CNN star reveals message Charlie Kirk sent him before assassination
Share and Follow

CNN’s Van Jones has detailed the final message slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk sent him the day before he was assassinated.

Jones, 57, offered the unexpected insight during a segment on Anderson Cooper 360° Friday. 

The pundit had been one of Kirk’s biggest adversaries before he was brutally gunned down in Orem, Utah, on September 10. 

The two individuals had been engaged in a heated discussion regarding the death of Ukrainian immigrant Iryna Zarutska and its broader implications when Kirk unexpectedly reached out to Jones via X, as Jones shared with Cooper.

The message from September 9 stated: ‘Hey Van, I mean it, I’d love to have you on my show to have a respectful conversation about crime and race. I would be a gentleman as I know you would be as well. We can disagree about the issues agreeably.’

After Cooper read it aloud, Jones, 57, revealed how he responded – and his state of mind since.

‘Look, I mean, we were having a disagreement. And then, after he passed away, after he was murdered, my team informed me, “Van, he was trying to reach you, man,?” the former Obama aide recounted.

‘And what was he doing? Dialogue. Let’s be gentlemen together. He says let’s disagree agreeably. So I’m sitting on this, and I’m watching the whole country talk about civil war, censorship, justifying murder, about this guy?

CNN star Van Jones, 57, made the revelation during a poignant segment on Anderson Cooper 360° Friday that Charlie Kirk had invited him to sit down with him

CNN star Van Jones, 57, made the revelation during a poignant segment on Anderson Cooper 360° Friday that Charlie Kirk had invited him to sit down with him

The pundit had been one of Kirk's biggest adversaries before he was brutally gunned down at a college event in Orem, Utah, on September 10

The pundit had been one of Kirk’s biggest adversaries before he was brutally gunned down at a college event in Orem, Utah, on September 10

‘This guy who is reaching out to his mortal enemy saying, “We need to be gentlemen, sit down together, and disagree agreeably”. And the next day, he’s killed. And I’ve sat on it long enough.’

Jones then recalled immediately coming to the conclusion that he would have to attend Kirk’s funeral procession in Arizona Sunday, to pay his respects.

He told Cooper, ‘We disagree. Everybody knows we were not friends, OK? At all.

‘But you praise the good when it’s time to memorialize somebody.’

Jones went on to list several of Kirk’s accomplishments, saying: ‘He was not for censorship. He was not for civil war. He was not for violence. He was for dialogue, open debate and dialogue – even with me.’

When Cooper asked Jones whether he had considered Kirk’s invitation, the pundit said ‘no.’

He clarified: ‘I wasn’t trying to build his platform, but I would have called and we would have talked and we would have started the process of trying to figure this stuff out.’

The CNN star, in the end, said political unrest – and a failure to speak out differences – was responsible for Kirk’s death. 

Jones said he decided to share Kirk's message so it 'might help somebody, on both sides, deal with issues more like he did'. He also penned a similar account on Substack. He's seen here speaking about the message with costar Anderson Cooper on A360°

Jones said he decided to share Kirk’s message so it ‘might help somebody, on both sides, deal with issues more like he did’. He also penned a similar account on Substack. He’s seen here speaking about the message with costar Anderson Cooper on A360°

‘I think what happens is people get so worked up, Anderson, seeing us go at it, they think they’re supposed go ahead and kill somebody, or go out and talk about civil war. 

‘Go out and silence people or cancel people or fire people or censor people – about Charlie Kirk? “Mr. Debate?”

‘I did not agree with him on literally almost anything, but we were words, not weapons, guys.     

‘And we were getting into a position where we could get some real debate going.’   

He concluded: ‘That wasn’t worked out, but I would have taken them up. I want to beat Charlie Kirk in a debate.’

Jones also penned a similar tribute on Substack.

Jones said he decided to share Kirk’s message so it, ‘might help somebody, on both sides, deal with issues more like he did.’

A memorial service is being held for Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Democrats, Republicans pitch competing SNAP bills: What to know

Key Differences in New SNAP Proposals from Democrats and Republicans Unveiled

Amidst the ongoing government shutdown, both Democrats and Republicans are racing against…
Navy Pier lawsuit: Kira Bond of New York seriously injured by s'mores fire sues Offshore Rooftop restaurant in Chicago

New York Woman Sues Chicago Rooftop Restaurant After S’mores Fire Incident at Navy Pier

A New York resident, who was injured in a fire at Chicago’s…
Truckload of 'aggressive' research monkeys escape after truck crash in Mississippi; 1 still on the loose

Escape of ‘Bold’ Research Monkeys in Mississippi: One Still Missing After Truck Accident

A truck transporting monkeys from Tulane University in New Orleans overturned on…
Hollywood producer sentenced in women's deaths also accused of rape by hero officer who died helping others

Hollywood Producer Faces New Rape Allegations from Late Hero Officer Amid Sentencing for Women’s Deaths

A Hollywood producer was sentenced on Wednesday for his involvement in the…
Microsoft outage fix in progress, but could take hours to fully restore

Microsoft Working Diligently to Resolve Ongoing Outage: Full Restoration May Take Several Hours

Just a little over a week following a significant disruption at Amazon…
Dad was on a show about aliens, mom worked with Jim Carrey

From UFOs to Hollywood: Unraveling the Fascinating Lives of a Family with Ties to Aliens and Jim Carrey

A well-known celebrity offspring stepped into the limelight for a rare red…
Woman dies after oncoming car hits deer, sends it flying through windshield

Tragic Accident: Deer Thrown Through Windshield Claims Woman’s Life

PARAGON, Ind. (WXIN) — Tragedy struck in Indiana on Saturday when a…
The DNA twist that could change everything for Jennifer Kesse's family

DNA Breakthrough Offers New Hope for Jennifer Kesse’s Family

Drew Kesse has been seeking answers for nearly two decades regarding the…