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Donald Trump attacked Glenn Youngkin in a statement Friday morning showing that the former president is likely afraid of a challenge for the nomination. This comes one day after Virginia’s lieutenant governor said the party needs to move away from Trump.
“Young Kin (now that’s an interesting take. Sounds Chinese, doesn’t it?) in Virginia couldn’t have won without me,” Trump said. “I Endorsed him, did a very big Trump Rally for him telephonically, got MAGA to Vote for him – or he couldn’t have come close to winning.”
Youngkin told reporters Friday that he had not seen the statements and he did not provide comment. He spoke about his campaign and how he brought together “forever Trumpers and never Trumpers, Libertarians and Tea Party members and Independents and a lot of Democrats.”
Trump did participate in a telephone rally for Youngkin but it almost cost him the race last year. During that rally, participants pledged allegiance to a flag that insurrectionists used at the Capital on Jan. 6.
Youngkin did not participate in the telephone rally and called the use of that flag “weird and wrong.”
Many of Youngkin’s staffers at the time were worried that the event was going to cost Youngkin the election in a state that Joe Biden won by ten points in 2020. Youngkin was eventually able to squeak out a small victory over Terry McAuliffe.
Trump also mentioned that he endorsed Youngkin helping him win. Trump endorsed Youngkin in May of 2021, the day after Youngkin earned the GOP nomination without any help from Trump. Democrats used that endorsement for the entire cycle to attack Youngkin.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin responds to Trump.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 11, 2022
👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/3b1HlZJmtx
Youngkin was able to implement a decent portion of his agenda during his first year of governor while still having a Democratic-controlled state Senate. Trump criticized Youngkin however, for some reason — for apparently having a hard time with Democrats.
“But he knows that, and admits it,” Trump said. “Besides, having a hard time with the Dems in Virginia – But he’ll get it done!”
Virginia Republicans were only able to flip one congressional seat and saw the smallest national gains in an off-year election for the party not in control of the White House in a long time.
Since Tuesday, Republicans have been turning on Trump and any of his allies blaming them for the losses. “All they see is MAGA red-hat Republicans that they despise and they look at us as wanting to take away reproductive rights,” Del. Tim Anderson (R) said Thursday.
Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears (R) and Anderson have both been big supporters of Trump in recent years but they are now saying it is time to move on from him.
Earle-Sears is the former chair of Black Republicans for reelecting Trump in 2020. Now she wants to see Trump step aside. “A true leader understands when they have become a liability,” Earle-Sears said. “A true leader understands when it’s time to step off the stage. And the voters have given us that very clear message.”
Welp!
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) November 10, 2022
VA Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, who was the national chair of Black Americans to Re-elect the President in 2020, says “I could not support” Trump if he decides to run for president in 2024.
“We have a clear mission, and it is time to move on.” pic.twitter.com/q9vUqUGbHA
Firebrand state Sen. Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield) pushed back on the comments from Sears and Anderson in a statement Thursday night.
“We’re seeing these weak ass Republicans take off their sheepskins today first with Winsome Sears, now Tim Anderson,“ Chase said. “President Trump was the ONLY elected leader who stood up for us despite all of the abuse.”
Anderson criticized Chase first, actually, for her campaign tactic last week of announcing that she is introducing legislation that would ban abortion at conception. Anderson said the move from Chase cost Republican Yesli Vega the race in VA-07.
“She did no favors to Yesli Vega by talking about abortion a week before the election,” Anderson said. “We cannot hijack elections like that. Sen. Chase wants to propose a bill on abortion at conception ban, great, she could have been talking about that today. It shouldn’t have been talked about a week before the election. When she did that, the very next day Spanberger is running ads of Amanda Chase.”
Trump is expected to make a special announcement on Tuesday about a run for president. Youngkin has not indicated that he plans to run for higher office in 2024, but he also has not denied it this year.
Youngkin did commit to completing his term as governor in 2021, however. In the final days before the election, a spokesperson for Youngkin said “Of course,” when pressed on the question. “Glenn has been very clear he is running to serve the people of Virginia and that’s what his focus will be,” said Matt Wolking, communications director for the Youngkin campaign.
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