Virginia’s 2025 Elections: Jay Jones’ Violent Texts and VA Democrats’ Double Standard on “Rage”

Virginia’s 2025 elections have taken a dark turn. What began as a competitive race for Attorney General has spiraled into a full-blown scandal after Democratic nominee Jay Jones admitted to sending violent, deeply disturbing text messages in 2022, fantasizing about shooting then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert and wishing death upon his children.

The messages, confirmed by Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner, included Jones writing that Gilbert “gets two bullets to the head” and that his children should “die in their mother’s arms.” Jones later apologized, calling the remarks “abhorrent,” “embarrassing,” and “sickening.” But the damage was done, and the political fallout has exposed a deeper hypocrisy within Virginia’s Democratic leadership.

The Texts That Shook Virginia

• Jones’ texts were sent in August 2022, shortly after Gilbert offered condolences for a deceased Democratic colleague.

• In the exchange, Jones compared Gilbert to Hitler and Pol Pot, saying Gilbert deserved “both bullets every time.”

• Coyner responded with alarm, later stating publicly that Jones’ remarks were “disqualifying for anyone who wants to seek public office.”

  
  

Despite bipartisan condemnation, including from Governor Glenn Youngkin, AG Jason Miyares, and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, Virginia (and National) Democrats have largely stood by Jones. The Virginia Beach Democratic Committee defended him as a leader of “integrity and accountability,” citing his apology as sufficient.

Enter Abigail Spanberger: Rage, Reframed

While Jones’ texts sparked outrage, attention quickly turned to gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, who had previously urged supporters to “let your rage fuel you” during a June campaign speech. (She's used this rhetoric many times since, too!)

Spanberger attributed the phrase to her mother’s advice, framing it as a motivational call to action, encouraging voters to channel anger into civic engagement like door-knocking and phone banking. But critics argue that the timing and tone of her rhetoric, especially amid rising political violence, undermines Democrats’ prior calls for peace and civility, and I AGREE! Did we not learn a lesson from January 2021, when The Left/Democrats accused Trump's usage of the word "Fight" in his speech as a dog whistle for the chaos that ensued afterwards... Hmmmmm?

Hypocrisy in High Relief

Virginia Democrats have long positioned themselves as the party of restraint, condemning political violence and calling for unity. Yet:

• Spanberger’s “rage” rhetoric was delivered just weeks before the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and a death threat against Virginia Republican Delegate Kim Taylor.

• When pressed, Spanberger condemned Jones’ texts but stopped short of calling for his withdrawal from the race.

• Lt. Gov. Earle-Sears and others have accused Spanberger of fueling divisiveness while failing to hold her own party accountable.

  
  

As Earle-Sears put it: “Jay Jones fantasizes about murdered little children… and my opponent Abigail Spanberger urges her supporters to fill their hearts with violent hate. ‘Let your rage fuel you,’ she says. Words have meaning.”

In my opinion, FORMER CIA officer, Abigail Spanberger should do better on her mission pushing bipartisan cooperation, all while pointing out the dangers of political extremism. I say this because she has been very vocal about what happened during the January 6th uprising in Washington, D.C. She's also no stranger to standing on the concept of "upholding the Constitution" while promising to limit Virginian's Constitutional Right to self-preservation and defense. (But I digress)

The Optics Problem

Spanberger’s defenders insist her words were taken out of context. But the broader issue isn’t just semantics, it’s the freaking optics, people! In a political climate where threats and violence are escalating, Democrats’ selective outrage risks eroding their credibility.

If “rage” is acceptable when it’s politically convenient, and violent rhetoric is forgivable when it comes from their own ranks, then what becomes of their moral high ground? And yet The Right/Republicans are asked to "tone down their behavior." Um... The Right/Republicans aren't burning down communities or planning assassinations of their opponents. The Conservative bank is very limited in those types of situations. Far and few, between.

What’s Next?

With early voting underway and polls tightening, the controversy could reshape Virginia’s political landscape. Jones remains in the race, but his candidacy is now a liability. BIGLY! Spanberger, once seen as a unifying figure, faces growing scrutiny over her messaging and leadership. She's CIA trained to speak out of both sides of her mouth. HERE'S YOUR SIGN, VIRGINIA!!! One within her own campaign team has become an example of letting their rage fuel them. The least she could've done to spare her own name is demand (she's part of Moms Demand Action- she knows how to demand things) Jay Jones to back out of the race. Instead, she penned a stern message, encouraging Jones to "take responsibility" like a big boy.

All this to say... The question isn’t just whether Jay Jones should step down, it’s whether Virginia Democrats will confront the contradictions in their own playbook. Honestly, considering everything that's happened in our nation up until this point, if you vote for Jay Jones, or even Abigail Spanberger in the November 2025 Election, I see you as a threat to not only "democracy," but to We the People of our Constitutional Republic, in general.