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Democrats under fire for standing by Virginia AG hopeful who joked about shooting GOP rival
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Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for Virginia governor, declined to call on her party’s attorney general hopeful, Jay Jones, to drop out of the race during a Thursday night debate. She stands among many other Democrats who have also declined to do so after text messages surfaced in which Jones fantasized about killing his Republican colleague in 2022.
Jones, a former delegate from Norfolk, Virginia, has faced mounting calls – mostly from Republicans – to bow out of the race for Virginia attorney general. But Virginia Democrats and other party leaders around the country have refused to cave to pressure they are getting to demand Jones drop out.
The Jones’ text message scandal has become a flashpoint in Virginia’s elections, particularly considering it came at a time of heightened sensitivity to inflammatory and violent political rhetoric following the assassination of Charlie Kirk and two attempted assassinations of President Donald Trump.
SPANBERGER EXCORIATED ONLINE AS A ‘COWARD’ FOR REFUSAL TO DITCH ‘UNHINGED’ JAY JONES
Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., remained silent when asked by Fox News Digital repeatedly if Jones should drop out of the race. Warner was also pressed on whether he would demand Jones return a $25,000 donation made to his campaign in August, or whether he regretted the show of support in light of the controversy about Jones’ violent political speech, but he once again averted his gaze and remained silent.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., was also unwilling to call on Jones’ to drop out. He told Fox News Digital he’s still a supporter of the embattled candidate for his state’s attorney general seat. «I think those statements were not in character, and he has apologized — I wish other people in public life would sincerely apologize for stuff,» the 2016 Democratic vice presidential nominee said. «I’ve known Jay Jones for 25 years.»
Several other Democrats outside of Virginia who were approached by Fox News Digital similarly walked away, or refused to respond when asked about the Jones controversy, which revolves around a text message exchange he had in 2022 with another lawmaker.
During the texts, Jones fantasized about putting «two bullets» into the head of then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert. He also quipped about murdering Gilbert’s children.
«Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,» Jones wrote. In a subsequent text, Jones also wrote, «Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.»
«Jay. Please stop,» the lawmaker on the receiving end of the tests from Jones said at the time. Jones has since apologized, calling the remarks «embarrassing and shameful,» and said he had reached out personally to Gilbert and his family.
Jay Jones, who is running to become Virginia’s attorney general in 2025, has come under fire for a series of text messages calling for the death of political opponents and remarks about police officers. (Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post/Getty Images)
«I’m really not familiar with the situation in Virginia,» Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said when asked if Jones should drop out.
«Haven’t given it a thought,» said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.
Meanwhile, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called the texts «horrifying,» but when pressed further on whether Jones should drop out, Wyden said, «I’m going to leave it at that, thank you.»
SANDERS, DEM LEADERS DODGE QUESTIONS ON VIRGINIA CANDIDATE WHO JOKED ABOUT SHOOTING GOP LAWMAKER
Other Democrats who Fox News approached, such as Sens. Andy Kim, D-N.J., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., condemned political violence but admitted they were not following the matter involving Jones.
«I can’t say that I’ve done my due diligence to really understand, but what I will say is that what I saw was absolutely horrible,» said Kim. «I hope that in a time right now, where there’s so much concern about political violence, we can say that, ‘Yes, we need to make sure that we are holding ourselves up to a high standard, especially those in elected office.’»
Republican responses to the Jones text scandal were starkly different. Speaking with Fox News Digital, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called the text messages «staggering, particularly with the spate of political violence we have seen.»
«There are far too many on the left that celebrate political violence,» Cruz continued, adding, «When Charlie Kirk was assassinated, we saw leftists, college professors, leftist schoolteachers, politicians, journalists celebrating that heinous murder.»
«And every Democrat in Washington is turning a blind eye,» Cruz added. «In my view, the notion that someone advocating for the murder of children because he disagrees politically with their father is manifestly unsuitable for public office, especially the chief law enforcement officer of Virginia. And I wish there were even one Democrat with the courage to say that publicly.»
From left to right: Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. (Getty Images)
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«It’s really sickening calling for the assassination of a rival, calling for the death of his children. I mean, I think, hopefully, all of us can agree that’s beyond the bounds of what is reasonable here, and he ought to step down,» Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said when asked about the controversy. «What’s amazing though, is, I’ve not heard one Democrat – hopefully you’re asking that question to other Democrats. I’ve not heard anybody say anything about it, which is pretty sad.»
