Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said state Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones should abandon his campaign “in disgrace” after previously texting that he would shoot a former Virginia House speaker and made other violent remarks.
The texts, first reported by National Review and obtained by Fox News Digital, show an August 2022 conversation between Jones — then a recently departed delegate from Norfolk — and Delegate Carrie Coyner (R-Chester). In the exchange, Jones referenced then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert and wrote, “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.”
“This violent, disgusting rhetoric targeted at an elected official and his children is beyond disqualifying,” Youngkin wrote on X on Saturday. “Jay Jones said that ‘Gilbert gets two bullets to the head’ and then hoped his children would die. Read those words again.”
“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,” Youngkin added.
A spokesperson for Delegate Coyner’s campaign confirmed the texts’ authenticity and called them “disturbing and disqualifying for anyone who wants to seek public office.” “Jay Jones wished violence on the children of a colleague and joked about shooting Todd Gilbert. It’s disgusting and unbecoming of any public official,” the spokesperson said.
The Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) also demanded Jones “immediately withdraw” from the attorney general race after the messages were revealed. “There is no place for political violence, including joking about it — especially from an elected official. Jay Jones should drop out of the Attorney General’s race. His comments are not acceptable from someone who wants to represent law enforcement,” RAGA Chairman Kris Kobach said.
Jones is the Democratic nominee running against incumbent Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican.
In a statement responding to the revelations, Jones said he “take[s] 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. 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,” Jones continued.
“Virginians deserve honest leaders who admit when they are wrong and own up to their mistakes. This was a grave mistake, and I will work every day to prove to the people of Virginia that I will fight for them as Attorney General,” Jones added.
The post Youngkin: Democrat AG Candidate Jay Jones Must “Step Away in Disgrace” Over Texts About GOP Leader appeared first on Real News Now.
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