Jeffries Stands by Jay Jones After Violent Text Controversy

A Controversial Endorsement

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reaffirmed his support for Democrat Jay Jones in the Virginia attorney general race, despite text messages showing Jones appearing to fantasize about the fatal shooting of a Republican lawmaker. Speaking with reporters on Capitol Hill, Jeffries said Jones had “appropriately apologized” for his remarks and that Democrats across Virginia and beyond had condemned them.

“The attorney general candidate has appropriately apologized for his remarks,” Jeffries said. “And that’s the right thing to do.”

Texts That Sparked Outrage

The controversy centers on a series of messages Jones sent to Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner on August 8, 2022. In those texts, Jones referenced then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his children, writing “three people, two bullets” and, “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.” He even compared Gilbert to dictators Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot, writing that Gilbert “receives both bullets every time.”

Calls for Accountability

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin swiftly condemned the remarks, calling them “violent” and “beyond disqualifying.” He urged Jones to withdraw from the race, saying no apology could undo the gravity of such rhetoric.

Meanwhile, Democrat Abigail Spanberger—now the party’s nominee for governor—declined to rescind her endorsement of Jones during a televised debate. While she reiterated her condemnation of the messages, she maintained that “voters should make their own individual decision.”

A Campaign Under Fire

As Jones’s candidacy continues, questions linger over the political fallout from his texts and the willingness of party leaders to stand by him. For now, Jeffries’s words make clear that national Democratic leadership is not backing away, even as the controversy reverberates through Virginia politics.