Every so often, a reporter uncovers information that pierces a candidate’s consultant-spun veil and exposes their true character.
Every election cycle, millions of dollars are spent and vast teams of consultants and campaign staffers are employed to shape particular narratives about the candidates on the ballot.
Should the candidate appear in a suit or adopt a more humble posture in a flannel shirt and jeans? What aspects of the candidate’s biography should be emphasized — and which are better left to the side?
In the case of particularly vacuous candidates, entirely new manners of speech are temporarily adopted.
But every so often, a reporter uncovers a specific piece of information that pierces the consultant-spun veil that’s been carefully draped over the office seeker, exposing the person’s true character for all to see.
Those stories don’t come around often, but we published one here at NR just this month, thanks to the incredible work of Audrey Fahlberg. If you value the work of Audrey and the rest of our news team, please consider donating to our fall fundraiser.
As Audrey’s editor, I had a front-row seat as she chased down and ultimately broke the bombshell news that Jay Jones, the Democratic candidate for attorney general of Virginia, had fantasized about killing then–Republican Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert in a series of text messages sent to a former colleague in 2022. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he went on to endorse the proposition that Gilbert’s two young children should die in the arms of their mother in order to force him to rethink his political stances.
The reaction to the story among the political class was explosive: Democrats, including Virginia gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger, were forced to condemn Jones’s vile remarks — but couldn’t bring themselves to call on him to drop out of the race.
Prominent Republicans, including President Trump, weighed in with demands that Jones withdraw in disgrace.
But it’s the reaction of ordinary Virginia voters that will matter most. Thanks to Audrey’s reporting, they now know exactly who Jay Jones is.
If Audrey had not broken this vital story, Virginians would be walking to the ballot box on Tuesday under the impression that Jay Jones, running to become the state’s top law enforcement official, is a genial, well-meaning guy they may or may not agree with.
Now they know the truth.
If you would like to help National Review continue to uncover these kinds of stories — please, support our fall fundraiser. Thank you.
