In the days since conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated at a college tour event in Utah, the nation has been confronted with both grief and ugly displays of political hatred. But this weekend, an unexpected voice — CNN’s Van Jones — revealed a message that sheds light on the true character of the man the left loved to vilify.
According to Jones, Kirk reached out to him just one day before his murder, extending an olive branch for a respectful dialogue about one of America’s most contentious issues: crime and race.
“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 a message Jones shared on Instagram. “I would be a gentleman as I know you would be as well. We can disagree about the issues agreeably.”
For a man routinely smeared as a “divisive figure,” Kirk’s final outreach stands in sharp contrast to the caricature painted by his detractors. It was not a call for censorship, cancellation, or ideological warfare, but for genuine conversation — even with someone who openly opposed him.
Jones admitted he and Kirk were “beefing hard” in the week leading up to the 31-year-old’s death, and that he was “shocked” to receive such a message. He hesitated to share it publicly, but ultimately decided it was important to show Americans what Kirk was really about in his final hours.
“In the past week and a half, just watching people talk about civil wars and censorship and all this stuff coming out of his death, I just thought it was important to let people know – Don’t put that on Charlie Kirk,” Jones said. “The last day of his life, he was reaching out to have not more censorship, \[but] more conversation, more dialogue, with somebody who, honestly, was one of his adversaries – me.”
Jones concluded that sharing Kirk’s words “might help somebody, on both sides, deal with issues more like he did.”
In the wake of Kirk’s murder, the internet has been flooded with disgraceful comments — many from left-wing activists celebrating or mocking his death. The vitriol is a chilling reminder of how toxic America’s political climate has become. But Kirk’s last act — reaching out to an opponent in good faith — is a direct rebuke of that darkness.
Kirk founded Turning Point USA with a mission to educate and mobilize young conservatives, often in the face of fierce hostility from radical progressives on college campuses. For over a decade, he stood as one of the most prominent voices pushing back against censorship, government overreach, and the erosion of American values.
His funeral will take place Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona, where President Trump is expected to deliver remarks, along with several other national leaders.
Charlie Kirk’s final message should be remembered not just as a note to Van Jones, but as a lesson to America: disagreement does not have to mean destruction. In an era defined by division, his last words were a call for civility, courage, and conversation.
