President Trump and Vice President Vance both called on Jay Jones, Virginia’s Democratic nominee for attorney general, to drop out of the race after abhorrent text messages resurfaced where he said a Republican lawmaker would get “two bullets to the head.” Democratic Statewide Candidate Faces Calls To Exit Race After “Violent” Text Messages About Republican Legislator Resurface "It has just come out that the Radical Left Lunatic, Jay Jones, who is running against Jason Miyares, the GREAT Attorney General in Virginia, made SICK and DEMENTED jokes, if they were jokes at all, which were not funny, and that he wrote down and sent around to people, concerning the murdering of a Republican Legislator, his wife, and their children," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Abigail Spanberger, who is running for Governor, is weak and ineffective, and refuses to acknowledge what this Lunatic has done. Even Democrats are saying it is 'RESIGNATION FROM CAMPAIGN' TERRITORY. Democrat Jay Jones should drop out of the Race, IMMEDIATELY, and the People of Virginia must continue to have a GREAT Attorney General in Jason Miyares who, by the way, has my Complete and Total Endorsement — JASON WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!" he added. More from the New York Post: The sickening messages were sent to Republican House Delegate Carrie Coyner in August 2022. “Three people, two bullets,” read one of the violent texts sent at 8 a.m. on Aug. 8. “Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot.” “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” Jones went on, according to texts first reported by the National Review and subsequently obtained by The Post. “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.” At one point, Jones even had a call with Coyner and fantasized about the former state House Speaker’s wife watching her children die. He also called the young children “little fascists.” Initially, Jones responded to the revelations by refusing to apologize and blasting his foe, incumbent AG Jason Miyares of “dropping smears” against him. Then he claimed to have reached out to Gilbert and his wife to apologize for his “grave mistake.” Spanberger, the frontrunner in the Virginia governor’s race, denounced Jones’ sickening text messages but declined to call on him to drop out. “Here are screenshots of some of the texts that Democrats’ nominee for VA AG Jay Jones sent in 2022 threatening the former House GOP speaker,” National Review stated. “The private messages offer a disturbing glimpse into how Jones — who is looking to oust incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares this fall — describes his political adversaries in private conversations,” it continued. The private messages offer a disturbing glimpse into how Jones — who is looking to oust incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares this fall — describes his political adversaries in private conversations. pic.twitter.com/vvbtcn4vIQ — National Review (@NRO) October 3, 2025 A closer look: * Images from National Review X Post * "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," Vance stated. 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 The Hill noted: Coyner, in response, told Jones, who at the time did not hold an elected office, to stop. Jones apologized on Friday for the messages, stating he reached out to Gilbert and his family to express regret. “I am so deeply, deeply sorry for what I said and I wish that it hadn’t happened and I would take it back if I could,” Jones told WRIC, which is owned by The Hill’s parent company Nexstar Media Group, on Friday. Spanberger rolled out a statement following the news of the text messaging, condemning the correspondence. “After learning of these comments earlier today, I spoke frankly with Jay about my disgust with what he said and texted,” Spanberger said. “I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words. What I have also made clear is that as a candidate – and as the next governor of the commonwealth, I will always condemn violent language in our politics.” The text messages come as Americans grapple with an uptick in political violence, particularly following the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last month.