddy is the richest person in the history of the world; and the most relevant Kennedy is with him,” said Jones. “This dude is a phenomenon. He is the most powerful human on Earth and in our lifetime, and we’re still staying, ‘Well, how is this guy?’ We look like idiots.”

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