By The left has become violent and unhinged, and now the Democrats have actual candidates calling for the murder of those they disagree with. Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general, is under fire after leaked 2022 text messages revealed him joking about shooting former Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert—while likening him to Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot.
The Democrat candidate for Virginia Attorney General fantasized about shooting the former Republican House Speaker.
"[Speaker] Gilbert gets two bullets to the head."
"I will go to their funerals to piss on their graves"
The Democrat running for Virginia AG is Jay Jones. pic.twitter.com/Yx4QP36kad
— Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) October 3, 2025
The exchanges, published October 3 by National Review, show Jones writing: “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler, and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.” In another message, he declared, “If those guys die before me, I will go to their funerals to piss on their graves.” Reporter Audrey Fahlberg noted the texts were not provided by Gilbert, Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner (who was part of the thread), or Attorney General Jason Miyares’ campaign, but obtained independently.
Read ALL the texts. He not only says he wants to kill them and piss on their graves.
He then explains his reasoning, saying the only way to move people on policy is with violence. AND says that his political opponents “breed” little fascists. @SpanbergerForVA? https://t.co/3zqBhZHSl1
— Brent Scher (@BrentScher) October 4, 2025
I don’t especially want a super progressive attorney general in Virginia, but I *really* don’t want an AG who wishes death on people’s children so that they’ll change their politics. https://t.co/mPMuh6gq0A
— Alexandra DeSanctis Marr (@xan_desanctis) October 3, 2025
Jones, a former Norfolk delegate, admitted the texts were authentic but dismissed National Review as “Trump-controlled”—despite the magazine’s history of anti-Trump editorials, including its 2016 “Against Trump” issue. He insisted the remarks were “private banter” during a grueling session, pointing instead to his bipartisan record on criminal justice reform.
They shot the President.
They killed Charlie Kirk.
They threatened to kill Kim Taylor.
They said they’d kill ME at my next rally, then my kids.
Now we learn Jay Jones repeatedly said he wanted to kill Speaker Todd Gilbert⬇️
Is this what “letting your rage fuel you”looks… pic.twitter.com/fYz3sYVqRX
— Delegate Geary Higgins (@DelegateHiggins) October 3, 2025
The Republican in the race for governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, wrote: “This is horrible to read and should be wholly disqualifying of someone running for an office that protects the people of Virginia.
Jay Jones’ horrific comments are a symptom of the entire Democratic Party and his running mate, Abigail Spanberger, needs to call on him to drop out.
Attorney General Jason Miyares has served the people of Virginia with honor and dignity, and will continue to do so come November.
Jay Jones can never be Attorney General of Virginia.”
She noted that Spanberger hadn’t demanded her murderous running mate drop out.
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. pic.twitter.com/8CAjNqqWBI
— Winsome Earle-Sears (@winwithwinsome) October 3, 2025
Jones did not say the comments in jest, in fact, he doubled down, saying that “I’ve told you this before. Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy.”
Spanberger instead released a statement, saying, “After learning of these comments earlier today, I spoke frankly with Jay about my disgust with what he had said and texted. I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words. What I have also made clear is that as a candidate — and as the next Governor of our Commonwealth, I will always condemn violent language in our politics.”
Jones has previously been accused of corruption after it was revealed that he was “busted for reckless driving in 2022 – and avoided jail time by completing 500 hours of community service with his own PAC, according to an eyebrow-raising report.
Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for Attorney General, was slapped with the vehicular offense when a state trooper caught him tearing down Interstate 64 in New Kent County at a whopping 116 mph on Jan. 21, 2022, court documents obtained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch revealed.
The 36-year-old and his lawyers struck a deal to dodge Virginia’s mandatory one-year jail sentence for reckless driving in exchange for 1,000 hours of community service and a $1,500 fine.”
Jones, 35, had secured the Democratic nomination earlier this year with the backing of progressive groups and framed himself as a pragmatic moderate. But the timing of the revelations—just weeks before voters head to the polls—threatens to undercut his positioning against Miyares, who has leaned on a law-and-order platform since ousting Democrats from the attorney general’s office in 2021.
Democrats have grown more and more violent after the 2024 election. Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, called for “war” against conservatives by any means necessary.” Shortly afterward, conservative speaker Charlie Kirk was assassinated.
The controversy, still gathering force online, now looms as a test of how far voters are willing to tolerate the coarsening rhetoric of partisan politics—and whether the Democrats can afford to stand by their nominee.
[Read More: Major Shakeup At CBS News]
