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The Democrat Rage Culture

The Blood on Democrat Hands

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In ancient Rome, the phrase Carthago delenda est-“Carthage must be destroyed”-was a rallying cry that turned a civilization into a target, fueling wars that ended in annihilation. In my earlier column, Democrats Delenda Est, I argued that the modern Democrat Party is fostering a culture where political opponents are not just rivals but existential threats and demands the electoral dismantling of the party’s radicalism to restore classical liberalism. The assassination of conservative leader Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025, and the grotesque assassination fantasies of Virginia AG candidate Jay Jones provide chilling evidence of this rhetoric metastasizing into violence. This is no longer a hypothetical danger-it’s a target on the backs of conservatives, with elected Democrats, from the violent rhetoric that nearly claimed Steve Scalise’s life in the past to Abigail Spanberger’s present-day provocations, stoking the flames.

Let’s start with Jay Jones, the Democrat nominee for Virginia Attorney General. Published texts from August 2022 reveal Jones fantasizing about shooting former Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert, writing, “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” and doubling down with a sickening wish that Gilbert’s wife could “watch her own child die” to shift gun policy. These weren’t offhand quips-they were deliberate, repeated, and sent to a colleague, Delegate Carrie Coyner, who was so horrified she forwarded them to Gilbert that day. Now, as Jones campaigns to be Virginia’s top law enforcer, his apology rings hollow when he deflects blame to “Trump-controlled media” (National Review!) for an “assault on my character”-his own words, mind you. This is not the isolated rant of a fringe figure; it’s the voice of a party-endorsed candidate, backed by $650,000 in donations, including $150,000 from the Virginia Democrat Party itself.

Then came September 10, 2025, when Charlie Kirk, the visionary leader of Turning Point USA, was assassinated while speaking at Utah Valley University. Kirk, at 31, had transformed a garage startup into a national movement, empowering young conservatives with ideas and organization, not just noise. His death came during a university event that showcased his rise-a leader, not a provocateur. The FBI’s initial report links the assassin to online radicalization fueled by anti-conservative hate, a culture Democrats have nurtured. This wasn’t a random act; it was the endpoint of a narrative where conservatives like Kirk are painted as enemies to be eliminated, a narrative Jones’s texts exemplify. The timing-less than a month after a transgender individual’s mass shooting at a Minneapolis church-only heightens the urgency.

This culture didn’t emerge in a vacuum. Look at Steve Scalise, the Republican House Majority Whip who survived a 2017 assassination attempt during a congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia. Shot by a left-wing extremist, James Hodgkinson, who’d raged against GOP policies, Scalise’s near-death experience was dismissed by some Democrats as a fluke. The Virginia attorney general’s 2017 ruling called Hodgkinson’s attack “an act of terrorism fueled by rage against Republican legislators,” a pattern now mirrored in Kirk’s assassination. His survival-thanks to Capitol Police-didn’t stop the trend; it foreshadowed more political murder. On September 18, 2022, in McHenry, North Dakota, where 41-year-old Shannon Brandt killed 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson by striking him with his SUV following a political argument. Brandt claimed to police that he believed Ellingson was a “Republican extremist”.

MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution. They do not believe in the rule of law.”

This MAGA crowd is the most extreme political organization that’s existed in American history.”

Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.

President Joe Biden, September 1, 2022, Independence Hall Speech

These words, delivered by President Joe Biden at Independence Hall on September 1, 2022-less than a month after Jones’s texts and just weeks before Cayler Ellingson murder-set the stage. Framed against a blood-red backdrop with Marines in tow, Biden’s “red speech” labeled millions of Americans as existential threats, a rhetoric that echoes in Jones’s violent fantasies.

In Democrats Delenda Est, I warned that the party’s rhetoric-labeling conservatives as fascists, threats to democracy-creates a self-fulfilling prophecy where violence becomes the solution. Jones’s texts, wishing death on a colleague’s children, are the textbook case. Kirk’s assassination, following a decade of violent Democrat rhetoric, is the bloody proof. The Washington Post’s October 3 editorial, calling Jones’s words “a disgrace,” and David Strom’s October 4 Hot Air piece, framing this as a “rage philosophy,” underscore that even liberal voices see the danger. Yet, Senators Hashmi and Lucas’s “but we believe he has shown remorse” statement today only deepens the complicity, excusing violence with a shrug.

Then there’s Abigail Spanberger, Virginia’s gubernatorial nominee and Jones’s ticket leader, who has made “let your rage fuel you” a cornerstone of her campaign since June 2025. At rallies in Henrico, NoVA, and Buena Vista, she’s urged supporters to channel anger over GOP policies into action, saying on September 1, “Let your rage fuel you against what’s wrong in Richmond and D.C.” This isn’t a call for peaceful protest-it’s a dog whistle for the kind of fury that birthed Jones’s fantasies and Kirk’s death. Spanberger’s camp claims it’s about “productive activism,” but with Jones’s words as context, it reads like permission to dehumanize. Her silence on demanding Jones’s exit, despite condemning his texts, ties her directly to this rage-fueled culture.

This isn’t about one bad actor-it’s about a Democrat ecosystem, from elected officials to candidates, fostering an environment where conservatives wear targets. VCU polls (October 2) show 58% of independents now view Dems as “too extreme,” a 12-point jump since September, as early voting hits 320k with a 15% GOP surge in NoVA. The blood of Charlie Kirk, the scars of Steve Scalise, and the venom of Jay Jones and Abigail Spanberger are linked by a culture that must be rejected. Virginia voters have 30 days to decide: Will they reward this rage, or demand a return to civility? The answer will echo beyond 2025. As I wrote before, if this path continues, it’s not just Carthage-our civil society itself may be delenda est.

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James K. Bishop

James K. Bishop is a conservative writer and raconteur hailing from Texas, known for his incisive and often provocative takes on political and cultural issues. With a staunch commitment to originalist constitutional principles, he emphasizes limited government, individual liberties, and traditional American values. Active on X under the handle @James_K_Bishop, he frequently engages his audience with sharp critiques of progressive policies, media narratives, and overreaches by the federal government. His style is direct, often laced with humor and wit, which resonates strongly with his conservative followers.