NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Democratic Virginia Rep. Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman, twin brother of Trump impeachment figure Alexander Vindman, blasted out to his Twitter followers a call to vote for Democrats Jay Jones and Abigail Spanberger days after texts showed the former referenced killing Republicans.
Meanwhile, a House of Delegates candidate in conservative southside Virginia doubles and triples down on support of Jones amid social media pushback.
As Jones’ controversy and campaign unraveled over the weekend, Vindman, D-Va., took to X to issue comments standing behind the entire Democratic ticket.
“We’re just a month out from Election Day in Virginia. It’s time for our Commonwealth to send a message that we’re tired of Republican chaos,” Vindman wrote Sunday, two days after texts came to light showing Jones envisioning the murder of then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah.
YOUNGKIN SAYS DEMOCRAT AG CANDIDATE JAY JONES MUST ‘STEP AWAY IN DISGRACE’ OVER TEXTS ABOUT FORMER GOP LEADER
Virginia “make a plan to vote — early if you can,” he said, adding “for” and the three X handles for gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger, lieutenant gubernatorial nominee Ghazala Hashmi and Jones.
“Your voice couldn’t be more important this year,” concluded Rep. Eugene Vindman, who coincidentally holds Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger’s former seat.
The post got ratioed by critics, including one telling Vindman, “Nobody is voting for Jay ‘Two Bullet’ Jones.”
“Get lost,” the man wrote.
JAY JONES SAID IF MORE POLICE WERE KILLED IT WOULD REDUCE SHOOTINGS OF CIVILIANS, ACCORDING TO VIRGINIA LAWMAKER
Another respondent posted a meme image of the Harrison family from “Pawn Stars” speaking with a customer and the caption “We need to tone down the political violence rhetoric” – “Virginia Democrats: Best I can do is murder your children.”
A third posted the ubiquitous “Marked Safe From… Today” flag meme, with the caption “Virginia Attorney General candidate Jay Jones.”
“Virginia — not for lovers anymore,” another wrote, referring to the Old Dominion’s famous 50-year tourism slogan.
Rep. Eugene Vindman’s brother Alexander Vindman was a key figure in then-Rep. Adam Schiff’s impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. Schiff defended then-witness Alexander Vindman in congressional hearings after Trump and other Republicans repeatedly condemned the former Ukraine-focused National Security Council staffer.
In Washington, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine also defended his support for Jones, saying he’s known the former Norfolk state delegate for 25 years.
“I think those statements were not in character, and he has apologized — I wish other people in public life would sincerely apologize for stuff,” Kaine said.
At the other end of Virginia, a Democrat running for a seat in Pittsylvania County and vicinity doubled and tripled down on her endorsement of Jones as the controversy continued.
YOUNGKIN PRESSES DEMS TO PUSH JAY JONES OFF VIRGINIA AG TICKET AFTER ‘BEYOND DISQUALIFYING’ MESSAGES SURFACE
Candidate Melody Cartwright, a former graphic designer at the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville, lambasted the delegate whom Jones had incidentally texted the invective to and vociferously defended the attorney generalship nominee.
Jay Jones “will defend Virginia’s rights, healthcare, and education. Stay the course,” Cartwright wrote on X, inscribing Jones’ handle.
“I stand with (Jay Jones) period. End of statement,” Cartwright wrote in a second tweet, both of which were lambasted by critics.
“Then you stand for a man who fantasizes about the murder of his political opponent’s children and wants to kill them, the parents, and piss on their graves,” replied former Energy Department staffer Matt van Swol.
Another critic said Cartwright’s comment wasn’t just a show of support but “an endorsement of an (expletive) death-obsessed lunatic.”
“No one is surprised. By you, by him, or by your entire party. It’s who you are,” wrote conservative figure Western Lensman.
Another reply included a one-second clip of conservative journalist Andrew Breitbart from his CPAC 2012 intro video, saying “War,” which had been one of the last appearances by the major right-wing figure before his death just days later. Breitbart’s stern-faced delivery of the singular word grew into a memorialization on the right in the time since; depicting the view that the left holds visceral hatred for the right.
Virginia Del. Eric Phillips, R-Martinsville, who defeated Cartwright last cycle and faces her again, told Fox News Digital it’s “not the Virginia way” to even entertain chatter in terms of what Jones referenced in his texts.
“It’s disturbing and disgraceful for my opponent to defend Jay Jones’ vile comments,” Phillips said of Cartwright.
“Standing with someone who talks about shooting colleagues in the head, harming their children, and desecrating graves is indefensible,” Phillips added.
“Anyone who excuses or embraces that kind of hate has no business asking to serve in the Virginia House of Delegates.”
In a separate tweet, Cartwright also bashed Virginia Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chester, who originally had shared Jones’ texts with the National Review and Fox News Digital.
Read the full article here
