Liberal CNN Analyst Shares ‘Shocking’ Message He Received From Charlie Kirk Day Before Assassination

CNN analyst Van Jones revealed Thursday that Charlie Kirk reached out to him with an invitation just one day before a gunman killed the conservative activist at Utah Valley University.

Jones shared the direct message on X that Kirk sent him September 9, amid their heated public dispute over race and crime. The two had been trading barbs on television and social media after Kirk claimed a Ukrainian refugee’s killing showed anti-white hatred, Jones wrote in his CNN article.

“Hey, Van, I mean it, I’d love to have you on my show to have a respectful conversation about crime and race,” Kirk wrote in the message. “I would be a gentleman as I know you would be as well. We can disagree about the issues agreeably. (RELATED: Here’s A Brief Look Back At Charlie Kirk’s Impact On College Campuses)

The day before he was horrifically murdered, Charlie Kirk sent me a direct message on X.

Unfortunately, before I could even respond, Charlie Kirk was killed — seemingly assassinated for the words he’d spoken.

I’ve taken issue with many of those words — sometimes strongly — but… pic.twitter.com/l3L8AhLeAi

— Van Jones (@VanJones68) September 20, 2025

Jones never got the chance to respond. Tyler Robinson shot and killed Kirk the next day during a speaking event in Orem, Utah.

The CNN personality condemned the assassination immediately. “Today’s attack on Charlie Kirk is absolutely horrifying and heartbreaking. He fought with words not weapons,” Jones tweeted that afternoon.

Jones wrote that Kirk’s final message proved the Turning Point USA founder wanted dialogue, not division. He criticized those using Kirk’s death to call for violence or censorship.

“When our public dispute started going sideways, what was Kirk’s response? He pushed for more conversation, not more silencing or censorship. He pushed for more civility, not more stridency or venom,” Jones wrote.

The FBI says Robinson texted that he had “the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk” and claimed “some hatred cannot be negotiated with.”