Ex-Obama adviser Van Jones rips Trump for emboldening racists: ‘It’s time to look in the mirror’

Appearing on CNN's State of the Nation, a former Obama White House adviser took GOP front-runner Donald Trump to task for a campaign so firmly rooted in bigotry that it has emboldened racists to make unsolicited robocalls in support of his candidacy.

Over the weekend, it was revealed that American Renaissance -- a white supremacist "think tank" devoted to fake studies showing the inferiority of non-whites -- began making calls to voters in Iowa asking for votes for Trump.

In the call, American Renaissance head Jared Taylor agreed with Trump's plan to ban immigrants, saying, "We don't need Muslims. We need smart well-educated white people who can assimilate to our culture."

According to Media Matters, former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) deplored the racist group attaching themselves to the Trump campaign, but added that the billionaire businessman shouldn't have to disavow them.

That was when former White House adviser Van Jones jumped in and slammed Trump, saying he needs to take a "look in the mirror.'

"This is troubling. If I were [Donald] Trump, this is a time to look in the mirror. Who am I inspiring? Who am I attracting? Why will horrible racist groups say I'm the only candidate that speaks for them?" Jones said. "This is what is -- my deep concern is that Donald Trump is beginning to legitimate some of the dark things that have been in our country for a long time, and now starting to let them elevate, let them rise."

"If I were Trump, I'd look in the mirror," he repeated.

Watch the video below from Media Matters: