Jay Jones Texts Fantasized Shooting Todd Gilbert

Texts obtained by the National Review and published this week show Virginia Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones sent August 8, 2022 messages to Republican Del. Carrie Coyner in which he fantasized about shooting then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert, writing lines such as "Gilbert gets two bullets to the head" and a "three people, two bullets" hypothetical that listed Gilbert alongside Hitler and Pol Pot, and reportedly said he wished harm on Gilbert’s children. Coyner called the messages "disturbing" and "disqualifying," and said Jones doubled down on a follow-up call by arguing policymakers change only when they feel personal pain and allegedly suggested Gilbert’s wife should watch a child die before she hung up. Jones did not deny the texts' authenticity, issued a statement saying he regretted prior messages and that violent rhetoric has no place in politics, and accused incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares of exploiting the story to aid his campaign. Jones resigned his delegate seat in 2022 and is the Democratic nominee for attorney general; he will face Miyares in the Nov. 4 election. The reporting has been picked up by multiple outlets and prompted Republican pushback and broader criticism about incendiary political rhetoric in Virginia ahead of the election.