**Former President Barack Obama Faces Backlash After Rally with Controversial Virginia Attorney General Candidate Jay Jones**
Former President Barack Obama has come under fire from critics following his appearance at a Hampton Roads, Virginia rally for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger and the Democratic statewide ticket. The event featured a somewhat surprising appearance by scandal-plagued attorney general candidate Jay Jones.
Jones, who is currently under scrutiny due to an ongoing criminal investigation relating to a 116-mph reckless driving charge, and who reportedly made troubling statements envisioning the murder of former House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his children, avoided addressing these scandals during the rally. Instead, he focused his remarks on criticizing former President Donald Trump.
The rally tied Obama and Spanberger to Jones, a move critics argue undermines the former president’s past calls for civility and his 2024 encouragement for Black voters to support Vice President Kamala Harris.
Florida political journalist Eric Daugherty expressed strong disapproval, stating, “They endorse killing us,” referring to Obama’s appearance alongside Jones. He added, “In a disgusting sight, Virginia AG candidate Jay Jones who called for the murder of Republicans and their children is being cheered at a Barack Hussein Obama rally with gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger.”
Notably, Obama did not mention Jones by name during his remarks. Fox News’ Steve Doocy reported on this omission and reached out to Republican nominee Winsome Earle-Sears for her perspective on the event.
Earle-Sears, originally from Kingston, Jamaica, commented, “I’m from a country where I saw political violence, where I see political gangs shooting people and shooting each other when I was 10 years old. And to think that that’s what I’m seeing in America today, it is absolutely crazy.”
She continued, criticizing Spanberger for not disavowing Jones: “And for my opponent, Abigail Spanberger, to not tell her attorney general nominee Jay Jones to get out of the race because he said two bullets to the head of his political opponents and also kill the man’s 2-year-old and 5-year-old children, this cannot be what we are about in Virginia.”
At a separate event in Purcellville, Loudoun County, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin condemned the rally, calling Obama and Spanberger’s appearance with Jones “a great representation of the far-left’s embrace of violence.”
“I cannot believe that Jay Jones was there, but Abigail Spanberger is for him, Barack Obama is for him,” Youngkin said.
Youngkin also labeled Jones “demented” and asserted that any moral clarity remaining in the Democratic Party had been “laid bare” during the rally. “Virginians clearly saw that violence and murder are just fine with them. Those may be their values, but they aren’t Virginia values,” he added.
The controversy has also drawn commentary from outside politics. Former Chicago Bears player turned options trader Jon Najarian questioned how Obama and the NAACP—where Jones reportedly completed 500 hours of community service following his reckless driving offense—could seemingly “turn a blind eye to Jay Jones’ sick comments as he campaigned for the chief legal position in the state.”
Conservative commentator Western Lensman called Obama’s rhetoric at the rally “blatantly hypocritical.” Although Obama urged the crowd that people should “be able to disagree without calling each other nasty names or demonizing each other,” Jones, who shared the stage, had previously compared House Speaker Todd Gilbert to brutal dictators such as Pol Pot and Adolf Hitler, even expressing a desire to urinate on Gilbert’s grave.
Fox News contributor Guy Benson also criticized Obama’s decision to share the stage with Jones, saying, “Yes, Jay ‘I want to murder Republicans and their children’ Jones shared this very stage with Obama because he was invited to do so and remains an endorsed member of the Dems’ ticket.” He added, “Obama doesn’t even believe his faux high-minded bulls but this is his autopilot slop.”
Social media commentators noted the stark contrast in consequences for offensive remarks. For example, comedian Roseanne Barr was fired from her ABC sitcom after making offensive comments about Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett. Yet, Democrats remain steadfast in their support of Jones despite his inflammatory texts envisioning violence against political opponents.
Critics also pointed to what they perceive as a shift in Obama’s stance on Black candidates running for office, juxtaposing it against his prior calls for civility and respect in political discourse.
As the Virginia gubernatorial and attorney general races intensify, the fallout from Jones’ statements and his association with high-profile figures like Barack Obama continues to fuel debate and controversy.
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*For more updates on Virginia politics and related news, stay tuned.*
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/they-endorse-killing-us-obama-spanberger-slammed-stumping-murder-texting-jay-jones