During a debate Thursday night between Republican and Democrat candidates for governor in Virginia, Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears repeatedly pressed her Democratic opponent, Spanberger, to call on Jones to step down.
«Jay Jones advocated the murder — Abigail — the murder of a man, a former speaker, as well as his children who were 2 years and 5 years old. You have little girls. Would it take him pulling the trigger? Is that what would do it?» Earle-Sears asked Thursday night. «Please ask him to get out of the race. Have some courage.»
Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo and Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
democrats elections,democratic party,virginia,democrats senate,congress
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Democrats eye narrow path to capture Senate majority, but one wrong move could sink them
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Senate Democrats are publicly laying out their roadmap to reclaim the chamber in the 2026 midterm elections, arguing that President Donald Trump’s agenda and an expanded battleground map give them multiple paths back to the majority.
Charging that «President Trump is creating a toxic agenda that’s harming people,» Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told Fox News Digital she’s «optimistic that we have a shot to take back the majority.»
Democrats need a net gain of four seats after Senate Republicans flipped four seats in the 2024 cycle to secure a 53-47 majority. But party leaders say recent Democratic overperformances in the 2025 elections, combined with GOP-held seats now in play, have widened the map far beyond initial expectations — even as Republicans insist the political environment still favors them.
REPUBLICAN SENATORS, IN FIRST 2026 ROAD TRIP, TOUT BORDER SECURITY, TAX CUTS
An exterior view of the Senate side of the U.S. Capitol, on Jan. 12, 2026. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
A DSCC memo titled «Senate Democrats Carve Out Path to Senate Majority in 2026,» which was released on Wednesday, highlights that «at the start of 2025, Democrats had two clear offensive targets: Maine and North Carolina. Over the past year, the DSCC expanded the battleground map significantly and created multiple potential paths to the majority.»
Gillibrand charged that Trump «is creating this massive backlash because of his bad and hurtful and harmful agenda,» which she said «adds more to the map.»
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the longtime party leader in the chamber, agreed, telling The Associated Press, «it’s a much wider path than the skeptics think, and a much wider path than it was three months ago and certainly a year ago.»
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, the top Democrat in the chamber, is optimistic about his party’s chances of winning back the majority in the 2026 midterm elections. (Rod Lamkey, Jr./AP Photo)
Gillibrand, in her interview with Fox News Digital, and the DSCC in its memo, touted the party’s top recruits for three GOP-held seats they’re working to flip: former three-term Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, former two-term North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and two-term Maine Gov. Janet Mills.
And Gillibrand highlighted the DSCC’s most recent recruiting success, Monday’s landing of former Rep. Mary Peltola, who was twice elected statewide to Alaska’s at-large House seat, which could potentially put the red-leaning state in play this year.
The DSCC also has its eyes on battleground turned red state Iowa, where there’s an open GOP-held seat, and Texas, where longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn is trying to survive a competitive and combustible primary as he seeks re-election.
But Democrats are also facing crowded Senate primaries.
4 KEY SENATE SEATS REPUBLICANS AIM TO FLIP IN 2026 MIDTERMS TO EXPAND THEIR MAJORITY
Democrat Gov. Janet Mills announced that she will run for Maine’s Senate seat in October 2024. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Mills is facing a formidable rival on the left in Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and military veteran who is backed by progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders.
There are also competitive Democratic Senate primaries in Texas, Iowa and Michigan, where Democrats are playing defense as they aim to hold the seat held by retiring two-term Sen. Gary Peters, Gillibrand’s predecessor at the DSCC. Republicans in the Great Lakes State are mostly rallying behind former Rep. Mike Rogers, who’s making a second straight bid for the Senate.
Asked whether her party’s Senate primaries will impede success in November, a confident Gillibrand said, «I think we will have the best candidates in each one of these states.»
While the party in power — clearly the Republicans right now — traditionally faces political headwinds in the midterm elections, and with Democrats riding a wave of momentum following a slew of ballot box victories in 2025, a current read of the 2026 map indicates the GOP may be able to go on offense in some key states.
Gillibrand’s counterpart, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, told Fox News Digital last month that «54 is clearly within our grasp right now, but with a little bit of luck, 55 is on our side.»
GOP SENATE CAMPAIGN CHIEF AIMS TO EXPAND 2026 MAP IN THIS BLUE-LEANING STATE
Asked about Scott’s aspirations to pick up one or two seats, Gillibrand quickly responded, «No chance.»
