Former President Barack Obama came under fire after headlining a Norfolk, Virginia, rally for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger and the state’s Democratic ticket — which included an appearance by embattled attorney general candidate Jay Jones.
According to Fox News, Jones, who once fantasized about the murder of former House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his children and is under criminal investigation for reckless driving at 116 mph, avoided his scandals during the event. Instead, he took aim at President Donald Trump in his remarks.
Obama’s decision to appear at the rally — even though he did not mention Jones by name — quickly drew sharp criticism, with detractors accusing the former president of hypocrisy and moral inconsistency.
“They endorse killing us,” Florida journalist Eric Daugherty wrote on X. “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.”
Republican lieutenant governor candidate Winsome Earle-Sears said she was appalled by the spectacle.
“I’m from a country where I saw political violence… And to think that that’s what I’m seeing in America today, it is absolutely crazy,” Earle-Sears said. “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.”
Gov. Glenn Youngkin echoed that sentiment, calling the rally “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, later calling Jones “demented.”
Conservatives also pointed to Obama’s comments at the rally about “disagreeing without demonizing each other” as especially tone-deaf, given Jones’ history of violent rhetoric.
“Obama doesn’t even believe his faux high-minded bulls—, but this is his autopilot slop,” Fox News contributor Guy Benson wrote.
Former AFP vice president Phil Kerpen summarized the mood on X: “Obama rallied with psycho Jay Jones today.”
Meanwhile, Virginia House Speaker Don Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth, defended Jones, calling him “a good young man who made a huge error” and insisting the state would “allow him to do his job and move on” if elected.
