Democrats are opening their bag of dirty tricks in a desperate effort to torpedo the candidacy of the Republican running for governor of Virginia, according to a new report.
Axios reported that a group that appears to be attacking Republican Glenn Youngkin from the right is actually bankrolled by Democrats.
Recent ads targeting conservative sections of the western part of the state claim that Youngkin is not a true champion of the Second Amendment.
Although ads from Democrat Terry McAuliffe portray Youngkin as too pro-gun, the ads taken out by the Accountability Virginia PAC use the fact that the National Rifle Association did not endorse Youngkin as fodder for criticism.
Axios found that ActBlue, a Democratic fundraising platform, actually hosts Accountability Virginia’s donation page.
From its bank to the company that makes its advertising buys, Axios found the common thread was that all parts of the PAC have Democratic connections.
The ads are “an attempt to undermine Youngkin’s support in western rural areas, where gun ownership is sacred and the Republican has a big lead — as all Republicans do these days,” said Larry Sabato, the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.
Currently, the Real Clear Politics average of polls shows McAuliffe with a 2.9 percentage point lead over Youngkin.
A month ago, however, McAuliffe had a 6 percentage point lead, according to the polling average.
Youngkin was endorsed by former President Donald Trump but has soft-pedaled that support in a state where he will need moderate votes to win.
Trump has said that Youngkin must stop walking that tightrope if he wants to win, according to The Washington Post.
“The only guys that win are the guys that embrace the MAGA movement,” Trump said on the “John Fredericks Radio Show” when speaking of Youngkin.
“When they try to go down a railroad track, you know, ‘Hey, oh yeah, sure, love it, love it. Oh, yeah, love Trump. Love Trump. OK, let’s go, next subject.’ When they do that, nobody, they don’t — they never win. They never win. They have to embrace it,” he said.
Trump said Youngkin can win.
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“But you know what I find, and he’s been very nice and all, but I did well in Virginia,” Trump said.
Trump also has sent out an email to his supporters attacking Youngkin’s opponent.
“Terry McAuliffe was a badly failed Governor — owned by Crooked Hillary,” Trump said in the email.