House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries defends Virginia Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones, who faces backlash over violent text messages about his GOP rival.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, has expressed his support for Virginia’s Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones, despite the candidate being embroiled in controversy over violent text messages he sent regarding his Republican opponent.
Jones, who previously served as a state delegate, sent messages that included graphic fantasies about killing his GOP rival, Jason Miyares. In one text, he suggested putting “two bullets” in the head of then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert, and he also made disturbing comments about Gilbert’s children, implying that their deaths could be politically advantageous.
As calls for Jones to withdraw from the race intensify, Jeffries defended him, stating that Jones had appropriately apologized for his remarks. “The attorney general candidate has appropriately apologized for his remarks, and I know his remarks have been condemned across the board by Democrats in the commonwealth of Virginia and beyond,” Jeffries said. “And that’s the right thing to do.”
During a recent debate, Miyares, Jones’ GOP opponent, went so far as to demand that Jones disqualify himself from the race due to the resurfaced messages. The debate highlighted the severity of the situation, with Miyares asserting that Jones would not be able to pass a background check to serve as a prosecutor in any attorney general’s office across the country.
The controversy began when text messages sent by Jones to a colleague, Delegate Carrie Coyner, R-Hopewell, resurfaced. In these messages, Jones imagined a scenario where he would choose to kill Gilbert over historical figures Pol Pot or Adolf Hitler. He wrote, “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.” In a follow-up message, he stated, “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”
Jones also expressed a wish for Gilbert’s children to die, stating that such grief might be “a good thing” if it advanced his political agenda. Despite the graphic nature of these messages, many Democratic leaders have refrained from calling for Jones to step down from the race.
Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger faced questions during her own debate about whether she would call on Jones to withdraw, but she declined to do so. This reluctance among Democratic leaders to distance themselves from Jones has raised eyebrows, especially given the violent nature of his comments.
In the aftermath of the scandal, Jones publicly expressed his shame and embarrassment over the messages during the debate with Miyares. “And I am sorry. I am sorry to Speaker Gilbert. I am sorry to his family. And I am sorry to every single Virginian,” he stated, attempting to address the fallout from his past remarks.
However, when pressed about whether his judgment should be questioned in light of the text message scandal and other incidents, including a reckless driving conviction, Jones did not provide a clear answer. His past behavior has come under scrutiny as voters consider his candidacy for attorney general.
In addition to the violent rhetoric, Jones has faced criticism for allegedly trying to evade community service requirements imposed by a judge following his reckless driving conviction. These issues have compounded the challenges he faces in his campaign.
As the election approaches, the fallout from Jones’ text messages continues to loom over his candidacy, raising questions about his fitness for office and the broader implications for the Democratic Party in Virginia.
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