Senators Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Adam Schiff, and other Democrats refused to answer whether Jones should drop out of the race. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images and Trevor Metcalfe/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images and Screenshot/HBO)
Virginia Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner, was also willing to address the scandal. Warner ignored Fox News Digital’s questions on whether he would like Jones to return a donation he sent him to the campaign.
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., started to give an answer, saying, "being somebody who has, in my family, you know, political violence is a real thing and it’s a big deal."
Kelly stepped into an elevator and the doors closed before he could comment any further.
New Mexico Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich answered, "I haven’t been tracking it, but like I said, violence and political violent rhetoric, I’m just done with it, it shouldn’t come from either side, anytime, ever."
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)
In another private text exchange, Jones said he hoped Gilbert’s children would die. When challenged, Jones doubled down, saying that such grief might be "a good thing" if it advanced his politics.
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Jones has since apologized, calling the remarks "embarrassing and shameful," and said he had reached out personally to Gilbert and his family.
Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/more-democrats-dodge-virginia-candidates-2-bullets-scandal