Jay Jones, Virginia’s Democrat nominee for Attorney General, abruptly canceled a fundraiser as his campaign spirals after shocking texts messages were leaked to the media.
Last Friday, the National Review released some of Jay Jones’ 2022 texts messages where he fantasized about shooting former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert.
Jones was expressing his frustration with how Virginia political circles were eulogizing deceased moderate Democrat legislator Joe Johnson Jr.
In a shocking text exchange with GOP House Delegate Carrie Coyner, Jay Jones fantasizing about shooting Todd Gilbert.
The private messages offer a disturbing glimpse into how Jones — who is looking to oust incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares this fall — describes his political adversaries in private conversations. pic.twitter.com/vvbtcn4vIQ
— National Review (@NRO) October 3, 2025
Jay Jones is refusing to withdraw from the race and most Democrats have his back because they support violence against Republicans.
Democrat AG candidate Abigail Spanberger is standing by Jay Jones and refusing to denounce his violent fantasies.
Meanwhile, Virginia’s GOP gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears blasted Jones for fantasizing about Gilbert’s children being killed in a school shooting.
“I wish one of his kids would get shot up at school and die. Then maybe he’d change his mind,” Winsome Earle-Sears said over the weekend, adding he fantasized about “murdered little children lying lifeless in their mother’s arms.”
WINSOME EARLE-SEARS says Virginia Democratic AG nominee Jay Jones fantasized “about murdered little children lying lifeless in their mothers’ arms” after his violent 2022 texts about a then-Republican lawmaker leak. pic.twitter.com/YZOhB0iWvY
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 5, 2025
President Trump also came out swinging and ripped into Jay Jones over the weekend.
“It has just come out that the Radical Left Lunatic, Jay Jones, who is running against Jason Miyares, the GREAT Attorney General in Virginia, made SICK and DEMENTED jokes, if they were jokes at all, which were not funny, and that he wrote down and sent around to people, concerning the murdering of a Republican Legislator, his wife, and their children. Abigail Spanberger, who is running for Governor, is weak and ineffective, and refuses to acknowledge what this Lunatic has done. Even Democrats are saying it is “RESIGNATION FROM CAMPAIGN” TERRITORY. 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 — JASON WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” Trump said on Truth Social.
On Tuesday, after unrelenting attacks from President Trump, conservative media outlets and Virginia Republicans, Jay Jones abruptly canceled a Thursday night fundraiser.
Axios reported:
Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for attorney general in Virginia, has canceled a Thursday night fundraiser at the home of novelist David Baldacci, according to a person with the matter.
Why it matters: The scrubbed fundraiser is another indication that Jones’ campaign is in crisis mode.
- Jones has acknowledged and apologized for texts he sent in 2022, where he mused about saving “two bullets” for the Republican House speaker in Virginia. The texts were first reported on Friday by National Review.
- Jones had not held a public event since Friday night, when he answered questions from Tyler Englander at the Richmond ABC affiliate. “The rhetoric has no place on our landscape,” he said.
- Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) was also scheduled to attend the Thursday night fundraiser. Kaine told reporters on Tuesday that he is “still a supporter,” while calling Jones’ comments “indefensible.” He also noted that “Jay has apologized.”
Driving the news: Democratic donors received a memo from the Jones campaign that their donations would be refunded for the canceled fundraising, according to a person familiar with the matter.