President Trump has urged Democratic Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones to withdraw from the race following the leak of controversial text messages involving former Republican chairman Todd Gilbert (R).
In a somewhat bizarre context, Jones reportedly joked in a message about Gilbert, referencing violent imagery, which included comments about “murdering a Republican.” The remarks raised eyebrows, and they were highlighted during a pivotal election season in Virginia.
Trump criticized Abigail Spanberger, who is vying for the governor’s seat, calling her “weak” and ineffective for not addressing Jones’s comments adequately. He claimed that even members of her own party believe she should step away from the campaign due to the situation.
The president expressed support for Attorney General Jason Miyarez, suggesting that Jones should quickly exit the race.
This controversy erupted as the messages shook up Virginia’s off-year election landscape. The text message details were first reported by a national review and later shared by the Republican Prosecutors General Association.
In one instance, Jones mentioned in a text to Carrie Coiner (R), “Three, two bullets,” in reference to Gilbert. He continued with a troubling comparison, stating, “Gilbert, Hitler, Polpot,” adding that “Gilbert gets two bullets in his head.”
Coiner replied to Jones, leading him to apologize for the offensive messages on Friday and to reach out to Gilbert and his family to express his regret.
Jones conveyed his deep remorse, stating, “I’m very, very deeply sorry for what I said. I hope that it didn’t happen, and hopefully, I can get it back,” during an interview with Wric, part of Nexstar Media Group, which also owns the Hill.
Spanberger released a statement denouncing Jones’s comments after learning of the texts. She said, “After learning about these comments, I spoke honestly with Jay about my dislike for what he said and texted.” She emphasized the need for him to take full responsibility for his words and condemned such violent rhetoric in politics as a candidate for governor.
The release of the text messages comes amid a broader discussion on rising political violence in America, especially after the recent death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Calls for Jones to cease his candidacy have been echoed by Republicans nationwide, including Vice President Vance, who commented on social media that Democratic candidates for Virginia AG seem to entertain thoughts of harming political opponents in their private messages.
