President Joe Biden tried to tie Republican candidate for Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin to former President Donald Trump at a rally for former Gov. and current Democrat candidate Terry McAuliffe.
Biden spent most of his time talking about Trump, not McAuliffe and Youngkin — echoing the Democrat strategy to insert Trump into the race.
“How well do you know Terry’s opponent?” Biden asked, “Just remember this. I ran against Donald Trump and Terry is running against an acolyte of Donald Trump.”
The president also spoke at length about the January 6th protests on Capitol Hill, painting a dark picture of the protests with his rhetoric.
“The anger, the rage. American flags turned into spears. The noose, the gallows. Police assaulted and killed, death threats against elected officials and public servants,” he shouted, calling the protests a “violent assault” that interrupted a “the most sacred act of a democracy.”
“Virginia, you know better,” Biden said, recounting an editorial in the Washington Post accusing Youngkin of “failing the character test” for public office.
“Extremism can come in many forms,” he added. “It can come in the rage of a mob driven to assault the Capitol. It can come in a smile and a fleece vest.”
Biden reminded Virginia voters that Trump ridiculed establishment political figures like former Sen. John McCain and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
“When my friend Colin Powell died … a man of incredible integrity … a decorated American hero, which is why the attack leveled by Trump against Gen. Powell was so offensive,” Biden said.
The president repeated he would work with McAuliffe to “Build Back Better” and provide internet access for more Virginians, subsidized child care, and reduced prescription drug costs.
Biden also mocked Youngkin for not bringing Trump to help him campaign for governor.
“What’s he trying to hide?” Biden asked. “Is there a problem with Trump being here? Is he embarrassed?”
Youngkin’s campaign continues working to build a grassroots campaign without bringing prominent Republican surrogates into the commonwealth to help drive out the vote.
Biden also utilized McAuliffe’s attempt to claim that Youngkin wanted to ban books in schools.
“Just look how he’s closing his campaign,” Biden said. “He’s gone from banning a woman’s right to choose to banning books written by a Pulitzer price and Nobel prize author Toni Morrison.”
Biden urged Democrats to “show up” and support Democrats in the election, just as they did in 2020, giving him a ten point lead over Trump.
“Show up like you did for Barack and me. Show up like you did for me and Kamala,” he shouted. “Show up for a proven leader like Terry McAuliffe!”
Despite McAuliffe’s assertion two weeks ago that Biden was “unpopular” in Virginia, the former governor was all smiles and backslapping after the president spoke.
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