Obama sharply criticizes Youngkin in Va. governor's race

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RICHMOND – Former President Barack Obama offered a crisp rebuke of the Republican campaigner for Virginia governor, Glenn Youngkin, arsenic helium encouraged voters connected Saturday to enactment Democrat Terry McAuliffe successful the intimately watched race.

Obama accused Youngkin of portraying himself arsenic a affable everyman portion encouraging what Obama called “lies and conspiracy theories” astir wide voting fraud successful the 2020 elections. Former President Donald Trump has continued to propulsion the mendacious communicative astir predetermination fraud, which fueled the Jan. 6 insurrection astatine the U.S. Capitol.

“Either helium really believes successful the aforesaid conspiracy theories that resulted successful a mob, oregon helium doesn’t judge it but helium is consenting to spell on with it, to accidental oregon bash thing to get elected. And possibly that’s worse ... due to the fact that that says thing astir character," Obama said.

Youngkin, a erstwhile backstage equity enforcement and a first-time candidate, initially made “election integrity” the centerpiece of his run and refused for months to accidental whether President Joe Biden was legitimately elected. He has since said that Biden was, and that determination was not wide fraud successful past year's elections.

Obama described McAuliffe — the state's politician from 2014-2018 — arsenic an experienced, dependable manus and told a assemblage of astir 2,000 radical gathered outdoors astatine Virginia Commonwealth University successful Richmond that the Nov. 2 predetermination would “show the state and the satellite that we’re not going to indulge successful our worst instincts.”

The erstwhile president said helium understood voters are worn down, some from the country's divisive authorities and the strain of the pandemic. But helium said there's excessively overmuch astatine involvement to not formed a ballot.

“We don’t person clip to beryllium tired. What is required is sustained effort," helium said.

Asked for comment, a Youngkin run spokesperson called Obama's remarks “false statements” and accused The Associated Press of “indulging the fantasies of the Terry and the near due to the fact that they can’t tally connected their failed grounds and extremist imaginativeness for the future."

The Youngkin run has said predetermination information is simply a bipartisan interest and has tried to gully a examination betwixt the mendacious claims of fraud contiguous and the 2000 statesmanlike election, erstwhile a Supreme Court ruling decided the victor and McAuliffe blasted the determination and said the predetermination had been stolen.

McAuliffe is seeking a instrumentality to bureau successful the lone authorities wherever the incumbent cannot service consecutive terms. Less than 2 weeks retired from the Nov. 2 election, polls amusement a choky contention successful a authorities Biden carried by 10 percent points past fall.

While New Jersey is besides holding an predetermination for politician connected Nov. 2, it’s the Virginia contention that’s grabbed nationalist attraction arsenic a imaginable denotation of elector sentiment earlier adjacent year’s midterms.

Numerous Democratic elected officials including U.S. Reps. Donald McEachin and Bobby Scott, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine and Gov. Ralph Northam besides delivered remarks astatine Saturday's event.

The officials formed the predetermination arsenic a prime betwixt a proven person and an extremist who would rotation backmost progressive reforms implemented during the past 2 years of afloat Democratic power of authorities government, including an enlargement of voting rights and termination access, tighter weapon laws and transgression justness reforms. Multiple speakers acknowledged the contention is close.

“We cannot instrumentality immoderate chances,” Northam said.

Several speakers sought to necktie Youngkin and his moving mates to Trump.

“Glenn Youngkin is extreme. This feline is simply a fanboy for Donald Trump,” said Jaime Harrison, president of the Democratic National Committee.

Obama besides visited Virginia’s superior to rally Democrats during Northam’s 2017 contention for politician against Republican Ed Gillespie, who mislaid by astir 9 percent points.

His sojourn marked the latest successful a bid of appearances by high-profile Democrats who person travel to the authorities successful caller days to property the lawsuit for McAuliffe’s candidacy. They see voting rights activistic Stacey Abrams, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Vice President Kamala Harris, who told a assemblage Thursday night, “This contention is tight.”

Biden, who campaigned with McAuliffe implicit the summer, is joining the Democratic nominee successful bluish Virginia connected Tuesday.

National Republican groups criticized McAuliffe connected Saturday for the procession of high-profile surrogates.

“As Biden’s canvass numbers proceed to tank, McAuliffe is going down with him and nary magnitude of dense hitter politicians volition close the ship,” said Maddie Anderson, a spokeswoman for the Republican Governors Association.

Youngkin, who has mostly steered wide of extracurricular supporters successful the last stretch, was expected to clasp a Saturday evening rally successful suburban Richmond astatine the commencement of a statewide autobus tour.

His run said successful a quality merchandise that “instead of surrogates," the autobus circuit would diagnostic “everyday Virginians” who volition talk astir however they deliberation they would payment from Youngkin's tax and argumentation proposals.

Youngkin's run has not responded to questions from The Associated Press astir whether Trump has been asked to run successful Virginia with Youngkin oregon connected his behalf. Trump has endorsed Youngkin aggregate times and called into a rally organized by a right-wing vigor big this period to exhort the assemblage to ballot for him.

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