Trump calls Jay Jones an ‘animal,’ says ‘anybody would be put in prison for what he said’

President Donald Trump condemned Virginia Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones as an “animal” on Sunday, saying anyone else would find themselves “in prison” for his text messages wishing death on political opponents.

Trump made the comments while talking to reporters aboard Air Force One, just days after Jones had repeatedly bashed the president in a campaign debate in Virginia last week. Reporters pressed Trump on whether he planned to weigh in on the attorney general contest.

“You mean the one that wanted to kill some of his children and kill somebody? You mean the animal that wanted to kill somebody who should not be allowed to be running for that office?” Trump said when asked about Jones.

“He’s a third-rate intellect, he’s a guy who – I’ve never seen anybody say what he said, that he wanted to kill his opponent’s children – he wanted to kill his opponent,” Trump said. “I can’t imagine anybody voting for Jay Jones. Look, you would think he’s totally discredited. I would think he wouldn’t even be allowed to do that; anybody would be put in prison for what he said.”

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“He can join a long list of attorney generals that have been suing and losing,” Trump added.

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In messages first reported earlier this month, Jones texted Virginia state lawmaker Carrie Coyner in 2022, imagining a scenario where he would choose to “fire two bullets” into then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert’s head, describing Gilbert as worse than dictators Pol Pot and Adolf Hitler.

Jones also referred to Gilbert’s young children as “fascists” in the exchange.

Jones has since apologized for the text messages and says he is now “embarrassed” by them.

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The controversy hasn’t stopped prominent Virginia Democrats from endorsing Jones, however. Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger endorsed Jones prior to the controversy and has since declined to withdraw the endorsement. Her campaign website is also still selling Jones-branded merchandise.

The Republican Governors Association, which is backing Spanberger’s opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, slammed Spanberger’s campaign for continuing to market Jones-branded merchandise more than a week after texts surfaced depicting him envisioning the murder of a GOP leader and his children.

“Jay Jones threatened to murder his political opponent and their children, and Abigail Spanberger still fully endorses him and is trying to make money off it,” RGA rapid response director Kollin Crompton told Fox News Digital.

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“If Spanberger is willing to put partisan politics above doing the right thing and standing up to political violence, how can she be trusted as governor?” Crompton asked.

Fox News’ Charles Creitz contributed to this report.