It’s always a great “tell” when you hear politicians talk about how they are most certainly NOT a politician or an “outsider” or whatever. A great example of that in Virginia right now is Republican gubernatorial candidate Pete Snyder, who actually ran – but lost to EW Jackson – for Lt. Governor back in 2013, which means he’s been in the political arena for at least 8 years now, most certainly making him a politician and VA GOP insider. Meanwhile, Snyder has moved further and further to the Trumpian, populist right in his effort to not get outflanked by Amanda Chase this time around. Snyder also has shown a willingness to say anything, even if it contradicts what he said just a few years ago. For instance, check out the following video from back in 2015 (h/t Ben Paviour) of Snyder trashing Trump as a “racist jerk,” and arguing that “our Republican Party doesn’t stand for the things that Donald Trump said as it relates to Mexicans.” Then, compare and contrast to the video after that, from this morning.
“You can be outraged about sanctuary cities in San Francisco and using losing innocent lives there. You can be upset and angry about the lack of enforcement on our borders without sounding like a racist jerk, period. Those things are mutually exclusive and our Republican Party doesn’t stand for the things that Donald Trump said as it relates to Mexicans.”
And now (this morning on the John Fredericks Show), in which Snyder says “Donald Trump’s policies were phenomenal,” “his entire immigration team is backing me,” “we greatly miss his policies right now,” etc. The question is, which is the *real* Pete Snyder? Or, more likely, will Snyder just say whatever he thinks he needs to say in order to get nominated by the Trumpian/far-right Virginia GOP(Q)?
“I call it like I see it, and I think Donald Trump’s policies were phenomenal. We had our economy roaring in a way that it never had in the history of our country. His immigration policy – if we want to get to the to the core of what we’re talking about here – his entire immigration team, between [Trump’s Chief Operating Officer and acting Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection] Mark Morgan…[Trump’s “Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security”] Ken Cuccinelli, Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Tony Pham, the head of ICE Tom Homan, is now on board with me. His entire immigration team is backing me. Why? Because I’m right on the issues…It’s been a wonderful relationship with the Trump White House…We greatly miss [President Trump’s] policies right now.”