CNN Host’s Claim That White People ‘Have A Virus’ In Their Brains Resurfaces Amid Anti-White Attacks

A controversial statement made by CNN host Van Jones is back in the spotlight this week as many argue the remarks are dangerously divisive and fuel resentment at a time when anti-white attacks are making headlines.

During a CNN segment in May 2020, amid riots following the death of George Floyd, Jones claimed that “even the most liberal, well-intentioned white person has a virus in his or her brain that can be activated in an instant.” He added that for minorities, racism was “a burden… every minute, every second of our entire lives.”

At the time, the statement was largely overlooked by the network’s anchors. But five years later, the clip has resurfaced and is causing outrage online, with many calling it proof of the double standards in mainstream media’s approach to race. Celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels reignited the controversy after sharing the clip on X (formerly Twitter). She called out Jones directly and challenged him to practice what he preaches about unity.

“Suggesting that all white people have a ‘virus in their brain’ (racism) that can ‘activate in an instant’ wouldn’t be the kind of race mongering you’re accusing Charlie Kirk of, right? Go sit down with Charlie. Have an adult conversation and show America how to heal. This divisive insanity has to stop,” Michaels posted.

Jillian Michaels urged Jones to sit down with Charlie Kirk in a public conversation about race, unity, and healing. “This divisive insanity has to stop,” she wrote.

. @VanJones68 Suggesting that all white people have a “virus in their brain” (racism) that can “activate in an instant” wouldn’t be the kind of “race mongering / hate mongering” you’re accusing @charliekirk11 of, right? Go sit down with Charlie. Have an adult conversation and… pic.twitter.com/erut12V4VA

— Jillian Michaels (@JillianMichaels) September 9, 2025

Her remarks quickly went viral, generating millions of views and thousands of comments from users frustrated with what they see as a one-sided conversation about race.

The resurfacing of Jones’s comments comes in the wake of several high-profile crimes where victims were targeted for being white. One of the most shocking cases was the August murder of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee stabbed to death in Charlotte, North Carolina. The suspect, a black man with a lengthy rap sheet, was reportedly heard saying, “I got that white girl” as he fled the scene.

Charlie Kirk blasted CNN and Jones for downplaying the racial motive in Zarutska’s killing. “When George Floyd died, the media elevated him to sainthood. When a young white refugee is butchered, they go silent,” Kirk posted, accusing outlets of selective outrage.

“George Floyd died of a drug overdose after a lifetime of destroying his body with illegal substances,” Kirk said. “BLM burned down cities, destroyed businesses, and vilified law enforcement for a criminal who resisted arrest. Now, when a young white woman — a refugee fleeing war — is butchered by a Black repeat offender who openly stated his motive, the media goes silent.”

Jones fired back, dismissing Kirk’s framing as “race-mongering” and insisting the motive in Zarutska’s killing remained unclear.

“For Charlie Kirk to say, ‘We know he did it because she’s white,’ when there’s no evidence of that, is just pure race-mongering, hate-mongering. It’s wrong,” Van Jones said. “He should be ashamed of himself. No one mentioned the word ‘race,’ ‘white, ‘black,’ or anything except him.”

That pushback, combined with his resurfaced 2020 remarks, has only intensified criticism of what conservatives say is CNN’s hypocrisy on race.