Glenn Youngkin Opens Up About His Views on Joining the 2024 Race Amid Donor Efforts to Urge Him

Virginia’s Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, has not explicitly ruled out a shocking late entry into the 2024 presidential race after being pressured by reports that donors are desperately trying to draft him to take on Donald Trump.

CBS Bob Costa sparked a firestorm Thursday when he said Republican billionaire megadonor Thomas Peterffy was calling his allies to assure Youngkin he would receive financial support if he wanted to jump ship.

Youngkin has insisted he is not interested in running and is focusing on the November elections for the state Legislature.

But the disturbing performance of the seven candidates who took the stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library has backers looking for another option before it’s too late.

In addition, some of Youngkin’s top donors will gather at a “Red Vests” retreat in Virginia Beach Oct. 17-18 with plans to “push” Youngkin into the 2024 race, Costa said, as they grow “desperate to beat Trump ‘.

Appearing on Fox News on Thursday, Youngkin said he was still focused on the general election — an answer he has given for months when asked about 2024.

But he didn’t close the door completely on a dramatic run.

“I told you I’ve got you completely focused on the Virginia elections and that’s what we’re going to do,” Youngkin said.

When asked if he felt a responsibility to his party and country to enter the race, he talked about how he felt surprised by his rapid political rise.

“Well, let me start with how humiliating this is,” Youngkin said. ’40 years ago I was washing the dishes and taking out the rubbish at the Belvedere hotel. And today people throw my name around in a national context.”

“I’m new to this. One campaign under my belt. I have been governor for 21 months. I think we’ve really moved things around in Virginia. It’s encouraging that people are watching and liking what we’re doing,” the governor continued.

Youngkin was elected in 2021, a bright spot for the Republican Party after President Joe Biden won the White House and Democrats won control of Congress.

CBS’ Bob Costa sparked a firestorm Thursday when he said Republican billionaire megadonor Thomas Peterffy was calling his allies to assure Youngkin he would get the financial support if he wanted to jump ship.

He managed to keep Trump at an arm’s distance, but didn’t irritate him so much that he lost the support of Trump’s MAGA base.

Earlier Thursday, the Drudge Report teased that another Republican was about to step in and shake up the race.

The speculation comes less than 24 hours after a second Republican debate dominated by bickering and personal attacks.

In a quick DailyMail.com poll, Republican viewers declared Donald Trump the winner – even though he wasn’t there.

It was a battle to see which candidate had the potential to catapult themselves and secure second place.

There was good news for challenger Ron DeSantis, who was declared the most “presidential” and most “competent” candidate to take the stage at Ronald Reagan’s presidential library in California.

Analysts said DeSantis performed more confidently than during the first debate, when he sometimes disappeared from view.

This time he addressed Trump directly, delving into his record as governor of Florida to describe how he would lead the nation.

But in a sign of Trump’s hold on the party base, a JL Partners poll found that 27 percent of viewers saw him as the night’s winner, putting tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy ahead by one point and DeSantis by 10 points.

Rather than take the stage to duke it out with his rivals, the former president headed to Michigan as part of an effort to take advantage of the auto workers’ strike in a state that could decide the general election.

Seven other candidates remained to battle it out among themselves. The night was marked by bickering and candidates often drowned out each other as they fought for airtime.

In a quick DailyMail.com poll, Republican viewers declared Donald Trump the winner – even though he wasn’t there

CBS’ Bob Costa reported Thursday that Republican billionaire superdonor Thomas Peterffy is calling other major donors in an effort to assure Youngkin that the money would be there if he wanted to step in after Virginia’s legislative elections in early November.

Of those who appeared on stage, about 35 percent of 546 Republican respondents declared Ramaswamy the winner and 24 percent said DeSantis had the best performance.

They were followed by former Vice President Mike Pence at 11 percent, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Senator Tim Scott at seven percent, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie at six percent and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum at three percent. .

James Johnson, co-founder of JLP, said: “In the absence of anyone to deliver a knockout blow, Trump was the big winner of last night’s debate.

“This is a Trump-dominated electorate and a nominal victory for Vivek Ramaswamy in our debate poll is more a reflection of that than anything else.

“Ron DeSantis can claim something of a victory because he came across as the most presidential and competent, but he also didn’t come through the way he was supposed to. Christie and Burgum were the definitive losers, portrayed by Republicans as annoying and boring respectively.’

The poll was conducted online within an hour after the debate ended and has a margin of error of 4.2 percent.