Speaking in Virginia at an occasion for the US Navy’s 250th anniversary Sunday, President Donald Trump didn’t point out the state’s lieutenant governor, who’s the Republican nominee for governor.
It was a noteworthy snub of Winsome Earle-Sears, a retired Marine, throughout a speech wherein Trump praised some Virginia Republicans who’ve served within the Navy, together with Reps. John McGuire, Rob Wittman and Jen Kiggans.
Earle-Sears has campaigned closely within the Hampton Roads space the place Trump spoke. And she faces a bigger deficit in public polls than different Republicans working statewide in November, whereas additionally grappling with considerations from throughout the GOP about whether or not she’s working an efficient marketing campaign.
Trump earlier within the day made an endorsement on social media in a down-ballot race – backing Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares in his bid for reelection. The endorsement got here after text messages his Democratic opponent Jay Jones sent in 2022 suggesting a colleague ought to be shot surfaced a few month earlier than Election Day.
Without mentioning Earle-Sears, Trump in the identical submit took intention at her Democratic opponent, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, saying she has refused to acknowledge Jones’ actions, regardless of her assertion condemning the texts.
Even as Trump has not embraced Earle-Sears, she has been characterised as a “MAGA Republican” by Spanberger in marketing campaign adverts criticizing her rival as “so far right she’s wrong for Virginia.”
NCS has reached out to the White House and Earle-Sears marketing campaign.
Political circles in Virginia have watched intently to see whether or not Trump would endorse Earle-Sears given their difficult relationship. Earle-Sears served in 2020 as nationwide chairwoman of Black Americans to Reelect Trump and campaigned on his behalf all through the nation. But in a 2022 interview, she mentioned Trump shouldn’t run once more.
“A true leader understands when they have become a liability,” Earle-Sears advised Fox News then.
Trump, in fact, did run a 3rd time and received, cementing his maintain over conservatives who Earle-Sears must prove for the November 4 election. He met with Earle-Sears within the Oval Office earlier this yr, however no endorsement got here out of that assembly – and Earle-Sears has refused to speak about what they mentioned.
At the identical time, Spanberger has tried to make Trump a legal responsibility for Earle-Sears, tying the Republican to rural clinic closures after the passage of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” and to job losses in Virginia, which has greater than 300,000 federal staff, enacted by the Department of Government Efficiency.
“Unfortunately, my opponent Winsome Earle-Sears has defended Trump’s firing of Virginia workers at every turn. And as Donald Trump threatens to enact DOGE 2.0, Lieutenant Governor Earle-Sears refuses to do her job and stand up for Virginia jobs,” Spanberger’s marketing campaign mentioned in a press release launched Friday.
Earle-Sears has made transgender insurance policies a centerpiece of her messaging within the election, hammering Spanberger for not answering whether or not she agrees that trans youth ought to be capable to use any faculty rest room or play on a sports activities group that corresponds with their gender id.
A Washington Post-Schar School poll launched Friday discovered Spanberger with 55% assist amongst seemingly voters in Virginia in contrast with 43% for Earle-Sears, fueled partly by the Democrat’s extensive benefit amongst unbiased voters.