Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears (R) has launched a campaign ad targeting her Democratic opponent, Abigail Spanberger, following the leak of a controversial text message from Democratic Attorney General candidate Jay Jones.
The ad opens with news clips discussing Jones’ 2022 text message where he urged the former statehouse speaker to “put two bullets in their heads.”
Segments of Spanberger and Jones campaigning together are interspersed with remarks from former lawmakers who previously supported Jones, all before the unsettling news broke.
This revelation adds to the tension as Virginia heads into its off-year election. The initial report originated from a national review, and the message was later shared by the Republican Prosecutors General Association.
In his text, Jones referred to former House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R), stating, “Gilbert, Hitler, Polpot. Gilbert gets two bullets in his head.”
He elaborated, suggesting that if Gilbert were in a group with two of the worst people known, he would still be deserving of “both bullets.” Coiner, who received the text, replied to Jones, who later expressed remorse for the communication, reaching out to Gilbert and his family to apologize.
“I am very, very deeply sorry for what I said. I hope that it didn’t happen, and hopefully I can get it back,” Jones told Wric, which is owned by Hill’s parent company, Nexstar Media Group.
In response to the fallout, Spanberger issued a statement condemning the text messages. “After learning about these comments, I spoke honestly with Jay about my disapproval of his words,” she stated. “I made it clear that he must be accountable for what he says. As a candidate and potential governor, I strongly condemn violence in our political discourse.”
The emergence of these texts comes during a time of heightened concern over political violence in America, notably following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last month.
Republicans nationwide, including Vice President Vance, called for Jones to withdraw from the race. “Democratic candidates in Virginia have been joking about killing political rivals in their private messages,” Vance remarked on X.
James Blair, deputy chief of staff at the White House, also urged Jones to end his campaign, suggesting he might need some counseling.
In a post on Truthsocial, Trump expressed disgust over Jones’ text and criticized Spanberger as “weak and ineffective.” He urged, “Democrat Jay Jones should drop out of the race soon, and Virginians ought to support Jason Miyares as a strong attorney general.”
Updated at 11:55am
