Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) revealed that he does not foresee making an endorsement for any candidate in the Republican presidential primary.
While speaking at the Economic Club of Washington on Tuesday, Youngkin spoke with David Rubinstein, the President of the Economic Club about issues such as a 15-week abortion ban, aspirations to be president, and his attempt to move the Washington Commanders to Virginia.
“I don’t expect to endorse anyone,” Youngkin shared. “I think voters should choose this, and I’m sure it will be a well-participated primary.”
Today, @GovernorVA joined @DM_Rubenstein for a conversation on the governor's top policy priorities, the upcoming 2023 Virginia elections, and why Virginia is the best state to live and work, just to name a few. Links in our bio. https://t.co/J5PU3CFdf6
— The Economic Club (@TheEconomicClub) September 26, 2023
Youngkin, a businessman, defeated his opponent, former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) in November 2021 with 50.6% of the vote, while McAuliffe received 48.6% of the vote.
During his campaign, Youngkin focused on the education system and parental rights, taxes, and the economy. Since winning his election, Youngkin has faced much speculation from people about whether or not he plans to run for president.
Youngkin brushed off questions about his aspirations to run for president, stating that his objective was to “hold our House and flip our Senate.”
“Virginia was really headed in the wrong direction when I came in,” Youngkin said. “We were near the bottom in job growth, and we were falling behind in so many categories.”
A recent poll from Morning Consult conducted between Sept. 22-24 showed 58% of voters said they would support former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) received 15%, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy received 9%, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley received 7%.
Another poll from Monmouth University conducted between Sept. 19-24, showed Trump receiving 55%, DeSantis with 17%, Haley with 7%, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) with 5% of support.
While Youngkin dismissed any speculation that he was considering a run for president, he took aim at President Joe Biden, stating that he does not believe Biden has done a good job as president.
“I think our economy has really suffered and I think the reality is, even Larry Summers told them, when you unleash unbridled spending, it’s going to drive inflation,” Youngkin shared. “Every family in America today is really struggling, 66% of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck. The average family today has to spend $700 more just to buy gas and groceries and clothes for their kids than they did two years ago.”
When asked about where he stood on the age issue for presidents, a reference to Biden, 80, and Trump, 77, Youngkin said “the key thing is that they can do the job,” adding that they were “demanding jobs.”