Van Jones apologized to Vivek Ramaswamy for past harsh words that led to death threats against Ramaswamy’s family. This apology was captured in footage posted Friday.
Jones had previously called Ramaswamy a “demagogue” and “dangerous” during a Dec. 6 CNN segment. The remarks followed a primary debate where Ramaswamy discussed the “great replacement theory.” At the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Thursday, Ramaswamy shared with Jones how his family faced threats, including a man arrested for sending death threats within 48 hours of Jones’ comments.
“So you were on-air, and you said that he’s like a demagogue, he’s dangerous, he’s gonna be around for 50 years, long after Donald Trump’s gone,” Ramaswamy recounted to Jones. The threats, including one where a man planned to confront him in New Hampshire, led to police intervention.
The suspect, Tyler Anderson, allegedly sent texts threatening to kill Ramaswamy and his supporters. He was arrested on Dec. 9 after authorities tracked down the messages sent to Ramaswamy’s phone and home. The New York Times reported on the case.
Ramaswamy shared that his security guard called him at 3 a.m. after someone showed up at their house with threats involving “four dead bodies.” He expressed his frustration, though he didn’t directly blame Jones’ comments for the threats.
Jones, recognizing the gravity of the situation, asked for Ramaswamy’s personal number to apologize to him and his wife directly. He promised to reach out in the following days.
Ramaswamy suggested they move forward, focusing on constructive discourse. He acknowledged the responsibility was on both of them.
Jones had previously criticized Ramaswamy on Dec. 6, calling him a dangerous demagogue. He expressed his concerns over Ramaswamy’s comments about the “great replacement theory” during the Republican primary debate.
Ramaswamy, in response, later told Jones to “shut the f*ck up” during a Turning Point USA event on Dec. 17, reacting strongly to Jones’ earlier remarks on CNN.