«I’m very optimistic that with the quality of candidates that we have, with the recruiting failures and the poor candidates the Republicans have, and this very harmful climate that President Trump is creating, we have all the makings of a blue wave,» Gillibrand emphasized.
NRSC’s communications director, Joanna Rodriguez, argued that the «Democrats’ battleground map is littered with failed career politicians no longer aligned with the values of their states and messy, nasty primaries that will leave Schumer with a majority of candidates that have all pledged to vote him out.»
Democrats are also playing defense in blue-leaning Minnesota, where Sen. Tina Smith is retiring, and the party faces another competitive primary, and in swing state New Hampshire, where former governor and longtime Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is retiring.
And in Georgia, Republicans see first-term Sen. Jon Ossoff as the most vulnerable Democrat up for re-election this cycle. But a nasty three-way GOP Senate primary may hurt the Republicans’ chances of flipping the seat in the crucial southeastern battleground.
AFFORDABILITY BOOSTS DEMOCRATS AT BALLOT BOX IN 2025 AFTER INFLATION HELPED TRUMP AND GOP SOAR IN 2024
Deep concerns over inflation boosted Trump and Republicans to sweeping victories at the ballot box in 2024, as they won back the White House and Senate and kept their House majority.
But Democrats say their decisive victories in November’s elections were fueled by their laser focus on affordability.
Don’t expect any letup in Democrats’ cost-of-living messaging.
President Donald Trump speaks on inflation at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
«Candidates that connect with their voters, candidates that are listening to the concerns that their constituents have, those are the candidates that win elections, and we saw Democrats do that across the board in 2025,» Gillibrand said. «Candidates that understand what people are going through are the ones that connect with voters, and that’s the kind of candidates we are marshaling in this election, and we are supporting this election.»
But Scott predicts the tide will turn for Republicans on the affordability issue.
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«I’ve said 2026 is a year of affordability, and the great news is President Trump has been producing time and time again,» the NRSC chair touted.
Pointing to the tax cut provisions in the GOP’s sweeping domestic policy measure signed into law this past summer by Trump, Scott said «2026 is shaping up to be the year where Donald Trump’s activities, his actions, the legislation we’ve passed, shows up for the American voter. And consumers all across the country will see a more affordable economy because of President Trump and the Senate majority and the House majority in the hands of the Republican Party.»
elections,democrats elections,midterm elections,senate elections,democratic party,republicans elections,campaigning
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Some U.S. military personnel have been told to leave bases in the Middle East, Fox News has learned.
The order comes amid widespread protests in Iran and threats to intervene from President Donald Trump. Qatar’s government confirmed that some U.S. personnel had departed from the Al Udeid Air Base, America’s largest military base in the Middle East.
Qatar’s International Media Office said the steps were part of broader efforts to safeguard the security of citizens and residents and to protect critical infrastructure and military facilities, adding that any further developments would be announced through official channels.
Trump said on Tuesday that he cut off meetings with the Iranian regime, saying there would be no contact until the government stops killing protesters. He also urged the Iranian people to «take over» the country.
LIZ PEEK: TRUMP IS PUTTING AMERICA FIRST BY BACKING IRAN INTO A CORNER
Some U.S. military personnel have been told to leave military bases in the Middle East. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
«Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!» Trump wrote on Truth Social. «Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price.»
«I have canceled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY,» he added.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that the U.S. may intervene against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime, but he has not offered details of any plans.
NETANYAHU AND RUBIO DISCUSS US MILITARY INTERVENTION IN IRAN AMID ONGOING NATIONWIDE PROTESTS: REPORT
Reports say Iranian authorities have killed more than 2,500 people, though the actual total could be much higher.
People gather during a protest on January 8, 2026, in Tehran, Iran. Demonstrations have been ongoing since December, triggered by soaring inflation and the collapse of the rial, and have expanded into broader demands for political change. (Anonymous/Getty Images)
The White House confirmed on Monday that Trump was weighing whether to bomb Iran in reaction to the crackdown.
IRAN’S ‘DISTINCTIVE’ DRONE DEPLOYMENT SEES DEATH TOLL SOAR AMID VIOLENT PROTESTS
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that diplomacy remains Trump’s first option, but that the president «has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary.»
«He certainly doesn’t want to see people being killed in the streets of Tehran. And unfortunately that’s something we are seeing right now,» she added.
