Fellow Democrats are standing by Virginia state attorney general candidate Jay Jones, with none calling for him to exit the race despite his horrific text messages which have recently surfaced.
In 2022 text messages to a colleague, Jones said he hoped former Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert's children would die. In a series of messages he doubled down, saying that such grief might be "a good thing" if it advanced his politics. Democrat gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger condemned the messages, but stopped short of calling for him to end his campaign.
"I will always condemn violent language in our politics," Spanberger said, adding that she had spoken "frankly" with him after the texts surfaced.
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The Virginia Beach Democratic Committee issued a statement affirming its support for Jones, calling for all Virginians to "line up behind" him.
"We are lined up, ten toes down, ready to organize, mobilize and deliver voters for Jay and our entire Democratic ticket," the statement read. "Recent press may have spotlighted past mistakes. We say, let those without sin cast the first stone. Jay Jones has taken responsibility, apologized and shown he is committed to serving with integrity and accountability that his public record already shows."
President Donald Trump on Sunday called for Jones to drop out of the race, calling the text messages "sick" and "demented."
"Democrat Jay Jones should drop out of the race immediately and the people of Virginia must continue to have a great attorney general in Jason Miyares who, by the way, has my complete and total endorsement," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Meanwhile, Republican Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears sharply criticized Jones over the weekend, saying that his recently published 2022 text messages raise serious questions about his fitness for office.
"Jay Jones has shown he's reckless, biased, and willing to trade away his integrity," Miyares wrote in an open letter to Virginians, posted to social media late Saturday. "This conduct is disqualifying."
Miyares' letter underscored what's at stake in the race.
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"If you believe it is okay to wish death upon a political opponent, vote for my opponent," he wrote. "If you believe it is worth the death of children to advance your political goals, vote for my opponent. If you want to give a green light to violent lunatics, vote for my opponent."
Miyares said he will protect every Virginian, "regardless of whether they are a Democrat or Republican," adding that he "cannot imagine someone running for this job who advocates for violence."
Speaking on Oct. 4, Earle-Sears decried moral decay in politics and said he had no business running for office.
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"The enemy is among us, devouring us in Virginia and in America today," Sears said. "Jay Jones fantasizes about murdered little children lying lifeless in their mother's arms. And yet he runs for attorney general, our chief law enforcement officer."
Jones has since apologized, calling the remarks "embarrassing and shameful," and said he had reached out personally to Gilbert and his family.
The latest revelation comes amid heightened political tensions and a growing number of incidents that have fueled concerns about violence in national politics.
From the dual attempted assassinations of President Donald Trump to the murder of Charlie Kirk, a chilling pattern is unmistakable: the left's relentless demonization of conservatives is fueling real-world bloodshed.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin called on Jones to drop out of the race Saturday morning, which is roughly four weeks away.
"This violent, disgusting rhetoric targeted at an elected official and his children is beyond disqualifying," Youngkin said on X Saturday morning.
