Exclusive — Glenn Youngkin: Terry McAuliffe the ‘Godfather’ of the ‘Modern Day Progressive Democratic Party’

US Vice President Kamala Harris (R) is greeted with a fist bump by Virginia gubernatorial
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Hannah Knudsen

Virginia’s Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin told Breitbart News Saturday that his campaign is going into Election Day with “a ton of momentum” as Virginians are rejecting Democrat Terry McAuliffe — the “Godfather of [the] modern day progressive Democratic Party” — and his divisive campaign, as voters unite around issues on education, lower taxes, better jobs, and the fundamental desire for a government that “doesn’t tell us what to do all the time.”

Speaking to Breitbart News Saturday on the eighth day of his ten-day bus tour, Youngkin said his campaign has “a ton of momentum” and “enormous enthusiasm,” expressing confidence that “we’re going to win this” election.

Polls show education standing as one of the most important issues to Virginia voters, and Youngkin explained that “everybody has seen Loudoun County, Virginia, as ground zero for the fundamental demand from parents to have a role in their children’s education.”

Virginia law, he said, states that parents have a fundamental right to make decisions on their children’s education, yet school boards are shutting parents out, and Democrats approve. While parents have been standing up for their fundamental right, “Terry McAuliffe says you don’t have a right,” Youngkin said, demonstrating the deep contrast between himself and his Democrat opponent.

“He wants government between parents and their children — politicians and bureaucrats dictating what our kids are doing,” Youngkin said, speaking of the “explosive” issue of Loudoun County’s coverup of an alleged assault and rape, noting officials knew and tried to hide it.

Instead of investigating concerned parents with President Biden’s blessing, Youngkin said, the FBI should be investigating that issue. He said there should be resignations and firings and vowed that the state’s new attorney general “will go to work on this issue.”

Youngkin emphasized that education issues are not just big in Virginia, noting that he is getting feedback from parents across the country, who say the same issues are happening in their areas. He said those parents are pleading, “Please Virginia, make a statement for us.”

Terry McAuliffe is a “big government control politician who only knows how to dictate and tell people what to do. And I’m going to work on behalf of parents and children and even teachers. This is our moment to make a fundamental statement and change the direction of education in Virginia,” he said, adding that Virginia’s education system has been “watered down” over the last eight years under Democrat leadership.

“After eight years of Democrat governors … we’ve watched the education system in Virginia be watered down, standards reduced to the point where 62 percent of Virginia’s kids aren’t able to pass an 8th grade math equivalency test. 62 percent! And we watched the parents be pushed out of the classroom. We watch teachers who want to teach their children how to think being told no, teach them what to think. The entire system now is broken,” he said, adding that he will press forward with a new charter school initiative and hand back control to parents and teachers.

Overall, Youngkin said parents are concerned about kitchen table issues such as lower taxes, better jobs, safer communities, the best schools, and smaller government.

“These are the issues that Virginians are so focused on, and these political tricks that are just divisive and beyond pale have no place in Virginia or any politics and Terry McAuliffe is showing his true true colors, and people are rejecting it,” he said, referencing the stunt pulled Friday at the hands of Never Trumpers and Democrat operatives, who stood outside of his bus holding tiki torches — an obvious nod to racism and white supremacy.

“Virginians are absolutely rejecting this partisan, divisive politics that’s been the trademark of Terry McAuliffe’s 43 year political career. I mean, he’s the Godfather of [the] modern day progressive Democratic Party, and he’s seeing it all fail,” Youngkin said. “He’s seeing it crash down on him because Virginians are rejecting it.”

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McAuliffe, Youngkin continued, is “panicking” because he sees the Youngkin campaign successfully uniting Virginians and winning independents across the board.

“And Terry McAuliffe, let’s see if we can divide people into buckets and make my bucket bigger than your bucket and say anything and do anything and spread lies and make up headlines and have shady PACs do disgusting things. They’re just rejecting it,” he said.

“This is not just for Virginia,” Youngkin said of Tuesday’s race. “It is for America, and Virginians get to make a statement about what our future can look like.”

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