Exclusive — Glenn Youngkin: ‘Panicking’ Terry McAuliffe ‘Owns’ the ‘Abhorrent’ Tiki Torch Stunt

Glenn Youngkin, the Republican candidate in Virginia’s upcoming governor’s race, told Breitbart News Saturday that Friday’s stunt, which saw five individuals claiming to be his supporters standing outside his campaign bus holding tiki torches — an obvious nod to white supremacy — “sits at McAuliffe’s feet,” blasting Democrats for taking racism and white supremacy and making it a campaign stunt.

While discussing his recent rise in the polls, Youngkin made it clear that “polls don’t win elections. Votes do.” However, he said he has witnessed an “enormous” amount of enthusiasm on his bus tour, noting the race is not just a typical “Republicans versus Democrats.” Rather, he said it is absolutely Virginians coming together, and his Democrat opponent is seeing the unity.

“This is why Terry McAuliffe is panicking. I mean, that stunt they pulled yesterday sits at Terry McAuliffe’s feet. I mean, he owns it. And it was the most divisive, it was the most abhorrent thing. I mean, he took racism and white supremacy, which is absolutely unacceptable, and made it a campaign stunt,” Youngkin said.

The Never-Trump Lincoln Project later took responsibility for the hoax. One of those involved include Lauren Windsor, a Democrat operative.

“And I don’t care who claims responsibility for it. It was done by the Democrats. And that is absolutely beyond pale in Virginia. It’s not consistent with Virginia’s values — it’s not consistent with anyone’s values. 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. He’s seeing it crash down on him because Virginians are rejecting it,” the Republican said.

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Youngkin said Virginians are more with kitchen table issues such as lower taxes, better jobs, safer communities, the best schools, and having a government that “doesn’t tell us what to do all the time.”

Youngkin predicted that Virginians are going to make a “big statement” by rejecting “politics of the past” in this election.

“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 of Virginians.

“This is not just for Virginia. It is for America, and Virginians get to make a statement about what our future can look like,” he added.