Behind Closed Doors, Youngkin Tells Donors He Won’t “Go Squishy” on Banning Abortion, Defunding Planned Parenthood
“As a campaign topic, sadly, that in fact won’t win my Independent votes that I have to get.”
The American Independent reported that Virginia GOP gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin recently told a group of donors that, if elected governor, he would be “going on offense” to ban abortion and defund Planned Parenthood in Virginia. He further admitted, however, that he would need to keep those plans secret from the “voters that I have to get” in order to win.
By Emily Singer | July 07, 2021
Key Points:
- Virginia’s Republican nominee for governor reportedly told supporters at a fundraising event in June that he couldn’t reveal his true position on abortion rights until after he’s elected. His reasoning: He needs the independent vote to ensure his victory in November.
- Glenn Youngkin, the venture capitalist running as a Republican in Virginia’s gubernatorial race against former Democratic Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, made the comments to Lauren Windsor, who runs The Undercurrent, a self-described “grassroots political web-show” funded by the liberal advocacy group American Family Voices.
- “I’m gonna be really honest with you, the short answer is, in this campaign, I can’t,” Youngkin says after “Pete” asks him whether he plans to “take it to the abortionists.”
- “When I’m governor, and I have a majority in the House, we can start going on offense,” he continues. “But as a campaign topic, sadly, that in fact won’t win my independent votes that I have to get. So you’ll never hear me support Planned Parenthood, what you’ll hear me talk about is actually taking back the radical abortion policies that Virginians don’t want.”
- Abortion rights advocate and former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, who is currently serving as co-chair of the left-leaning opposition research group American Bridge 21st Century, meanwhile, accused Youngkin of “tricking Virginians into thinking he’s reasonable — when it’s clear that he stands with Donald Trump and the extremists of the Republican Party.”
- “This should terrify women who care about making their own health care decisions and doing what is best for their families,” Richards said.
This is the latest in a pattern of Youngkin seeking to conceal his true views from voters. Just like Trump, Youngkin clearly has no problem brazenly lying to the people of Virginia. Just like Trump, the people of Virginia will reject him. Democrats will make sure every Virginian hears the truth straight from Glenn Youngkin himself: if elected, Youngkin will ban abortion and defund Planned Parenthood — and he hopes you won’t find out until it’s too late.
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Published: Jul 8, 2021 | Last Modified: Dec 10, 2021