JD Vance, Mike Johnson demand Jay Jones drop out of Virginia AG race as alarming texts emerge

WASHINGTON, DC: Top Republicans are calling for Democratic candidate Jay Jones to drop out from Virginia's race for attorney general after shocking leaked messages surfaced on Saturday, October 4.

Jones is under fire after private text messages from 2022 showed that he fantasized about hypothetically shooting then-Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Todd Gilbert and also referenced his children dying.

JD Vance and Mike Johnson torch Jay Jones over 'deranged' texts

Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson have condemned Jay Jones and are now demanding he withdraw from the race, calling the messages not just offensive but downright disqualifying.

Vance posted on X (formerly Twitter), “The Democrat candidate for AG in Virginia has been fantasizing about murdering his political opponents in private messages."

He added, "I’m sure the people hyperventilating about sombrero memes will join me in calling for this very deranged person to drop out of the race.”

That jab about “sombrero memes” was a wink at the recent controversy over President Donald Trump’s posts mocking House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in a sombrero.

Meanwhile, Johnson declared, “These text messages are plainly disqualifying for anyone who aspires to public office."

He further wrote, "There is no conceivable justification for wishing violence against a political opponent and their children. Mr Jay Jones should immediately withdraw his candidacy, save himself and his party from further embarrassment, and take some time to reflect.”

The text messages that started it all

It all began after the National Review published texts that Jay Jones allegedly sent to Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner, where the Democrat vented about tributes to the late Joseph Johnson Jr, a former Democratic lawmaker.

According to the report, Jones mocked Republicans, joked about attending funerals “to pi** on their graves,” and wrote that if given two bullets and forced to choose between shooting dictators or Gilbert, he’d give the latter, "two bullets to the head."

Coyner confirmed the messages to the Washington Post. She condemned the messages and said, "What he said was not just disturbing but disqualifying for anyone who wants to seek public office."

Virginia GOP denounces Jay Jones and calls on Democrats to do the same

Republican leaders wasted no time calling for Jones to step down. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Virginia Lt Gov Winsome Earle-Sears piled on.

“This violent, disgusting rhetoric targeted at an elected official and his children is beyond disqualifying," Youngkin posted on X. "Jay Jones said ‘Gilbert gets two bullets to the head’ and then hoped his children would die."

He further wrote, "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, doesn’t have the courage to call on him to step away from this campaign in disgrace," the governor added.

Earle-Sears wrote, “Jay Jones literally fantasized about killing a man and two children, and Abigail Spanberger still doesn’t have the guts to tell him to drop out.”

Jay Jones responds to accusations and text messages

Jay Jones issued a statement shared by Nick Minock of ABC 7 WJLA-TV.

“I take full responsibility for my actions, and I want to issue my deepest apology to Speaker Gilbert and his family," it stated. "Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach. I am embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry.”

In a follow-up interview with ABC 8News, Jones reiterated that he was “deeply, deeply sorry” and wished he could take it all back.

His exact words were, “I am so deeply, deeply sorry for what I said, and I wish that it hadn’t happened and I would take it back if I could."

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