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A resurfaced social media post is adding fuel to the fire of a viral scandal that rocked the Virginia attorney general race last week after an explosive report exposed the violent 2022 text messages that were sent by the Democratic attorney general nominee to a colleague.
“@ForHahns you should drop out of the race,” Jay Jones posted on X in 2021, calling on Hahns Copeland, then-Republican candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates, to drop out of the race over a controversial social media post where Copeland criticized the appearance of Virginia’s Democrat house speaker that was deemed by some as antisemitic.
“Hate has no place in this Commonwealth, my guy,” Jones added.
It was recently revealed that Jones fantasized in 2022 text messages about shooting now-former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert in the head while also suggesting that harm should come to that Republican’s young “fascist” children.
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Jay Jones, who is running to become Virginia’s 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 apologized for the comment, but is facing widespread calls to drop out of the race along with criticism on social media from those saying he should follow the advice he gave to Copeland.
“How about that,” Daily Signal national correspondent Tony Kinnett posted on X.
“Update?” Virginia Republican state Sen. Glen Sturtevant posted on X.
“Care to revisit this one Mr. Jones?” Townhall writer Amy Curtis posted on X.
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Virginia attorney general candidate Jerrauld “Jay” Jones speaks at an event in Norfolk, Virginia. (Trevor Metcalfe/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
“@JonesJay you should drop out of the race,” the Republican Attorneys General Association posted on X. “And delete your account. Hate has no place in this Commonwealth, my guy.”
Adam Piper, RAGA’s executive director, also posted on X saying, “Jay Jones should listen to himself.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Jones’ campaign for comment.
Democrats in Virginia who have endorsed Jones are standing by him despite the calls for him to exit the race for endorsing political violence in a climate where President Trump faced two attempts on his life and conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was murdered during a speaking engagement.
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Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) speaks during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
“I’ve known Jay Jones for 25 years,” Kaine added. “I think those statements were not in character, and he has apologized — I wish other people in public life would sincerely apologize for stuff.”
In addition to the statements about harming his Republican colleague, Jones is also alleged to have suggested that more police officers should be killed in order to stop them from harming others.
Jones has denied making those comments.
Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
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