A Fox News anchor threw down a couple of mean dunks on Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s record in the 2022 midterms in an interview on Thursday.
The first poster from Martha MacCallum scored points on Youngkin having minimal impact in Virginia, where two of the three tightly contested U.S. House races went to Democrats.
Youngkin tried to play up the one win as being crucial in Republicans taking the House, because of course he’d do that, but even he conceded that the point was made, which is why he went into the explainin’.
“I do think that there were some real concerns along the way, because what we learned from this midterm election is that voters want results. They want to look forward, not backwards. And in fact, areas where Republican governors were delivering extraordinary results, they were rewarded with great victories,” Youngkin said.
Which would seem to indicate, Virginia must be one of those areas where the Republican governor isn’t delivering extraordinary results.
Because, you know, the Virginia House delegation that will be seated next month will still have a 6-5 Democrat majority.
Dunk.
Next, MacCallum reminded Youngkin that he stumped for 15 Republican gubernatorial candidates this year, and just five of them won.
The effort from Youngkin was clearly an effort on his part to generate buzz about him as a presidential candidate; the results were a giant fizzle to that end.
“Those losses, what did they say about the candidates, about your ability to help people across the finish line and about your own future?” MacCallum pressed, and again, this is Fox News, not exactly hard-hitting journalism for a Republican.
“We picked hard races, races where the states were set up a bit like Virginia, where Joe Biden had won by 10 points, and we went to work to try to flip those states,” Youngkin tried to explain away.
“I think that the efforts we put forth showed that, yes, the message carries, but it’s hard to unseat, it’s hard to unseat an incumbent. And I look forward to continuing to work getting republican governors get elected.”
Nice try, but the highest-profile race that Youngkin stuck his beak in, Arizona, wasn’t a Republican trying to “unseat an incumbent.” It was Kari Lake, a Trumpkin, running in a state with a Republican governor, and her campaign went over like a fart in church.
Speaking of a fart in church, MacCallum last asked Youngkin about Donald Trump, and his continued sway over the GOP.
“I think we cannot ignore the fact that he has great influence in the Republican Party. I do believe that there are lots of other folks that do as well. And I think part of the process over the next couple of years is to sort through that. My job today is to deliver for Virginians,” Youngkin said.
Credit to MacCallum for not letting Youngkin sidestep the Trump question. Her followup was direct: “Do you think it’s time for Republican voters to move on from the former president?”
“Well, I don’t think it’s time for Republican voters to do much, right? Now I think it’s time for Republican leaders to deliver results. And then come back when the time is right and showcase those results. We have a moment where voters want to look forward. Virginia voters told me last year, they tell me every day, we are worried about the future,” Youngkin said.
A mealy-mouthed answer there, but at least the Fox gal got the other dunk in.
Share
Chris Graham
