Richmond, VA – Senator Cory Booker is standing by his endorsement of Jay Jones, the Democratic candidate for Virginia Attorney General, even as Jones faces bipartisan backlash over resurfaced text messages in which he made violent comments about Republican leaders.
The controversy erupted after screenshots circulated online showing Jones allegedly comparing a Virginia GOP lawmaker to Hitler and Pol Pot and joking that the politician “gets two bullets to the head.”
The texts were referring to Todd Gilbert, the former Republican Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates.
Booker’s endorsement of Jones was issued June 3 on the campaign’s official website and remains posted. Neither Booker’s office nor the campaign has issued any retraction or clarification in response to the scandal.
Texts draw fire across party lines
According to reports from CBS News and other outlets, the messages were sent in 2022 and included language about “pissing on graves” and “sending people out awash in something.” In one exchange, a recipient asked Jones to stop after he joked about killing a political opponent.
Jones, who previously served in the Virginia House of Delegates, has since apologized, calling his own words “embarrassing” and saying he felt “sick to my stomach” upon re-reading them. He described the messages as “private, immature, and indefensible,” adding that he takes “full accountability.”
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Booker’s silence raises questions
Booker has long positioned himself as an advocate for unity and civility in politics, making his continued support of Jones a flashpoint among both Democrats and Republicans. Political observers note that the senator’s office has not responded to multiple press inquiries about whether he still backs Jones following the revelations.
The Jay Jones campaign has not addressed Booker’s endorsement directly but said the candidate remains focused on “serving all Virginians with integrity.”
GOP calls for withdrawal
Virginia Republican leaders have condemned Jones’s comments, calling them “unacceptable” and demanding that national Democrats—including Booker—withdraw their support. So far, no major endorser has done so.
Jones’s campaign page continues to list Booker among his top supporters alongside other national Democratic figures.
As the election nears, the scandal has turned what was once a quiet down-ballot race into a national test of accountability, tone, and judgment within the Democratic Party.
Politics, once again, finds itself staring into its own reflection—and not everyone likes what they see.