Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia says with Trump’s election, ‘we’ve obtained a buddy within the White Home’

MARCO ISLAND, FL – EXCLUSIVE – After some high-profile battles with President Biden’s administration the previous three years, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin says that President-elect Trump’s decisive election victory earlier this month means he now has “a friend in the White House.”

Youngkin, the standard Virginia governor who’s coming into his closing 12 months in workplace, argued in an unique Fox Information Digital interview that “as a governor who’s been driving pro-business and strong education and safe communities and lower tax rates, we now have someone in the White House who believes in all of that.”

“I look forward to us having the wind at our backs as opposed to in our face,” Youngkin mentioned as he spoke Tuesday on the sidelines of the Republican Governors Affiliation annual winter assembly, which is being held this 12 months at a southwestern Florida waterfront resort.

And pointing to his closing 12 months steering Virginia, Youngkin mentioned “I can’t wait to see what we’re going to do having the wind at our back from the Trump administration.”

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There was loads of hypothesis relating to Youngkin probably serving in a prime place within the second Trump administration, however the governor in a current name with the president-elect made it clear he intends to complete out his time period.

However he does not sound like he is ruling out serving within the Trump administration after he winds up in Richmond in a 12 months.

“I told the president when I called him and told him that I wanted to finish my term, that I would be available to help him at any time while I’m governor and afterwards,” Youngkin mentioned.

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Youngkin energized Republicans nationwide three years in the past, because the first-time candidate who hailed from the occasion’s enterprise wing edged out former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe to turn out to be the primary GOP candidate in a dozen years to win a gubernatorial election within the one-time swing state that had trended in direction of the Democrats over the earlier decade.

The governor immediately grew to become a Republican rock star and hypothesis stirred a couple of attainable 2024 White Home run.

However Youngkin and his occasion suffered a setback a 12 months in the past in legislative elections that grabbed outsized nationwide consideration, as Democrats retained management of the Virginia state Senate and flipped the Home of Delegates.

Whereas Youngkin wasn’t on the poll, he had lots driving on the outcomes, after investing loads of political capital on behalf of Republican legislative candidates. The outcomes additionally meant Youngkin would not have a free hand throughout his closing two years in workplace to push by a conservative agenda.

Youngkin returned to the marketing campaign path this 12 months in Virginia and a few key battleground states, to assist marketing campaign on behalf of Republicans up and down the poll.

And he spoke at a big rally Trump held in conservative southwest Virginia the weekend earlier than Election Day. 

Whereas Vice President Kamala Harris carried the Commonwealth within the White Home race, her margin over Trump was 4.5 factors narrower than President Biden’s victory within the state 4 years earlier, as Trump and Republicans over carried out expectations.

The outcomes seem to have given Youngkin extra clout forward of his closing legislative session. Democrats who over the previous 12 months had been united in opposition to the governor’s proposed tax cuts, might now be receptive to negotiating.

Requested if the Democrats at the moment are able to play ball, Youngkin mentioned “I’m hoping they are. I think that the recognition that Virginians want to keep more of their hard-earned money has really engaged everyone in a dialogue on how to provide tax relief.”

He argued the election outcomes “demonstrated record job growth which has created surplus after surplus after surplus is driven by pro-business standards.”

And he emphasised that “we’re going to come back with a big tax package again, and we’re going to make sure we’re standing strong for education and strong for public safety.”

“I’m optimistic,” he added, however acknowledged that “it will be a normal legislative process. We have a legislative – we’re a one seat minority in the House and the Senate – so we have to go to work to get things done.”

All political eyes will probably be on Virginia in 2025, because the Commonwealth and New Jersey are the one two states to carry gubernatorial elections within the 12 months after a presidential election.

However Virginia governors, by legislation, are prevented from operating for re-election to a second straight time period.

That does not imply Youngkin will disappear from the marketing campaign path in 2025. He says it is simply the alternative.

VIRGINIA’S YOUNGKIN ENDORSES HIS LT. GOVERNOR TO SUCCEED HIM

“You’re going to see me a lot,” he touted. “We’ve got a very aggressive agenda for being governor in the last 14 months. But part of that agenda that I have is to make sure that we have [Lt. Gov.] Winsome Sears as our next governor. [Virginia Attorney General] Jason Miyares back as our attorney general and a super lieutenant governor who we will pick at our primaries.”

Youngkin predicted that “Virginians are going to make clear that they want to keep doing more of what we’re doing that’s proving record job growth and opportunity and great outcomes in schools and safe communities.”

The 2025 Virginia gubernatorial showdown is shaping up as a contest between Sears and Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA officer. The winner will make historical past because the state’s first ever feminine governor. And Sears, if she wins, will even make historical past because the nation’s first Black feminine elected governor.

Youngkin pushed again when requested if Sears, who served within the Marine Corps and made historical past as the primary girl in Virginia to carry statewide workplace, is just too conservative for voters. 

“Not at all,” the governor rapidly responded. “And Winsome is a commonsense conservative leader. We have been partners literally from day one. We campaigned together. We were elected together. We have governed together. And I look forward to seeing Virginians embrace her as the next governor of Virginia.”

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As for his personal political future, Youngkin was much less revealing about any future runs for elective workplace.

Requested a couple of attainable however unlikely run for the Senate in 2026 towards longtime Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Waner, or a future White Home marketing campaign, Youngkin rapidly pivoted to his day job as governor.

“I have a huge year and a few months ahead of me and that’s where my focus is, and I need to finish strong, so Virginia can really continue to soar. And that’s what I’m going to spend my time on.”

After that, he mentioned “we’ll see what’s next.”

Going through a follow-up query, Youngkin stayed on script, saying “we’ll see what happens down the road, but right now my sights are set on finishing strong.”