This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive.

'Whitelash' Becomes An Important Word Following Trump's Victory

"This was a whitelash against a changing country."

Following the news that Republican candidate Donald Trump would become the next president of the United States of America, there was one word by CNN political commentator Van Jones that really stood out.

During the early hours of Wednesday, the author and activist called Trump's victory a "whitelash."

"This was a whitelash against a changing country," Jones said in the video above. "It was whitelash against a black president in part. And that's the part where the pain comes."

"I know it's not just about race," he continued. "There's more going on than that, but race is here too and we have to talk about it.”

Social media users were quick to react to the 48-year-old's comments about race and parenting — something Jones spoke quite a bit about during election night.

Others believed Jones just made the word up.

Even "Parks And Recreation" actress Rashida Jones made a statement about Jones' words.

Author Van Jones attends the 26th annual EMA Awards at Warner Bros. Studios on October 22, 2016.

And as Romper adds, the U.S. went from electing their first black president to electing a man who has made racist and hateful comments towards Muslims, Latinos and African Americans.

"Trump's rise and his surprising surge in votes on Nov. 8, Jones reasoned, came down to 'whitelash' — essentially, backlash from white Americans against other races," the site notes. "Backlash (or whitelash) against immigrants entering the country, backlash against refugees who were welcomed into the United States, backlash against African Americans having true equal rights."

And following his own appearance on CNN, Jones himself tweeted this:

Also on HuffPost

U.S. Election 2016

Close
This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.