CHESAPEAKE, VA.—Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, on June 28, came out on the campaign trail in support of former President Donald Trump for the first time ever.
“As governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia it is my distinct honor to say President Trump, ‘Welcome back to Virginia!’” Mr. Youngkin told an enthusiastic crowd at the Historic Greenbrier Farms a few miles outside of Norfolk.
Thousands of diverse voters from both Virginia and nearby North Carolina turned out to hear former President Trump and Mr. Youngkin in the sweltering heat. Many sported shirts reading, “Yes, I’m voting for the convicted felon.”
North Carolina is a swing state, and Republicans have aspirations of turning Virginia into a new battleground state.
The appearance comes after the first debate between the presumptive Republican nominee and President Joe Biden.
Since his surprise election in the state in 2021, Mr. Youngkin has kept a cautious distance from former President Trump, neither making an enemy of the former president nor giving him enthusiastic support.
He skipped the former president’s first rally in Richmond earlier this year, citing a prior family commitment as the reason for his absence.
The governor also been widely discussed in political circles as a potential contender for the presidency in future cycles. For now though, Mr. Youngkin seems to be going all in on former President Trump.
“Mr. President, eight years ago, you left your business career, and you built a great America,” Mr. Youngkin said. “And in Virginia, we are going to work to elect Donald Trump back into the White House!”
Voters that The Epoch Times spoke to at the rally expressed support for Mr. Youngkin’s tenure so far, with one saying that he’s “doing a great job.”
“He’s definitely a good choice for Virginia,” one attendee said, acknowledging that Republicans in the state can’t afford to be as conservative as elsewhere.
Steve Fredericks, a 60-year-old from Chesapeake, was a little less enthusiastic, telling The Epoch Times that Mr. Youngkin is “definitely better than we had,” a reference to former Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam.
Former President Trump’s campaign is looking to turn the state red for the first time in two decades.
Mr. Youngkin also noted the relevance of where he was appearing: the all-important Hampton Roads region, comprising the demographically diverse cities of Norfolk and Virginia Beach that have the potential to make or break an election in the state.
“I had a friend who once told me that all roads lead through Hampton Roads,” Mr. Youngkin said. “Yes, all roads do lead through Hampton Roads and Joe Biden’s road to retirement is going right through Hampton Roads!”
Demonstrating the electoral significance of the region, Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.)—who flipped the Hampton Roads congressional seat in 2022—also took the stage with Mr. Youngkin in support of the former president.
Ms. Kiggans said the president’s debate performance the night earlier indicated he was unfit for the job. “That man is not serving our great nation and not doing it justice,” she said.
For former President Trump, the region could be especially important given that Northern Virginia, which neighbours Washington, is heavily blue.
Economics, immigration, and national defense—some of the biggest issues of the election—should be former President Trump’s focus, Dave Brechet, 65, and Billy Lester, 67, told The Epoch Times.
Northern Virginia “is where you’re getting the majority of the Democrats,” Mr. Fredericks said. The further south you travel in Virginia, he said, the more conservative the state gets.
“They don’t want all this stuff going on,” he said. “They don’t want to live in fear all the time, worried about whether they'll be able to afford a house payment ... or groceries.”
