Virginia’s Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones has publicly apologized after a series of disturbing text messages from 2022 surfaced, in which he suggested that Republican leader Todd Gilbert deserved “two bullets to the head.”
The revelation, first reported by The National Review, has sparked bipartisan outrage and thrown Jones’ campaign into crisis just weeks before the November general election.
The Controversial Texts
In the text exchange with Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner, Jones referenced Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot, adding that Gilbert — then the Speaker of Virginia’s House of Delegates — “gets two bullets to the head.”
Coyner immediately responded, “Jay… Please stop,” to which Jones replied, “Lol… Ok, ok.”
Gilbert, who recently stepped down from his legislative role to serve briefly as a federal prosecutor, has not commented on the matter.
Jones has since issued a full apology, saying he is “embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry.”
“Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach,” Jones said. “I cannot take back what I said; I can only take full accountability and offer my sincere apology.”
He added that he has personally reached out to Gilbert and his family to express remorse.
Political Fallout and Bipartisan Condemnation
The scandal has quickly become a flashpoint in Virginia’s heated race for attorney general, where Jones is challenging Republican incumbent Jason Miyares.
Miyares condemned the remarks, calling them “dark” and “disqualifying,” adding that Jones’ words showed a “deep lack of judgment” unfit for the state’s top law enforcement role.
“You have to be coming from an incredibly dark place to say what you said,” Miyares said. “There’s no cry like that of a mother who’s lost her child — and to joke about that is beyond comprehension.”
Prominent Democrats also rebuked Jones.
- Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, said she told Jones directly that she was “disgusted” by his comments and demanded that he take full responsibility.
- Ghazala Hashmi, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, stated that “political violence has no place in our country and I condemn it at every turn.”
Meanwhile, the Republican Attorneys General Association called for Jones to withdraw from the race, with its chairman, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, calling the messages “abhorrent” and “unacceptable from someone seeking to represent law enforcement.”
A Campaign in Turmoil
Jones’ comments come at a time when political violence is under intense national scrutiny, following the recent shooting deaths of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and former Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband.
Early voting is already underway in Virginia, making the timing of the scandal especially damaging.
Analysts say the controversy could reshape the race and serve as a test case for accountability in American politics, as both parties face growing pressure to reject violent rhetoric.
