"We were words, not weapons guys" - Van Jones reveals Charlie Kirk had DM'd him the day before he was killed, inviting him on his show

On Saturday, September 20, Van Jones - one of the strong opposers of Charlie Kirk in the media - appeared on CNN. On the show, Jones revealed that a day before Kirk was shot (on September 10), he had sent him a DM on X, writing: 

"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."

For the unversed, Charlie's message stemmed from a long-drawn-out debate he had been having with Van Jones recently. It was related to the brutal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte train by a Black man named Decarlos Brown.

WATCH: Van Jones reveals DM Charlie Kirk sent him the day before he was assassinated

"We were words guys, not weapons guys."

"I wanted to beat Charlie Kirk in a debate, not shoot him." pic.twitter.com/05Mtdaesvo

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 20, 2025

While Kirk believed it to be a racial crime, Jones didn't agree with his opinion. However, while they exchanged heated tweets publicly on the subject, when Charlie reached out to him personally, it was with respect and sincerity. 

Van said about the late activist: 

"We were decent. We were going at it online, on-air. And then, after his murder, my team calls me. He was trying to reach me... So I'm sitting on this, and I'm watching the whole country talk about civil war, censorship, justifying murder. About this guy? This guy was reaching out to his moral enemy, and the next day he's killed."

Jones went on to say that Kirk didn't stand for violence or censorship, but for "open debate and dialogue," including those with whom he disagreed. He added:

"I did not agree with him on almost anything. But we were words, not weapons, guys."

When asked on CNN if he would consider going on the political activist's show, he said he would definitely have called him, which would start a process of trying to figure it out. 

For the unversed, a day after Kirk was shot at the Utah Valley University (UVU) campus, a 22-year-old Utah resident named Tyler Robinson was identified as his shooter and taken into custody. Currently being held at the Utah County Jail, Robinson faces multiple serious charges and could receive the death penalty if convicted of them.​

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Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, was named the CEO of Turning Point USA

More than a week after Charlie Kirk's death, his wife, Erika Frantzve Kirk, was named the CEO of the organization that he had co-founded in 2012 - Turning Point USA. The news was announced in an X post by the organization, writing that it was "what he wanted in the event of his death."

In her first public statement following Kirk's death, Erika appeared to be committed to continuing his legacy, saying:

"To everyone listening tonight across America, the movement my husband built will not die. My husband’s mission will not end, not even for a moment."

Charlie and Erika got engaged in 2020 and married the following year. They also shared two children.