Fresh off his Tuesday primary victory, GOP nominee for U.S. Senate in Virginia Corey Stewart appeared on Sirius XM’s Breitbart News Daily Wednesday morning where he was able to tout a presidential endorsement.
Setting the stage for his general election campaign, Stewart told Breitbart News editor in chief Alex Marlow that Democrats like Tim Kaine (D-VA) have “turned their backs” on working Americans. He also attacked the establishment Republican elements who vigorously opposed his nomination, citing their lack on enthusiasm for the president’s immigration and trade agenda.
“If the Republican establishment wants to continue to oppose the president, myself, and others who support him on those things, they’re going to go the way of the dodo. They’re going to disappear,” Stewart told Marlow.
Cracking down on illegal immigration forms the centerpiece of Stewart’s run for Senate as it did in his gubernatorial race last year and his career as chair of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors.
Stewart and Marlow discussed how, on his way back from his historic summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, President Donald Trump tweeted congratulations on Stewart’s narrow victory over Delegate Nick Freitas:
Congratulations to Corey Stewart for his great victory for Senator from Virginia. Now he runs against a total stiff, Tim Kaine, who is weak on crime and borders, and wants to raise your taxes through the roof. Don’t underestimate Corey, a major chance of winning!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2018
Freitas, who Stewart had congratulated on a hard-fought campaign, also stood behind Stewart in a Facebook post after his concession. “We have our ticket,” Freitas wrote. “It is going to need our help. Let’s continue to account for ourselves with honor and dignity. God speed and on to November.”
The arch-establishment National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the main party organ charged with supporting Republican Senate candidate, however, has stated it has no plans to support Stewart against incumbent Senator and Hillary Clinton’s running mate Tim Kaine. The NRSC’s chairman, moderate Sen. Corey Gardner (R-CO), told Politico, “At the senatorial committee we’re focusing on Missouri, Indiana, North Dakota, Montana, West Virginia and Florida. … We have a big map this year, and what I’ve laid out in races that I’ve talked about, Virginia’s not on it.”
Lame duck, pro-mass immigration Republican Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) was even more emphatic in his refusal to support Stewart, telling Politico backing Kaine in November “has crossed my mind.”
The tight race between Freitas and Stewart was precipitated by a last-minute attack on Stewart, who had been the front-runner for most of the race. Certain elements of the conservative media unleashed a series of misleading attacks and groups like the Koch Brothers’ Americans for Prosperity threw their weight behind Freitas, leading to a photo finish Tuesday.
“It’s not a big surprise of course. I think what the big surprise was was that I was able to withstand all of those … well-financed attacks,” Stewart told Marlow. “But I’m not gonna worry about it. It’s all full speed ahead. I’m gonna be turning my attention to just kicking the snot out of Tim Kaine.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.