Miyares, Vance, Johnson Weigh In on Jay Jones Scandal (Updated)
“If you believe it is okay to wish death upon a political opponent — vote for my opponent. If you believe it is worth the death of children to advance your political goal — vote for my opponent.”
There are defining moments in political campaigns where how a candidate responds to a particular situation can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Much like Glenn Youngkin (R) did with Terry McAuliffe (D) in 2021 after McAuliffe’s campaign imploded in late September of that year, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) may have just written his ticket to victory with how he has responded to the Jay Jones texting scandal.
Jones, who is Miyares’s Democratic opponent in the upcoming November election, is having a campaign implosion himself after it was revealed on Friday that he sent a series of texts in 2022 to a former GOP colleague in the Virginia House of Delegates. The texts showed Jones fantasizing about killing another former GOP colleague, then-Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert, and Gilbert’s children dying in his wife Jennifer’s arms.
For those who missed them, the texts are below:
Then at one point, the source said, he suggested he wished Gilbert’s wife could watch her own child die in her arms so that Gilbert might reconsider his political views, prompting Coyner to hang up the phone in disgust.https://t.co/RHs2BnpD9d
— National Review (@NRO) October 3, 2025
Jones, as we also noted, did not do himself any favors with his initial response after the story broke, referring to the news as a “smear” campaign coordinated by Miyares and accusing NRO, the first to report the story, of being a “Trump-controlled media organization” even though they’ve frequently been critical of President Trump. Jones also didn’t include an apology in his first statement.
In a later statement, however, and in an interview done Friday night, he profusely apologized to Gilbert and said he wished he could take what he said back. But he stopped short of doing what some Republican political figures in Virginia, including Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is also the gubernatorial nominee, have suggested he do: drop out of the race.
Miyares did not react to the report until a Saturday press conference, saying that he did not accept Jones’ apology because it was one he should have made at the time he sent the texts but didn’t:
“I don’t accept his apology. I don’t accept his apology because he had a chance then to apologize. Jay Jones is sorry only after it made the news. Jay Jones regrets it only after it has endangered his campaign. Jay Jones said he would take it back, only because that’s what he needs to do to try to stay on this ticket.”
But it was Miyares’s more formal response that was especially worth waiting for:
The Attorney General is Virginia’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer. That authority must always be exercised with neutrality, integrity, and character because that’s the only way every Virginian can trust the system meant to protect them. With the recent revelations, it’s clear Jay Jones has shown he’s reckless, biased, and willing to trade away his integrity, disqualifying himself from ever serving as Attorney General.
Jay Jones wished for the violent death of a political opponent and then fantasized about that opponent’s children dying in their mother’s arms. When confronted, he doubled down, saying that kind of grief and pain would be a good thing if it advanced his politics. And politics aside, one has to be coming from a dark place to advocate the murder of a colleague and their family.
This conduct is disqualifying.
As a former prosecutor and current Attorney General, I’ve sat with crying victims and grieving families. There is no sound more haunting than the cries of a parent who has lost a child. I’ve seen their pain, held their hands, and witnessed the devastation that violent crime leaves behind. Absolutely no one, least of all a candidate for Virginia’s top law-enforcement office, should ever treat that pain as a political tool.
Prior to this week, this race was about competing views on public safety. Now it’s about basic fitness for public office.
If you believe it is okay to wish death upon a political opponent — vote for my opponent.
If you believe it is worth the death of children to advance your political goal — vote for my opponent.
If you want to give a green light to violent lunatics — vote for my opponent.
As Attorney General, I took an oath to protect every Virginian—regardless of whether they are a Democrat or Republican, whether they like me or dislike me, voted for me or not.
My job is to stop violence, to protect innocent lives, and keep people safe. I cannot imagine someone running for this job who advocates for violence.
The Attorney General’s sworn duty is to serve as the Commonwealth’s top law enforcement officer and keep everyone safe. That’s the job I’ve done and will continue to do for the people of Virginia.
The Attorney General is Virginia's Chief Law Enforcement Officer. That authority must always be exercised with neutrality, integrity, and character because that's the only way every Virginian can trust the system meant to protect them. With the recent revelations, it's clear Jay… pic.twitter.com/GkEOfoJKDi
— Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA) October 4, 2025
It was about as good as it gets, saying Jones “disqualified” himself and explaining the stark differences between the two, but telling voters it will be up to them to decide if they feel Jones is unfit to serve.
Other top Republican leaders also weighed in on Saturday, including Vice President J.D. Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA):
The Democrat candidate for AG in Virginia has been fantasizing about murdering his political opponents in private messages. I'm sure the people hyperventilating about sombrero memes will join me in calling for this very deranged person to drop out of the race. https://t.co/ZapsWc9VFG
— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 4, 2025
These text messages are plainly disqualifying for anyone who aspires to public office.
There is no conceivable justification for wishing violence against a political opponent and their children.
