This morning, VA GOP gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin – the same guy who refused to debate Terry McAuliffe at the traditional Virginia Bar Association debate, apparently because he was afraid that moderator Judy Woodruff would ask him questions he didn’t want to answer and/or knew he couldn’t answer – went on one of his “safe spaces” (right-wing/Trumpster talk radio – “The John Fredericks Show”). In this environment, apparently Youngkin feels free to say all the things he felt he couldn’t say to a broader/mainstream audience, such as the Virginia Bar Association. And the result was…craziness, of course. Check it out:
- Asked, “would you as governor of Virginia do what DeSantis did and say ‘no mask mandates in Virginia?,'” Youngkin responded, “yeah, I believe there should not be mask mandates in Virginia, I think these are decisions that should be up to individuals.” For more on this topic, see Parents fight DeSantis’ ban on face mask mandates at Florida public schools, DeSantis and school districts clash over masks as COVID-19 cases skyrocket in Florida, Biden criticizes DeSantis for opposing face mask mandates and vaccine incentives amid surge in COVID cases, etc.
- Youngkin then threw out a bizarre conspiracy theory: “I do believe that this is part of the left-liberal-progressive agenda, which is to open up avenues for schools not to be open…I believe that this is what this governor is doing, is trying to open up avenues for schools not to be open.” WTF? Crazy, crazy shit.
- Then, asked whether he’d ban the teaching of “Critical Race Theory,” which isn’t even being taught in public schools, Youngkin responded, “yes I will, yes I will.”
- Youngkin falsely claimed that “Terry McAuliffe, when he was governor, lower[ed] the standards in our schools” (note that Republicans overwhelmingly controlled the House of Delegates back then, so…).
- Youngkin then went back to Critical Race Theory, which he falsely claimed has now “move[d] its way into the school system,” with teachers supposedly “force[d]…to teach children to view everything through a lens of race.” That, of course, is flat-out, wildly false.
In short: 1) if Youngkin’s lips are moving, you know he’s lying; 2) he’s a right wingnut through and through, seems to really believe that Ron DeSantis is a model governor, that “Critical Race Theory” is taking over the schools, that Governor Northam really has a secret agenda to keep schools closed, that protecting kids against a deadly pandemic should be “up to individuals,” blah blah blah. On November 2nd, let’s just all make damn sure we send this super-rich ($350 million? more?), out-of-touch conspiracy theorist back to ripping off taxpayers to subsidize his horse farm, and most definitely NOT elect him governor of Virginia!
Sign up for the Blue Virginia weekly newsletter
