Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) criticized Democrats in the state for spending the weekend campaigning and acting as though Virginia Democrat attorney general candidate Jay Jones’s comments fantasizing about shooting a Republican lawmaker are “nothing.”
During an interview on Fox News, the governor pointed out that Republicans had recently dealt with Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk being assassinated, and that on the far left “many folks celebrated” Kirk’s death. Youngkin also asserted that Virginia Democrats need to call for Jones to resign and get out of the race.
“We had Charlie Kirk assassinated, and so many folks celebrated in the far left,” Youngkin said. “We’ve had two Democrats threaten to murder two of our delegates running for office in Virginia, and now Jay Jones comes out and says that he has two bullets for Todd Gilbert’s head, and wants to see his children die.”
Youngkin added that it was shocking that while Virginia Democrat gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger and other Democrats in the state had called for a “normal apology,” they were “out campaigning this weekend” as if Jones’s comments were “nothing.”
“They have got to call for this guy for resign, step down, get out of this race, in disgrace, because this is beyond disqualifying,” Youngkin added.
Youngkin called for Jones to drop out of the race after the National Review released a report revealing that in 2022, Jones sent text messages to Virginia House Delegate Carrie Coyner (R) pondering a hypothetical situation in which, if faced between having to shoot former Virginia Speaker of the House of Delegates Todd Gilbert, and two dictators, Jones would pick Gilbert.
Jones is also accused of having wished death upon Gilbert’s children.
In response to the report, the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) issued a press release, calling for Jones to “immediately withdraw from the Virginia Attorney General’s race.”
“There is no place for political violence, including joking about it — especially from an elected official,” RAGA said in the press release. “Jay Jones should drop out of the Attorney General’s race. His comments are not acceptable from someone who wants to represent law enforcement.”
While Republicans such as Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson have also called for Jones to withdraw from the race, the Virginia Beach Democratic Committee (VBDC) issued a statement reaffirming “its full support of Jay Jones for Attorney General.”
“Recent press may have spotlighted past mistakes. We say, let those without sin cast the first stone,” the VBDC said. “Jay Jones has taken responsibility, apologized, and shown he is committed to serving with integrity and accountability that his public record already shows.”
In a post on X on Sunday, Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA) encouraged Virginians to “make a plan to vote” for candidates such as Spanberger and Jones, and “Democrats up and down the ballot.”
