Political pundit and official in former President Barack Obama’s administration, Van Jones has sparked controversy by advising President Joe Biden to remain out of the public eye if he wishes to secure victory in the upcoming 2024 election.

Jones, known for his commentary on CNN, criticized Biden’s ability to inspire confidence among voters and suggested that his presence could weaken his campaign.

Jones’s comments came in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s resounding victory in the New Hampshire Republican primary, The Daily Mail reported.

Speaking on CNN’s election coverage, Jones asserted that Biden’s campaign had fundamental flaws, and he urged for a shift in strategy, empowering those directly impacted by Biden’s policies to be the driving force of his campaign narrative–and not Biden.

“If I were Biden… I would stay hidden,” Jones said. “He doesn’t inspire confidence. And he’s not a great messenger for himself. He has done a tremendous job for this economy. Union members, union leaders… are racking up win after win; they should be put forward.”

Jones, formerly a Special Advisor to Obama, told the CNN political panel there was “something wrong with this campaign” if “we’re somehow expecting Joe Biden, who frankly hid during the last campaign, to come out now and be Flash Gordon and save his own campaign.”

Jones advised, the people benefiting most from the Biden economy, “should be empowered to speak.”

Jones also warned that Republicans “are not afraid of Joe Biden. They’re not afraid,” The New York Post reported.

Former White House communications director Kate Bedingfield pushed back at Jones’ remarks, saying, “I think Biden ran a very disciplined campaign. I think — the sort of ‘Oh, he hid in the basement?’ Well, remember, we were in the midst of a global pandemic. We were in the midst of a once-in-a-generation crisis. And frankly, the way Joe Biden handled it was reassuring to people, and was a big part of the reason that he was elected president in 2020.”

Photo: Van Jones, Aug. 1, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Jason Mendez/Invision/AP)