Less than a month after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Virginia Democrats are carrying water for a candidate who wished death on his political opponent, hoped his opponent’s wife would watch as her children died, and said he would urinate on his opponent’s grave.
Jay Jones, the Democrat nominee for attorney general in the Old Dominion, has not denied the report of these horrifying comments, though he said he regrets them and has apologized to Todd Gilbert, the Republican former speaker of the House of Delegates about whom he made the remarks.
While Virginia Democrats have condemned the remarks, they have not called for Jones to drop out of the race to become the Old Dominion’s top law enforcement officer, leaving it to Republicans to say that such remarks are disqualifying, especially for an attorney general candidate and especially now as political violence has ramped up on the Left.
As National Review’s Audrey Fahlberg first reported, Jones texted the death wish to Republican House Delegate Carrie Coyner on Aug. 8, 2022, after Republicans had eulogized Joe Johnson Jr., a moderate Democrat. Gilbert had honored Johnson’s memory, though he had disagreed with Johnson on many issues.
Jones reportedly condemned Johnson’s political centrism and attacked Republicans for paying him tribute. After suggesting the texts were meant for someone else, he continued to comment to Coyner. He reportedly joked about what “that POS” Gilbert “would say about me if I died.”
“If those guys die before me,” Jones wrote, “I will go to their funerals to piss on their graves.”
He then suggested that, in a hypothetical situation in which he had two bullets and had the choice of shooting Gilbert, Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, or Cambodian dictator Pol Pot, he would save the bullets for his Republican former colleague “every time.”
“Three people, two bullets,” Jones wrote. “Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot.”
“Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” he added. “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”
“Jay,” Coyner responded. “Please stop.”
“It really bothers me when you talk about hurting people or wishing death on them,” she added. “It isn’t ok. No matter who they are.”
According to National Review, Jones called Coyner to explain himself. On the call, he reportedly wished Gilbert’s wife could watch her own child die in her arms so that Gilbert might reconsider his political views.
“Like all people, I’ve sent text messages that I regret and I believe that violent rhetoric has no place in our politics,” Jones said in a statement on the news.
Jones later said he had issued his “deepest apology to Speaker Gilbert and his family,” adding that “reading back those words made me sick to my stomach. I am embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry.”
However, he also pivoted to attacking his Republican opponent, current Attorney General Jason Miyares.
“Let’s be clear about what is happening in the Attorney General race right now: Jason Miyares is dropping smears through Trump-controlled media organizations to assault my character and rescue his desperate campaign,” he added.
First, Jones’ texts echo parts of the current political environment. While most public Democrats have rightly condemned the murder of Charlie Kirk, some on the Left have either celebrated it or suggested Kirk was evil enough to deserve it. They are so wedded to their ideological stances that they’re willing to discard civility entirely.
Coyner’s shock, meanwhile, echoes the way conservatives have lauded Charlie Kirk—as a martyr for reasoned debate and free speech. We honor him not just because we agreed with him, but because he represented the political debate parts of the Left seem determined to snuff out.
Jones didn’t just express contempt for Gilbert or his political positions—he crossed the Rubicon into wishing death and horrific tragedy on his political opponent because of his political positions, and reportedly doubled down on it.
This is hydrochloric acid to the civility of a democratic republic.
Finally, the idea that this story represents “smears” from “Trump-controlled media” is fatuous. National Review staked its reputation on opposing Trump in 2016, and while its conservative policy positions have dovetailed with Trump’s in recent years, it is far from a sychophantic rag. Most importantly, however, the story of the text messages can’t be a “smear” if it’s true, and Jones has not contradicted this report.
Of course, Republicans like Miyares and gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears have called for Jones to drop out. Even President Donald Trump has joined the chorus.
Democrats, meanwhile, seem to be sticking with Jones.
Of course, they know that it’s late in the game—likely too late to find another candidate to defeat Miyares in the race. Democrats aren’t stupid, they oppose Miyares’ policies and they don’t want to concede an important election.
Yet, if you believe their rhetoric about democracy and civility, you’d expect them to take a stand against this evil. Their candidate literally wished death on his political opponent—and his opponent’s child—yet they’re sticking with him.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., called the comments “appalling” and “inconsistent with the person I’ve known.”
Abigail Spanberger, the Democrat nominee for governor, said she was “disgusted” by the remarks.
“I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words,” she added. “As a candidate—and as the next governor of our commonwealth—I will always condemn violent language in our politics.”
These condemnations are welcome, and I’m heartened to hear that Spanberger was at least willing to have an angry phone call with Jones. But, seriously, this is all Democrats can do to police their own side as political violence is rising?
I’m old enough to remember the halcyon days of 2019 when Virginia Democrats were willing to call for a sitting governor of their party to resign over a yearbook photo from 1984 in which he appeared in blackface. Now, they don’t even seem willing to consider calling on a candidate in their own party to drop out of a race when he wished death on his political opponent’s child.
I don’t want to believe that we only have one political party dedicated to civility in this country, but Virginia Democrats seem to be working hard to convince me.
Related posts:
- Incumbent Working to Retain Seat so Republicans Can Take Over Virginia House
- Media’s Double Standard: Why Won’t They Ask Spanberger About Supporters’ Violent Rhetoric?
- Words Matter: Spanberger’s Call for ‘Rage’ Put Families Like Mine in Danger
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