Jay Jones, left; President Donald Trump, right. (Mike Kropf/Richmond Times-Dispatch via pool; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
But Jones continued to slam Trump for "illegally firing" federal workers through DOGE efforts, and claimed 350,000 Virginians will lose healthcare because of the president.
"As attorney general, I can't wait to see Donald Trump in court. I will never flinch or back down from him," Jones pledged.
"I relish that fight because this is about us here in Virginia. It's not about some guy in Washington who's telling us what to do."
‘CONSUMED WITH HATE’: WINSOME SEARS, JASON MIYARES UNLOAD ON DEMOCRAT JAY JONES OVER VIOLENT TEXTS
After several Trump name-drops, Miyares appeared to borrow a line from another Republican president — Ronald Reagan — to verbally shake his head at the Democrat’s persistent references.
"There he goes again," Miyares said. "Fifteen times he said the name of the president. Not one time did he say the name of a victim — that tells me he’s a politician, not a prosecutor."
Reagan famously defused a tense 1980 debate with then-President Jimmy Carter by remarking, "there you go again," after the Georgia Democrat mischaracterized his record on support for Medicare.
JAY JONES’ ‘TWO BULLETS’ SCANDAL OVER VIOLENT TEXTS EXPECTED TO DOMINATE VIRGINIA AG DEBATE
Later in the debate, Jones again invoked Trump, criticizing Miyares for being too cozy with the White House.
"[While] they hang out at MAGA rallies together, I will see Donald Trump in court to hold him accountable for Virginia," he said.
Jones also pointed to Trump’s words of endorsement of Miyares, in which he reportedly said the Republican will never "let us down."
Jones said that should be translated to show that Miyares purportedly works for the administration more than Virginia.
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"We have a chance to chart a very different future. Donald Trump doesn't run this Commonwealth. Jason Miyares seems to think that that's who his boss is. He'd rather be Donald Trump's pro bono attorney than do his job," Jones claimed.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
On "The Ingraham Angle" on Thursday, former Trump adviser Jason Miller called Jones a "special kind of sick."
Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.
He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.
Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.
Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/jay-jones-invokes-trump-nearly-50-times-during-virginia-ag-debate-ties-miyares-maga