Obama Campaigns With Scandal-Plagued Virginia Dem Who Fantasized About Murdering Opponents
Former President Barack Obama hit the campaign trail in Virginia on Saturday, appearing at a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with attorney general nominee Jay Jones — despite Jones being at the center of a firestorm over disturbing past comments.
Jones, a former delegate, made headlines when text messages surfaced in which he expressed a desire to see then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert, a Republican, assassinated. One of the most shocking messages referenced a fantasy in which Gilbert and his wife would be forced to watch one of their young children die. The remarks sparked bipartisan condemnation, but Jones has remained on the ticket.
Obama’s remarks at the event focused heavily on Spanberger, whom he praised as a unifying figure for Virginia. “Abigail doesn’t just believe in working with everybody, she also believes — and this is really important — in listening to everybody, whether they voted for her or not,” he told the crowd. “Because she knows that if we want to make progress on the things that we care about, we have to be able to disagree without calling each other nasty names or demonizing each other.”
He added that the country needs leaders like Spanberger “who are in it for the right reasons and are focused on the future,” casting her as a symbol of civil discourse in a time of division.
Noticeably absent from Obama’s speech was any mention of the scandal surrounding Jones, or the fact that Spanberger herself had previously condemned his texts — yet declined to say whether such rhetoric should disqualify him from public office. Nor did Obama address how Jones’ violent language squares with his calls for civility.
Spanberger echoed Obama’s theme of bipartisan cooperation in her own remarks. “As Governor, I will work with anyone and everyone to get the job done for Virginians,” she said. But neither she nor Obama addressed a recent interview in which Spanberger stated outright that she would not work with President Trump, even if it meant helping create jobs for Virginia residents.
The election is just days away, and questions about Jones’ comments continue to loom over the ticket. Yet Saturday’s rally offered no indication that Democratic leadership plans to address them publicly before voters head to the polls.