2025 GOP VA Lt. Gov. Nominee John Reid Argues with Wife of Federal Worker Over Trump’s Layoffs

See below for a press release from the Democratic Party of Virginia on 2025 VA GOP Lt. Governor nominee John Reid’s appearance this past Friday on WAMU’s The Politics Hour.  I listened to the entire “interview” – in air quotes, because basically the “journalists” (also in air quotes) conducting it lobbed softball after softball at Reid (it was basically like three friends just hanging out, chatting), never pressed him on ANY of his 100s (1000s?) of past far-right-extremist comments, etc. Which is why the toughest question of the “interview” was by a caller – NOT by the “journalists” doing the “interview.” And it’s very telling that Reid got defensive the minute he was challenged…because he has a LOT to be defensive about. It’s just a shame that political “journalists” won’t do their job and press him on any of this stuff (“Covid tyranny,” “Social Justice’ is about modern racial revenge”; “mental insanity of trans ideology”; “guns save lives”; virulently anti-abortion; etc: Meet the Latest VA GOP Lt. Gov. Candidate). Pathetic.

John Reid Doubles Down on the GOP’s Response to Fired Workers: Update Your Resume

Richmond, Virginia – During a recent appearance on WAMU’s The Politics Hour, John Reid argued against the wife of a Virginia federal worker and got defensive over the Trump administration’s firing of thousands of Virginians earlier this year. Reid doubled down on the GOP’s response of launching a website that tells Virginians to simply update their resumes and search for jobs on LinkedIn.

While Virginians have been sounding off on the devastating impacts of Donald Trump’s job cuts, Reid’s argumentative back and forth with a concerned Virginian is the latest example of the GOP’s record of downplaying and dismissing the harm on Virginian jobs and families.

LISTEN HERE

Concerned Virginian, wife of federal worker [19:41]: “Mr. Reid. I’m asking how you thread the needle concerning federal workers being fired, when Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears and Governor Youngkin have made light of it, indicating that it’s not that big a deal, that there’s plenty of jobs that these fired workers could get in Virginia […] I’m a spouse of a federal worker, and I can say it is not something I appreciate from my Governor and Lieutenant Governor, and since you’re running as—”

John Reid: “Let me ask you, you said make light of it. Do you think they’re making light of it? I don’t get the impression they’re making light of it.”

Concerned Virginian: “I do.”

John Reid: “What would make you think they’re either mocking it or making light? I thought that Governor Youngkin took it very seriously.”

Kojo Nnamdi, WAMU: “The fact that they both said that people in Virginia who get fired from the federal government can easily find jobs in Virginia, that seems to me to be making light of it.”

John Reid: “I don’t think it’s making light of it. I think it’s acknowledging that that’s what’s happened […]”

Concerned Virginian: “I beg to differ with you that it does feel like mocking. It feels like belittling.” 

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UPDATE 3:53 pm – See below for a press release from the Hashmi campaign…and note that the “mainstream media” has simply refused to report on Reid’s “’role in stoking the same partisan hostility‘ that has been widely condemned on both sides of the aisle and the inflammatory rhetoric Reid spread for years as a ‘combative conservative’ radio host and on the campaign trail.” The question is, why not? Are they afraid of right wingers? In the tank for Republicans? Incompetent? All of the above?

John Reid Stoked Widely Condemned “Partisan Hostility” As A “Combative Conservative”

Dogwood: “Reid himself has yet to account for his own role in stoking the same partisan hostility he is now condemning”

RICHMOND, VA — New reporting from Dogwood highlights John Reid’s “role in stoking the same partisan hostility” that has been widely condemned on both sides of the aisle and the inflammatory rhetoric Reid spread for years as a “combative conservative” radio host and on the campaign trail.

As Reid faces scrutiny for his dangerous partisan positions, including wanting to “close down public schools” and “baselessly claim[ing]” federal cuts will not lead to Virginians losing access to affordable health care, Virginians are seeing that Reid does not share their values and is unfit to fight for them.

Key Quotes:

• Reid himself has yet to account for his own role in stoking the same partisan hostility he is now condemning. For years, Reid has trafficked in far-right rhetoric on issues of race, education, and the news of the day as a radio host, political commentator, and now statewide candidate.
• Reid has also long been a critic of public schools and supporter of charter schools […] he floated the idea of letting charter schools replace public schools […]
• “John Reid spews lies because he wants to distract Virginians from his true agenda: he wants to shut down our public schools, supports a cruel bill that would rip health care from more than 300,000 people, and lies about the clinics that have already closed because of Medicaid cuts,” Hashmi said. “Virginians deserve better.”

Read More:

Dogwood: John Reid’s pitch for civility follows years as a ‘combative conservative’

Michael O’Connor

September 30, 2025

• When Republican nominee for lieutenant governor John Reid and Democratic nominee for governor Abigail Spanberger crossed paths on the first day of early voting in Henrico County this month, the stage was set for some rare political theater.
• Reid, a conservative radio host and political underdog who GOP leaders tried to force off the ticket earlier this year, watched as Spanberger took questions from the press. Then—uninvited—he joined her in the spotlight.
• Building on the breakout moment with Spanberger, Reid has positioned himself as a candidate well-positioned to bring bipartisanship and mutual respect back to America’s polarized politics.
• But Reid himself has yet to account for his own role in stoking the same partisan hostility he is now condemning. For years, Reid has trafficked in far-right rhetoric on issues of race, education, and the news of the day as a radio host, political commentator, and now statewide candidate.
• On the fifth anniversary of the killing of George Floyd in May, Reid criticized people for defending Floyd and seemed to suggest that Floyd somehow deserved what happened to him.
• “When you’re a criminal don’t be surprised when bad things happen to you,” Reid said. “Don’t be a criminal.”
• Reid has also long been a critic of public schools and supporter of charter schools. His criticisms of state education policy have included the use of insults.
• In a 2022 post, Reid criticized parents and teachers over their concerns about masking during the pandemic. In the same post, he floated the idea of letting charter schools replace public schools “so sad weak little rabbit children can all huddle in fear” of Covid-19 in schools of their own. In the post, Reid said teachers were either pretending to worry about the spread of Covid from unmasked students or were “stupid.”
• Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said as a radio host Reid was a “combative conservative” and a “vigorous cultural warrior.”
• During a July segment on the John Fredericks Show, Reid shared his pitch to voters who did not support him in the Republican primary for the party’s lieutenant governor nomination.
• The choice for these voters, and, as Reid put it, “especially folks who are Christians,” is between a “responsible, gay, white Republican,” and a “radical leftist with an affinity for Hamas and Palestine.” Hashmi has called for peace in the Middle East and does not support political violence.
• Asked about Reid’s comments, Hashmi said in an emailed statement that as a long-time educator and mother, she is focused on improving education funding, protecting health care access, and lowering costs for working families.
• “John Reid spews lies because he wants to distract Virginians from his true agenda: he wants to shut down our public schools, supports a cruel bill that would rip health care from more than 300,000 people, and lies about the clinics that have already closed because of Medicaid cuts,” Hashmi said. “Virginians deserve better.”
• Earlier this month, Augusta Medical Group blamed President Donald Trump’s huge tax and spending bill for its decision to close three rural clinics in Virginia. The closing of the clinics was seen by some as a sign of things to come due to Trump’s massive cuts to the social safety net, but Republicans, including Reid, have downplayed the risks of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
• More than 300,000 Virginians are expected to lose their health care because of Trump’s cuts to Medicaid funding.
• Reid’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

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