CNN’s Van Jones Says Erika Kirk ‘Has Tremendous Moral Authority’

CNN’s Van Jones said Erika Kirk had “tremendous moral authority” on Wednesday, claiming that she has the “opportunity” to bring people together to address violence in America.

Jones joined Outfront to discuss, among other topics, Kirk’s response to Saturday’s shooting at White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The wife of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was shot to death last year, left the dinner in tears. She later addressed the shooting on X, claiming the event displayed the “continued rise in political violence” in the country.

“Saturday was yet another traumatic example of the evil in our country and the continued rise in political violence,” Kirk wrote. “I’m taking time to spend with my family.”

Kirk shared more detailed thoughts on Wednesday’s edition of The Charlie Kirk Show, where she blamed the press and commentators for the “systemic indoctrination and radicalization” of U.S. citizens.

“This culture we’re living in absorbs disagreement into personal betrayal,” she said. “It turns having an opposing viewpoint into a moral crime worthy of punishment.”

CNN host Erin Burnett played a clip from Kirk’s remarks where the TPUSA head called out those on the left for their reaction to Trump’s multiple assassination attempts.

“There has never been a president who has faced this many assassination attempts in America’s entire history. And after each one, the reaction from the far left has been, at best, a shrug and in some cases, a sick disappointment that the shooter was unsuccessful,” Kirk said. “We are all human beings, and if you can just pause and just take a minute and ask yourself, how would you feel if even just one person made cruel jokes about the attempted murder of your loved one?”

Burnett asked Jones about the clip, noting that the moment had caught his attention and asking him to explain his thoughts.

“Well, first of all, you know, she’s a grieving widow, and I think she has tremendous moral authority in this country,” Jones said. “And if she wants to unify the country against violence, she has an opportunity to do that.”

Jones, however, went on to say that Kirk would hurt her potential to use that opportunity if she were “only going to chastise one side.”

“But if she’s only going to chastise one side and not talk about the fact that Nancy Pelosi’s husband was almost beaten to death with a hammer, that we lost two democratic state senators in Minnesota– horrific murder,” he said. “So, look, I think she has a tremendous opportunity to be a unifying figure against violence. But she’s going to pick only one side to chastise, I think she undermines her cause.”

Watch above via CNN.

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