Joe Scarborough has called on an aspiring Democratic Attorney General to drop out of the race after he sent texts about murdering his Republican rival.
The Morning Joe star on Monday addressed the scandal surrounding Virginia AG hopeful Jay Jones’ texts fantasizing about the killing of then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert.
‘He should probably be forced to withdraw from the race,’ Scarborough said after his co-host and wife Mika Brzezinski brought up the texts.
Several social media users took Scarborough’s comment as a sign that Jones is losing support from Democrats.
‘You know it’s serious when you’ve lost MSNBC,’ said a prominent conservative account on X.
In the three-year-old text messages, Jones gloated about the idea of putting ‘two bullets’ through Gilbert’s head.
In the private 2022 exchange with Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner, Jones shockingly suggested that his political rival, then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert, deserved to be brutally murdered.
‘Three people, two bullets,’ Jones wrote in the text obtained by Fox News. ‘Gilbert, Hitler, and Pol Pot.’
Joe Scarborough has called on an aspiring Democratic Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones to withdraw from the race
Explosive texts exposed Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones (pictured) gloating about the idea of putting ‘two bullets’ through the head of then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert
In a private 2022 exchange with Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner, the attorney general nominee shockingly suggested that his political rival, then-House Speaker Gilbert, deserved to be brutally murdered
‘Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,’ the former member of the Virginia House of Delegates continued.
‘Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.’
The alarming revelation ignited fury across party lines – with even Democrats condemning the remarks – as the Republican Attorneys General Association demands that Jones drop out of the race against incumbent AG Jason Miyares, CNN reported.
‘What he said was not just disturbing but disqualifying for anyone who wants to seek public office,’ Coyner told the outlet.
‘Jay Jones wished violence on the children of a colleague and talked about shooting Todd Gilbert,’ she added. ‘It’s disgusting and unbecoming of any public official.’
The explosive damning messages came to light Friday after they were seen by National Review.
On August 2, 2022, Jones appeared to accidentally send Coyner a text mocking Republicans for their ‘glowing tributes’ to the late Democrat Delegate Joe Johnson, 90 – noting that even Gilbert joined in the praise.
Jones, 36, quickly followed up with another text: ‘Damn, that message was for Mark.’
Even after realizing he’d sent the message to the wrong person, he kept venting to Coyner, sneering at what ‘that POS’ Gilbert ‘would say about me if I died.’
‘Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,’ the former member of the Virginia House of Delegates wrote. Gilbert is pictured in 2022
‘If those guys die before me, I will go to their funerals to p*** on their graves,’ the politician continued. ‘Send them out awash in something.’
Coyner replied with a terse, ‘Jay Jones’ – seemingly scolding him for the disturbing direction his messages had taken.
Jones never denied the wording in the texts – instead, he lashed out at his GOP rival, Jason Miyares, accusing him of ‘dropping smears’ to destroy his name.
‘Like all people, I’ve sent text messages that I regret and I believe that violent rhetoric has no place in our politics,’ Jones said in a statement to the Virginia Scope.
‘Let’s be clear about what is happening in the Attorney General race right now: Jason Miyares is dropping smears through Trump-controlled media organizations to assault my character and rescue his desperate campaign,’ he added.
‘This is a strategy that ensures Jason Miyares will continue to be accountable to Donald Trump, not the people of Virginia. This race is about whether Trump can control Virginia or Virginians control Virginia.’
In a later statement to WRIC 8 News, Jones finally admitted feeling ‘sick’ over his remarks and said he has since apologized to Gilbert and his family.
‘I’m sick to my stomach when I read those words,’ Jones told the outlet.
‘Certainly they’re objectionable, they’re abhorrent, they have no place in Virginia, no place in this country’s discourse. Again, I am so deeply, deeply sorry,’ he added.
‘Virginians deserve honest leaders who admit when they are wrong and own up to their mistakes. This was a grave mistake and I will work every day to prove to the people of Virginia that I will fight for them as Attorney General.’
