Report: Major CBS, ABC, PBS Shows Silent on Jay Jones Scandal

Over the course of five days following the emergence of a controversy, major CBS, ABC, and PBS broadcast shows did not discuss Democrat Jay Jones’ violent text messages in which he fantasized about assassinating a political opponent, according to a new analysis.

Explainer Virginia AG Candidate Jay Jones Faces Scrutiny Over Violent Texts

The Media Research Center's study revealed that NBC alone dedicated a mere 63 seconds to the Virginia attorney general candidate's texts. The analysis encompassed segments from ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS Mornings, CBS Saturday Morning, CBS Sunday Morning, NBC Today, NBC Sunday Today, ABC’s This Week, NBC’s Meet the Press, CBS’s Face the Nation, and PBS’s NewsHour. The programs were analyzed from Friday, the day the National Review broke the story about Jones’ messages, through Tuesday morning.

National Review reported that Jones sent messages in 2022 to a former colleague, stating, “Put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.” The hypothetical scenario proposed by Jones likened Gilbert to historical figures such as Hitler and Pol Pot.

In a phone call with the recipient of the texts, Jones reportedly suggested that he wished Gilbert’s wife could witness her own child die in her arms, a comment described as deeply troubling by a source cited by National Review.

Even a pundit on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, which was not included in the MRC’s analysis, acknowledged that Jones’ remarks were “wildly inappropriate,” stating that “this guy should do everyone a favor and step out of the race.” The pundit emphasized that such a move would be both “the right thing” and would minimize potential “political splashback.”

Despite the severity of the comments, outlets like the Associated Press have been criticized for focusing on the Republican response rather than Jones’ violent remarks. The Washington Post and Politico also reported on the upheaval in Virginia elections without fully addressing the implications of Jones' comments.

Republicans at various levels, including in Virginia, Congress, and the White House, have called for Jones to withdraw from the race. While some Democratic lawmakers have condemned Jones’ statements, they have not withdrawn their support or called for him to step down. Notably, no U.S. Democratic senators have demanded his withdrawal, as reported by The Federalist.

Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both Democrats from Virginia, expressed their disapproval of Jones’ comments. Warner described them as “appalling, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the person I’ve known,” while Kaine stated they were “contrary to all I’ve known about Jay Jones for decades.”

Kaine also reaffirmed his support for Jones, characterizing the statements as “completely indefensible” but “very much out of character,” indicating that his long history with Jones influenced his continued backing.

Catherine Gripp is a graduate of Arizona Christian University where she earned a degree in communication and a minor in political science. She writes for The Federalist as a reporting intern.