President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene against the Iranian regime. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)
Iranian authorities have used deadly force against anti-regime protesters and have cut off public internet access in an effort to stop images and video from spreading across the globe.
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The protests represent the highest level of unrest Iran has seen since nationwide protests against the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of morality police in 2022.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Tensión máxima en Medio Oriente: EE.UU. evacúa a militares de su base en Qatar tras amenazas de Irán
Parte del personal en la base aérea de Al Udeid, el principal enclave militar de Estados Unidos en Qatar, recibió órdenes de evacuar antes del miércoles a la noche. Así lo reveló un funcionario norteamericano, que pidió mantener el anonimato por tratarse de un tema sensible.
La medida, según describió la fuente, es “de precaución” y se tomó luego de que un alto funcionario iraní mencionara el ataque con misiles que Irán lanzó contra esa base en junio, en represalia por bombardeos estadounidenses a instalaciones nucleares iraníes.
Leé también Irán: los escenarios que se abren tras las amenazas de Trump y la sangrienta represión de las protestas
El funcionario evitó dar detalles sobre si la evacuación es obligatoria u opcional, cuántas personas están involucradas o si afecta a militares, civiles o ambos. Argumentó que la seguridad operativa es prioritaria y que no se pueden brindar precisiones en este contexto.
Qatar confirmó la evacuación y habló de “tensiones regionales”
El gobierno de Qatar reconoció que la evacuación se lleva adelante “en respuesta a las tensiones regionales actuales”. En un comunicado oficial, la oficina de prensa aseguró que el país “continúa implementando todas las medidas necesarias para salvaguardar la seguridad y protección de sus ciudadanos y residentes como prioridad principal, incluidas acciones relacionadas con la protección de infraestructura crítica e instalaciones militares”.
Leé también Trump apoyó las protestas en Irán y les pidió a los manifestantes que “tomen el control de las instituciones”
Por su parte, el Pentágono y el Departamento de Estado de EE.UU. evitaron hacer comentarios sobre la situación o sobre posibles alertas de seguridad para diplomáticos y civiles estadounidenses en Qatar. En junio, la embajada norteamericana en Doha solo había emitido un aviso de “refugio en el lugar”, pero no llegó a recomendar la evacuación.
Irán redobla la presión y recuerda el ataque a la base
La tensión escaló después de que Ali Shamkhani, asesor del líder supremo iraní, el ayatolá Alí Jamenei, publicara en la red social X: “El presidente de Estados Unidos, que habla repetidamente sobre la agresión inútil contra las instalaciones nucleares de Irán, haría bien en mencionar también la destrucción de la base estadounidense en Al-Udeid por misiles iraníes. Sin duda ayudaría a crear una comprensión real de la voluntad y capacidad de Irán para responder a cualquier agresión”.
El ataque iraní a la base de Al Udeid en junio, que alberga a miles de militares estadounidenses, marcó un punto de inflexión en la región. Según el Comando Central del ejército de EE.UU., ningún personal estadounidense o qatarí resultó herido, aunque un oficial militar qatarí reconoció que uno de los 19 misiles disparados no fue interceptado y golpeó la base. El entonces presidente Donald Trump minimizó el hecho y aseguró que “apenas se causaron daños”.
Leé también Un manifestante irrumpió en la embajada de Irán en Londres y retiró la bandera oficial durante una protesta
La situación se da mientras continúan las protestas antigubernamentales en Irán y Trump advierte que está dispuesto a tomar acciones militares en apoyo a los manifestantes. En este clima, funcionarios iraníes y qataríes mantuvieron contactos en las últimas horas. El secretario del Consejo Supremo de Seguridad Nacional de Irán, Ali Larijani, habló por teléfono con el primer ministro qatarí, jeque Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, quien reafirmó el respaldo de Qatar a “todos los esfuerzos de desescalada y soluciones pacíficas para mejorar la seguridad y estabilidad en la región”.
Qatar también quedó en el centro de otras tensiones regionales, como el ataque israelí en septiembre a la sede del liderazgo político de Hamás en Doha, mientras se discutía una propuesta de alto al fuego para Gaza.
La evacuación en la base de Al Udeid refleja el delicado equilibrio que enfrenta Qatar, atrapado entre las amenazas cruzadas de Irán, Estados Unidos e Israel, y la necesidad de proteger a su población y a las fuerzas extranjeras que operan en su territorio.
Estados Unidos, Irán, Qatar
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