Virginia, Don’t Fall For This: Youngkin Is NOT Acting in Good Faith or in a Bipartisan Manner on Russia and Ukraine

by Rachel Levy (Democratic nominee for Virginia House of Delegates district 55 in 2021)

Virginians, don’t fall for this.

If we’re supposed to be unified and bipartisan against tyranny in this moment, then why is our Governor attacking our President whose administration has by all accounts acted swiftly, appropriately, and forcefully in conjunction with our allies? That’s not bipartisan; that’s partisan.

If our Governor is acting in good faith (sadly, I do not believe he is), why is he intentionally using “Soviet” in his statement instead of “Russian.” He knows better.

If our Governor is acting in good faith and in a bipartisan manner, why in his statement did he call on two Democratic-led and-majority localities to cut ties with cities full of people oppressed under Putin without calling on his own GOP party leaders to cut their pro Putin ties?

If our Governor supports Ukraine and democracy there and here at home, where is his statement condemning his GOP party leaders, like former U.S. President Donald Tr*mp, Putin’s greatest global enabler and supporter, and others who supported and continue to support Putin (just yesterday in fact!)? Remember when Putin set bounties on the heads of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and Tr*mp did nothing?

If our Governor supports Ukraine and democracy there and here at home, where is his statement condemning his GOP party leaders, like Donald Tr*mp who was impeached for illegally withholding military aid from Ukraine & President Zelensky to extort President Zelensky to lie about President Biden’s son?
Virginia, yes, we need good faith bipartisanship now in the face of Putin’s white Christian nationalist fascism, invasion of Ukraine, and threats against democracy.

But first we need good faith bipartisanship in the face of these attacks on democracy and the same fascism right here at home, in the U.S. and in Virginia.

Governor Youngkin and many Virginia GOP legislators are going after:

☑️our public schools, our educators & accurate teaching of our full history.
☑️our voting rights.
☑️our free & fair elections.
☑️our freedoms & liberties.
☑️our access to healthcare, especially women.
☑️our clean air & water.
☑️our vulnerable and marginalized communities.

There’s nothing democratic, unified, or bipartisan about any of that.