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Trump Claims Credit for Glenn Youngkin’s Election as Post-Midterm Tantrum Continues

Former President Donald Trump talks to the press on the grounds of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., November 8, 2022. (Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters)

Former president Trump targeted Republican governor Glenn Youngkin on Friday, claiming responsibility for his victory in Virginia in 2021.

“Young Kin (now that’s an interesting take. Sounds Chinese, doesn’t it?) in Virginia couldn’t have won without me. I Endorsed him, did a very big Trump rally telephonically, got MAGA to Vote for him- or he couldn’t have come close to winning. But he knows that, and admits it,” Trump wrote on Truth, his social media platform, in a morning rant.

Asked about Trump’s post Friday, which suggested Youngkin was Chinese, the governor took the high ground. He said he’s not a name caller and wants to unite rather than divide people.

“I didn’t see it…You all know me. I do not call people names. I really work hard to bring people together…That’s not the way I roll & not the way I behave…[T]his is a moment to come together,” he said at a press conference.

Youngkin rose to prominence by becoming a mouthpiece for parents concerned about public school progressive indoctrination, such as critical race theory, and strict Covid-19 mitigation measures, such as mask mandates. His efforts in Virginia, which hosted many heated school board meetings with record community engagement, helped spark the parental-rights movement.

Virginia Republican lieutenant governor Winsome Sears said Thursday she would not support Trump if he decides to run for president again in 2024.

“I could not support him. I just couldn’t,” she told Fox News’s Neil Cavuto recently.

Since many Trump-endorsed candidates lost their races this week, some wings of the GOP and right-wing media have viewed their failure as a referendum on the former president’s viability and influence within the party. In response, Trump has attacked potential 2024 competitors, including Youngkin and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

“Besides, having a hard time with the Dems in Virginia- But he’ll get it done!,” Trump said of Youngkin.

Ahead of DeSantis’s landslide reelection Tuesday, Trump criticized the governor and threatened to release unflattering information about him ahead of an expected 2024 showdown. DeSantis on Election Day swept the state by nearly 20 percentage points above his Democratic opponent after winning governor by only a small margin in 2019.

In a Thursday statement, Trump fired more shots at his future rival, alleging that he was headed for defeat in 2018 before Trump backed him.

He also accused DeSantis of neglecting his state with restrictions during the pandemic, even though Trump first recommended lockdowns to “slow the spread.”

Trump said DeSantis was an “average Republican governor with great public relations, who didn’t have to close up his state, but did, unlike other Republican governors.”

Earlier than most other state leaders, DeSantis lifted the emergency rules, realizing their inefficacy and the importance of preserving residents’ civil liberties. As a result, Florida attracted thousands of blue-state transplants to its shores.

At a rally intended to boost Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dr. Oz last week, Trump made the event about himself, reading off 20204 primary polling and pointing out his considerable lead over potential rivals. He boasted that he’s generating more support among the “base” than “Ron DeSanctimonious,” announcing a new derogatory nickname for his growing list of political foes.

Trump is expected to run for president again next week, although he has reportedly been advised to postpone the announcement given the GOP’s poor midterm performance.

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