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A resurfaced social media post adds fuel to the viral scandal that rocked the Virginia attorney general race last week after an explosive report revealed violent 2022 text messages sent by a Democratic attorney general candidate to a colleague.
“@ForHahns you should drop out of the race,” Jay Jones. published on X in 2021, calling on Hans Copeland, then the Republican candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates, to quit the race due to a controversial social media post in which Copeland criticized the appearance of Virginia's Democratic House Speaker, which was counts some as an anti-Semite.
“Hate has no place in this Commonwealth, my guy,” Jones added.
It was recently revealed that in 2022 text messages, Jones fantasized about shooting now-former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert in the head, and also suggested that harm would be done to the Republican's little “fascist” children.
Jay Jones, who is running for Virginia attorney general in 2025, has come under fire for a series of text messages calling for the death of political opponents and remarks about police officers. (Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post/Getty Images)
Jones has apologized for the comment but faces widespread calls to drop out of the race, as well as criticism on social media from those who say he should follow the advice he gave Copeland.
“How about this,” Daily Signal national correspondent Tony Kinnett. published on X.
“Update?” Virginia Republican Senator Glen Sturtevant published on X.
“Would you like to get back to this, Mr. Jones?” Town Hall Writer Amy Curtis published on X.
DEMOCRATS SUPPORT VIRGINIA AG HOPES WHO FANTASIZED ABOUT KILLING GOP LAWMAKER
Virginia Attorney General candidate Jerro “Jay” Jones speaks at an event in Norfolk, Virginia. (Trevor Metcalf/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
“@JonesJay, you should drop out of the race,” GOP Attorneys General Association. published on X. “And delete your account. Hate has no place in this Commonwealth, my guy.”
Adam Piper, chief executive of RAGA, also published on X saying, “Jay Jones needs to listen to himself.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Jones' campaign for comment.
Democrats in Virginia who backed Jones are standing by him despite calls for him to drop out of the race for supporting political violence at a time when President Trump has faced two attempts on his life and conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was killed during a speech.
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Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) speaks during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the Dirksen Senate Building on July 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
“I’ve known Jay Jones for 25 years,” Kane added. “I think those statements were out of character for him and he apologized – I would like to see other people in public life sincerely apologizing for things like that.”
In addition to claiming harm to fellow Republicans, Jones also suggested killing more police officers to stop them from harming others.
Jones has denied such comments.
Fox News Digital's Charles Kreutz contributed to this report.
