Virginia politics just took a nosedive into the gutter with Democratic Party attorney general candidate Jay Jones at the center of a firestorm over leaked texts that could make even the toughest stomachs churn.
Jones, still backed by many in his party despite the uproar, faces backlash after messages from August 8, 2022, surfaced showing violent fantasies about a Republican former state House speaker and disturbing remarks about his family, while new allegations about past anti-police comments add fuel to the fire, as the New York Post reports.
Let’s rewind to the start: Jones’ texts, leaked to National Review, were sent to Republican delegate Carrie Coyner, revealing a side of the candidate that’s anything but attorney general material.
In those messages, Jones compared then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert to historical tyrants like Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot, which is already a stretch that raises eyebrows.
Worse, he tossed out a chilling line about “three people, two bullets,” specifying that Gilbert would get “both bullets to the head” in a twisted hypothetical game of choice -- hardly the rhetoric of a law-and-order leader.
Not stopping there, Jones reportedly called Gilbert’s children “little fascists” and mused about them dying in their mother’s arms to sway Gilbert’s politics, a comment so far over the line it’s practically in another state, per Coyner’s account.
Fast forward to Monday, when fresh accusations emerged about Jones allegedly saying in 2020 that if more police officers died, it might stop them from “shooting people” or “killing people,” a claim Coyner recalled during a discussion on qualified immunity.
Jones, who previously pushed bills to strip qualified immunity as a House of Delegates member, flat-out denied the statement, telling Virginia Scope, “I did not say this.”
Still, the allegation sticks like mud, especially with Coyner’s memory of the exchange painting a picture of a candidate with little regard for the thin blue line -- a stance that doesn’t sit well with many Virginians who value law enforcement.
Despite the growing scandal, key Democrats, such as former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, currently running for governor, have criticized Jones’ words but stopped short of pulling their support or urging him to exit the race.
Sen. Tim Kaine, meanwhile, called the comments “completely indefensible” on CNN Monday evening, yet doubled down with, “I’m still supporting Jay Jones,” citing a 25-year friendship as his reasoning -- a loyalty that might leave some voters scratching their heads.
Contrast that with Democratic Party strategist Brad Bannon’s blunt advice to the Post: “They should avoid Jay Jones like the plague,” a warning that suggests the party’s public unity might mask deeper electoral fears.
On the other side, Republican incumbent Jason Miyares isn’t holding back, releasing an ad Monday that slams Jones’ texts as “so disgusting” and questions whether he can be trusted to protect Virginia families.
Virginia’s Fraternal Order of Police piled on with a letter to Jones’ campaign that night, demanding he withdraw and declaring him “unfit” for the office of attorney general -- a stinging rebuke from those who risk their lives daily.
With polls before the scandal showing Jones ahead of Miyares by six points, one has to wonder if this cascade of controversy will shift the numbers, especially as the Republican campaign hammers home the narrative of a candidate with a past that includes dangerous and violent rhetoric.
