Virginia voters were rocked this week when screenshots of 2022 text messages from Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones surfaced, revealing grotesque fantasies about political violence and a line about putting “two bullets” in the head of then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert. The messages, shared in an exchange with Republican delegate Carrie Coyner, go beyond crude partisan trash-talk and strike at the character voters expect from someone who wants to be the Commonwealth’s top law-enforcement officer. This is not locker-room bravado — it’s a disqualifying moral failure that has rightly set off alarm bells across the state.
Incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares didn’t mince words, saying he was “floored” and that Jones’ conduct is disqualifying for anyone who would prosecute crimes and protect Virginians. Miyares has called out the late, convenient apology and has refused to accept it, arguing Jones only said sorry once the screenshots threatened his campaign. That strong response from the state’s top Republican law officer should matter to families who expect steady judgment from their prosecutors.
The GOP has moved quickly to make this the defining issue of the closing weeks, dropping a seven-figure ad buy built around Jones’ own words and framing the choice in November as one between law-and-order and lawlessness. Conservatives aren’t hyperventilating — they’re pointing out an obvious truth: you can’t entrust our children’s safety to someone who fantasizes about murdering political opponents. Expect Miyares and allies to press this advantage hard as the election approaches.
This isn’t a one-sided outraged reaction; even prominent Democrats have rushed to condemn the language and demand accountability, which shows how serious the revelations are. Candidates on Jones’ own ticket publicly scolded him and called for him to take responsibility, underscoring that violent rhetoric is not the Virginia way. If Democrats truly value public safety, they’ll hold their nominee to the same standard they demand of conservatives.
Let’s be blunt: an apology that arrives only after the paperwork is filed and the cameras start rolling smells like politics, not remorse. Virginians deserve a prosecutor whose first instinct is to de-escalate and defend every citizen’s rights — not someone whose private messages reveal a dark appetite for revenge. This episode is a warning shot to every voter who still thinks party labels excuse conduct that would never be tolerated in any decent neighborhood or any respectable workplace.
With early voting underway across the Commonwealth, hardworking Virginians have the power to respond to this moral failure at the ballot box without delay. The timing makes it plain: choices have consequences, and elections are how Americans hold public servants accountable when they betray basic standards of decency. Don’t let late apologies and spin protect those who would undermine the rule of law.
Jason Miyares has shown he’s willing to stand up for victims and speak plainly about threats to public safety, and conservatives should rally behind clarity and competence rather than tolerate violence-glorifying rhetoric. This race is about more than a talking point or a TV hit piece — it’s about who will enforce the law fairly and keep communities safe. Patriots who care about order, decency, and the future of Virginia must turn out and make their voices heard.
