President Donald Trump maintains he\u2019s steering clear of Virginia politics, but his in-flight remarks about Winsome Earle-Sears are prompting questions about whether he\u2019s backing her after all.<\/p>\n
The president has issued a full-throated endorsement for Attorney General Jason Miyares\u2019 re-election bid but has stopped short of doing so for Earle-Sears or lieutenant governor nominee John Reid.<\/p>\n
He has notably endorsed New Jersey Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli as a ‘winner’ with a ‘complete and total endorsement’ \u2013 and that ‘after getting to know and understand MAGA, [Ciattarelli] has gone all-in.’<\/p>\n
At a White House event in which he hosted outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Trump wished him ‘good luck with the upcoming election’ and said the fellow former business executive has been ‘working very hard’ for the candidates.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
‘He wants to see that young woman win,’ Trump said of Youngkin, appearing to refer to Earle-Sears.<\/p>\n
‘And the attorney general who I endorsed.’<\/p>\n
After the Jay Jones murder-texts scandal broke, Trump called on the Norfolk Democrat to drop out ‘immediately’ and said Virginia must ‘continue to have a GREAT (sic) attorney general in Jason Miyares who by the way has my complete and total endorsement.’<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
‘Jason will never let you down,’ Trump said.<\/p>\n
When asked in June about appealing to moderate voters while running in Trump\u2019s party, Reid told the Hampton Roads\u2019 ABC affiliate that he is running his own race.<\/p>\n
‘Donald Trump’s in D.C. John Reid’s in Richmond, and I’m looking to help Virginia, and so, if you love Donald Trump, awesome. If you hate Donald Trump, I really don’t intend to argue with you. I want to save Virginia and that\u2019s why I\u2019m running,’ Reid said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
This week, Trump again obliquely complimented Earle-Sears while speaking to reporters on Air Force One \u2013 but declined again to issue a Miyares-type ‘total endorsement.’<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
‘I haven\u2019t been too much involved in Virginia — I love the state; I did very well in the state \u2026 I think the Republican candidate is very good, and she should win because the Democrat candidate is a disaster,’ he said.<\/p>\n
He warned that both Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger and Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J. \u2013 the Democratic nominee in the Garden State \u2013 will preeminently be bad for the current U.S. energy dominance agenda.<\/p>\n
‘Both the Democrats are going to drive the energy prices through the roof,’ he said.<\/p>\n
Trump also faulted Spanberger for refusing to directly call for Jones\u2019 ouster.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for clarity on whether Trump\u2019s comments thus far have equated to an endorsement or whether he plans to offer one in the closing days, but did not receive a response.<\/p>\n
When reached as well, the Republican National Committee indicated they were not at liberty to discuss the presidential prerogative in endorsements.<\/p>\n
Earle-Sears, however, said she looks forward to working with Trump as governor to continue Republican policies focused on public safety, energy costs to Virginians and conservative values \u2013 and that Trump has indeed been supportive of her bid.<\/p>\n
‘I am deeply grateful for President Trump\u2019s support and his direct encouragement to voters in Virginia to vote Republican,’ she said.<\/p>\n
‘We must ensure Virginia is the best place to live, work and raise a family and, with President Trump, I\u2019ll fight to keep energy costs low, keep our families safe and defend our commonsense values.’<\/p>\n
Sources have pointed to Youngkin\u2019s own success brought on by keeping Trump at arm\u2019s length during his own hard-fought campaign against Terry McAuliffe in a closely-divided state.<\/p>\n