It Turns Out Gun Control Groups Only Oppose Some ‘Gun Violence’…Depending Who’s Being Targeted

The political world was upended recently after text messages from Democratic Virginia state Attorney General candidate Jay Jones, then a member of the House of Delegates, surfaced in which he wished death on a political opponent. Even more appalling, he wished the death of that opponent’s children. The texts calling for political violence are grotesque – and should be disqualifying.

“Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler, and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” Jones mistakenly texted to Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner in 2022, referencing then-Republican Virginia Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert.

“Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time,” Jones added.

After Delegate Coyner addressed his disgusting sentiments, Del. Jones doubled down, following up with a text message stating how he “wished” that the Virginia Speaker’s children would be shot and “die in their mother’s arms.”

The disgusting and vile texts from the Democratic candidate trying to be the Commonwealth’s top law enforcement official are shocking. Even more so coming to light just one month after the assassination of Charlie Kirk by a sniper in a heinous act of cowardice.

Gun Control Groups Gave Cash, Stay Silent

It’s no surprise that several gun control groups and gun control-supporting politicians had previously lined up to support Jones’ candidacy. Everytown for Gun Safety, the Michael Bloomberg-bankrolled group headed up by John Feinblatt, donated a whopping $200,000 to the Jones campaign and did so for obvious reasons – Jones’ platform includes strict gun control.

Surely you’d think a political candidate texting about committing such atrocious acts of gun violence on another human being and his children would force them to rescind their support of that candidate, or at least condemn in the strongest of terms those sentiments? But you’d be mistaken.

Bloomberg and Feinblatt’s Everytown, the largest gun control group supporting Jones’ campaign, hasn’t released any statements on Jones following the revelation. They previously deemed him a “gun sense candidate” who would be an “advocate for safer communities.”

Feinblatt, a regular poster on X.com – formerly Twitter – hasn’t posted one word about Jones.

Another gun control group backing Jones with big dollars is Brady PAC. Brady gave Jones $1,000 but is now being cute with their support. The gun control group quietly removed a press release from their website announcing their support for Jones and took his profile off of their list of endorsed candidates.

“Violent rhetoric has no place in our political process,” is as much as they could muster regarding a comment after Jones’ texts were uncovered, according to the Washington Free Beacon. They did not mention Jones by name.

Brady PAC President Kris Brown – a Virginia Tech graduate – couldn’t be bothered to compose her own admonition of Jones’ behavior. She only retweeted Brady PAC’s post. Which is also quite revealing because just two weeks ago, Brown tweeted, “…The normalization of gunfire in our everyday lives and in our schools should demand just as much attention and outrage.”

Standing by political candidates who wish and vocalize that their political opponents and their children be gunned down certainly goes a long way towards “normalizing” that behavior. And it’s grotesque.

The Washington Free Beacon also reported that Giffords PAC, the gun control group named after former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords – who infamously was shot at a campaign event by a mentally unstable assailant – gave $1,000 to Jones and shockingly still has their endorsement of his campaign on their website.

Other Groups Stay Silent

Shannon Watts, the former head of Moms Demand Action, is an active social media user. In the past weeks, she has “tweeted” plenty, but regarding the Jones situation, she has only retweeted one news story about the revelations and one other account addressing it. Nothing on her own, from the person who led the gun control Veepstakes competition for former President Joe Biden during the 2020 campaign and questioned numerous elected Democrats on their platforms to “reduce gun violence.”

Po Murray, the Chair of Newtown Action Alliance gun control group and vocal gun control supporter, has posted on social media several times over the past two weeks – about healthcare. And yes, gun control too, but nothing about Jones’ despicable call for gun violence.

And let no one forget, the two U.S. Senators in Virginia – the leaders of the state’s Democratic party – are both standing right beside Jones and have refused to call on him to drop his bid to be the Commonwealth’s next attorney general.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said the comments were “appalling” and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) deemed them “indefensible” but reiterated that he’s “still a supporter.”

In the highly contested gubernatorial race between current Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears and Abigail Spanberger, the latter offered a milquetoast response when questioned.

“I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words,” she stated in written comment to media, meekly adding, “As a candidate — and as the next governor of our commonwealth — I will always condemn violent language in our politics.”

That they all sound the same makes perfect sense. Former Rep. Spanberger is the darling candidate of those gun control groups, including Everytown and Moms Demand Action, as well as Giffords and Brady United. She set the tone for her campaign early this year, vowing to voters in January that she would sign several gun control bills if she’s elected. Now the groups are rewarding her, including Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, which announced just last week that it commenced a $1 million advertising campaign for her, with the stated purpose of “highlighting Spanberger’s record of — and commitment to — combating gun violence and keeping Virginia communities, families, and children safe.”

One month ago, a public figure was horrifically assassinated by a bullet fired by someone who had political disagreements. The leading Democratic candidate for the Commonwealth’s top law enforcement position typed out in text messages – and vocalized over the phone – his wishes that a political opponent would not just be gunned down, but that his children would be, too.

The timidity and silence from national gun control groups is astonishing – but unsurprising.

 

Larry Keane is SVP for Government and Public Affairs, Assistant Secretary and General Counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.