During a speech in Virginia to support Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe for governor, U.S. President Joe Biden focused on his predecessor, Donald Trump. Biden mentioned Trump by name 24 times during a brisk 17-minute address in a park near the Pentagon in Northern Virginia, attempting to leverage his predecessor's legacy to attack Republican Glenn Youngkin, McAuliffe's opponent.
Although Trump did not campaign for Youngkin or endorse him in the race, the surprising close competition in Virginia has become a test of Biden's political strength ahead of next year's midterm elections and the possibility of a rematch with Trump in the 2024 presidential race. This comes amid declining approval ratings for Biden and polls on key issues, as noted by the New York Post.
The Virginia race has heavily focused on Biden, whose approval ratings are falling due to rising inflation, supply chain issues following the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, ongoing border crisis with Mexico, and the resurgence of COVID-19 cases driven by the highly contagious Delta variant.
Biden criticized former President Trump, accusing him of inciting the Capitol riots on January 6, and rejected Trump's dismissal of former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Senator John McCain following their deaths. Biden seemed to mock Trump, who often boasted about low unemployment rates before the pandemic, saying, "Donald Trump is the only president since Herbert Hoover in the 1930s who lost more jobs than he created."
He continued, "Youngkin won't let Donald Trump campaign for him in this state," stating that Youngkin is "willing to pledge loyalty to Trump in private, so why not do it publicly? What is he trying to hide? Is there a problem with Trump being here? Is he embarrassed?"
The Virginia gubernatorial race and the upcoming New Jersey gubernatorial contest next week are seen as tests of support for national Democrats.
