Senior Democrats in the Commonwealth of Virginia are refusing to withdraw their endorsements for Jay Jones, the Democratic Party nominee in the razor close attorney general race in the state, despite the emergence of disturbing text messages in which he fantasized about murdering a Republican lawmaker and his children.
In 2022 text messages to a colleague, Jones stated that he wanted to put “two bullets” in the head of then-Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert. He then doubled down and threatened Gilbert’s wife and children over the phone, according to a report from the National Review.
“I’ve told you this before. Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy,” the Democrat nominee told Republican House Delegate Carrie Coyner. Jones then directed his violent rhetoric towards Gilbert’s children. “I mean do I think Todd and Jennifer are evil? And that they’re breeding little fascists? Yes,” he went on.
A number of prominent Republicans, including Governor Glenn Youngkin and Vice President JD Vance, have called on Jones to suspend his campaign and drop out of the race. “This violent, disgusting rhetoric targeted at an elected official and his children is beyond disqualifying,” the governor posted on X.
“There is no ‘gosh, I’m sorry’ here. Jones doesn’t have the morality or character to drop out of this race, and his running mates Abigail Spanberger, Ghazala Hashmi, and every elected Democrat in Virginia don’t have the courage to call on him to step away from this campaign in disgrace.”
Vice President Vance did the same in an X post of his own. “The Democrat candidate for AG in Virginia has been fantasizing about murdering his political opponents in private messages. I’m sure the people hyperventilating about sombrero memes will join me in calling for this very deranged person to drop out of the race,” he said.
The disturbing messages were shared with the ‘National Review’
Democrat gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger condemned the messages, but stopped short of calling Jones to exit the race. “I will always condemn violent language in our politics,” Spanberger said, adding that she had spoken “frankly” with him after the texts surfaced,” Fox News reported.
The Virginia Beach Democratic Committee took things a step further by affirming their endorsement of Jones, calling for all Virginians to “line up behind” him.
“We are lined up, ten toes down, ready to organize, mobilize and deliver voters for Jay and our entire Democratic ticket,” the statement read. “Recent press may have spotlighted past mistakes. We say, let those without sin cast the first stone. Jay Jones has taken responsibility, apologized and shown he is committed to serving with integrity and accountability that his public record already shows.”
President Donald Trump joined the chorus of Republican lawmakers calling on Jones to step aside while speaking with reporters on Sunday. Democrat Jay Jones should drop out of the race immediately and the people of Virginia must continue to have a great attorney general in Jason Miyares who, by the way, has my complete and total endorsement,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Jones struck a defiant tone in his initial statement on the scandal.
“Let’s be clear about what is happening in the Attorney General race right now: Jason Miyares is dropping smears through Trump-controlled media organizations to assault my character and rescue his desperate campaign,” he added. “This is a strategy that ensures Jason Miyares will continue to be accountable to Donald Trump, not the people of Virginia.”
In a follow-up statement, Jones claimed that he has reached out to apologize to Gilbert and his wife, stating that he made a “grave mistake.”
“I take full responsibility for my actions, and I want to issue my deepest apology to Speaker Gilbert and his family. Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach. I am embarrassed, ashamed and sorry,” the Democrat nominee wrote.
“I have reached out to Speaker Gilbert to apologize directly to him, his wife Jennifer and their children. I cannot take back what I said; I can only take full accountability and offer my sincere apology,” he added.
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