Mr. Jay Jones should immediately withdraw his candidacy, save himself and his…
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) October 4, 2025
Conservative commentators were also quick to point out the media’s double standards that once again were at play here:
The Virginia media is covering Jay Jones as “facing accusations” when he, in fact, admitted to the text messages being his. @CBS6 is covering for him. https://t.co/MK0hJV9u5n
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) October 5, 2025
Were the roles reversed and it was Miyares under scrutiny for saying that some political rival’s children should die for the sake of moving policy, the caterwauling would be utterly deafening from every corner of political media.
Would be hounded out of the race within 24 hours. https://t.co/CzjiF9Lhoh
— Michael Haugen (@HaugenTX) October 4, 2025
Mark my words, this will turn into a story about graceless, pouncing Republicans being unwilling to turn down the temperature by simply accepting apologies from Democrats who want to shoot their colleagues. https://t.co/DM7ga6ORuM
— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) October 4, 2025
Yep. It’s only a matter of time.
Update – 1 pm: Lt. Gov. Earle-Sears has released this powerful ad, tying her gubernatorial campaign opponent, Abigail Spanberger, to the scandal:
🚨 NEW AD: Jay Jones dreamed of murdering two young kids and their dad over politics—and Abigail Spanberger wants him to be attorney general. pic.twitter.com/RoipSKn436
— Winsome Earle-Sears (@winwithwinsome) October 5, 2025
– Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via X. –
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Comments
Kaiser’s Maxim remains undefeated: “The left will always, eventually, resort to violence, threats of violence, or glorification of violence to advance their agenda. Always.”
I had to look that one up!!!
The Democrats have adapted, but never evolved past their bloodthirsty antebellum attitudes.
What? The party of the Klan and Antifa resort to violence?!
They don’t “resort to”. They start there.
Well, in their defense, it is all they really have
Not exactly same situation but this recalls the Ralph Northam Justin Fairfax fiasco. Prob racist but maybe black guy should be vetted bit more
jones should consider himself lucky if he gets off by just conceding his campaign
When did it become acceptable to wish death on someone else and their family so long as you say “Oops, sorry” after you’re caught? This is up there with the “That’s not who I am” excuse. Well, you’re the one who said it, so apparently it is who you are.
There’s absolutely zero reason to accept this clown’s apology when the only thing he’s sorry about is having been exposed.
Hopefully, the voters in Virginia will decide his political career is over.
Your writeup describes the reactions of Republicans and conservative press. The more relevant reactions in blue northern Virginia are statements from Dems and liberal rags like WAPO.
Rather than calling for Jones to withdraw, Dem nominee for governor Abby Spanberger stated that “Jay must take full responsibility ….”. The WAPO editorial that quoted Spanberger merely noted that “Jones has a month to convince voters this will not reflect how he’d behave if elected as AG”.
These statements provide the Dem party faithful with the rationale to still vote for this guy. The hope for the rest of us is that this will depress turnout for moderate Dems and independents who would otherwise vote for him.
The race will still be very close.
Todd Gilbert, the subject of the text messages, is curiously silent.
You think Gilbert should test whether Jones’ supporters will really come after him or his children? I don’t find Gilbert’s silence very curious.
Jones is a perfect fit to be an attorney general in a tyrannical regime.
do the dems have time to put someone else on the ballot.
if not have a feeling this is a blood bath waiting to happen.
only the far far left is going to vote
for this guy … and if they can time
the candidate for governor to it …
bingo….
I just wish this would pull voters away from Spanberger. Unfortunately I don’t think that is likely to happen. Virginia conservatives are in for a world of hurt if we get One Party Rule under Spanberger and the wholly Democrat controlled legislature. For the past two years— legislature went from split to Blue after Dobbs— Youngkin’s veto pen has prevented the Democrats from inflicting their woke agenda on us. In addition to abortion, there will be legislation about climate, gun control and DEI headed our way. The flood gates will open.
i live an hour fm the va line in NC
let those businesses n voters come south.
Dems always have time to put someone else on the ballot. They (and they alone) benefit from the Lautenberg Exception, which says that Democrats can change horses on the ballot anytime they want, regardless of what actual laws might say.
But tell me more about how all the violence on the left is really Trump’s fault and he needs to ‘turn down the temperature’.
About 30% of the voting population will always vote Democrat, regardless of how awful the candidate may be. That portion of the Democrat base has a lot of trouble tolerating any other points of view, so they tend to congregate in discrete areas to achieve local majorities that can enact various aspects of the Socialist Workers Paradise on a mostly gullible population, reinforced via incredulous media. These enclaves do not want to be rescued, and will energetically resist any attempts to do so. Occasionally they try to enlarge their territories by pretending to be more moderate so that they can hopefully capitalize on some societal trauma. However, the more they speak or are properly vetted the less attractive they become to the adjacent saner majorities. At some point that overtakes the MSM cheerleading, and the campaign fails. Hopefully we are now at that point, but TDS is a tough nut to crack!