{"id":2502897,"date":"2025-10-25T06:26:01","date_gmt":"2025-10-25T10:26:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-keeps-distance-in-virginia-as-obama-goes-all-in\/"},"modified":"2025-10-25T06:26:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-25T10:26:37","slug":"trump-keeps-distance-in-virginia-as-obama-goes-all-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-keeps-distance-in-virginia-as-obama-goes-all-in\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump keeps distance in Virginia as Obama goes all in"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-keeps-distance-in-virginia-as-obama-goes-all-in%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2502897&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-drags-down-terry-mcauliffe-in-virginia\/\" title=\"Biden Drags Down Terry McAuliffe in Virginia\">virginia gubernatorial race<\/a>, highlighting President donald Trump&#8217;s lukewarm support for Republican candidate Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is running against democrat Abigail Spanberger. While Trump expressed general support for the &#8220;Republican candidate,&#8221; he did not mention Earle-Sears by name, contrasting sharply with former president Barack Obama&#8217;s energetic endorsement and campaigning for Spanberger.Political analysts suggest that Trump&#8217;s hesitancy reflects Republican doubts about Earle-Sears&#8217;s electability and concerns about associating with potential failure. Polls show Spanberger leading by a important margin.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has actively supported Republican candidates elsewhere, such as New Jersey gubernatorial hopeful Jack Ciattarelli, indicating he views the New Jersey race as more winnable than Virginia&#8217;s. Earle-Sears has claimed Trump supports her, but he has not committed to campaigning with her. Meanwhile, prominent Democrats, including Obama, Pete Buttigieg, and Josh shapiro, have been actively campaigning for Spanberger.<\/p>\n<p>The article notes that without a strong, keen endorsement from Trump, Republican voter turnout in Virginia may suffer, which could disadvantage earle-Sears. some Republicans believe the governor&#8217;s mansion may already be out of reach, and trump may be distancing himself to avoid the race becoming a referendum on his leadership.The Virginia race is seen as an significant indicator ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, with the outcome potentially signaling Democratic momentum.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Trump tepidly embraces Earle-Sears as Obama stumps for Spanberger in Virginia<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2366628\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> inched one step closer to embracing Lt. Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/winsome-earle-sears\/\">Winsome Earle-Sears<\/a> (R-VA) in her quest to defeat former Democratic Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/abigail-spanberger\/\">Abigail Spanberger<\/a> to succeed the term-limited Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/glenn-youngkin\/\">Glenn Youngkin<\/a> (R-VA) when he told reporters he supports the &ldquo;Republican candidate&rdquo; in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/virginia\/\">Virginia<\/a> gubernatorial race. <\/p>\n<p>But his refusal to even mention Earle-Sears&rsquo;s name as he talked about the race is a striking contrast against former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/barack-obama\/\">Barack Obama<\/a>, who not only enthusiastically endorsed Spanberger but will stump with her the last weekend before <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2025-elections\/\">Election Day<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3863756\/knicks-send-zohran-mamdani-cease-and-desist-letter-over-since-deleted-ad\/\">Knicks send Mamdani cease-and-desist letter over since-deleted ad<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3863565\/democrats-abortion-election-integrity-pennsylvania-supreme-court-election-counter-maga-donors\/\">Democrats put abortion, election integrity at forefront in Pennsylvania Supreme Court election to counter &#8216;MAGA donors&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3863319\/new-hampshire-republican-withdraws-redistricting-bill\/\">New Hampshire Republican withdraws redistricting bill citing governor&#8217;s opposition<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;This points to just the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-split-on-jan-6-commission-as-mccarthy-announces-opposition\/\" title=\"... Split On Jan. 6 Commission As McCarthy Announces Opposition\">general feeling<\/a> that you get from the Republican Party that they are not all that thrilled with Earle-Sears as a candidate, or feel that maybe she just isn&rsquo;t going to deliver,&rdquo; said David Richards, a political science professor at the University of Lynchburg. &ldquo;And again, I think Trump does not like the stink of failure on him.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>The Virginia off-year election, normally viewed as a bellwether for next year&rsquo;s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-elections\/\">midterm elections<\/a>, is shaping up to become a proxy battle of the presidents. Yet, Trump&rsquo;s unease with Earle-Sears could point to signs that Democratic momentum is surpassing Republicans.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3852203\/trump-allies-boost-jack-ciattarelli-new-jersey-governor-race\/\">TRUMP AND ALLIES AIM TO BOOST CIATTARELLI IN CLOSING STAGES OF NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR RACE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think the Republican candidate is very good, and she should win because the Democrat candidate is a disaster,&rdquo; Trump said about the Virginia race during a gaggle with reporters on Air Force One. <\/p>\n<p>Even a Truth Social post from Trump encouraging Virginians to vote did not mention her name. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;For all of those people voting in New Jersey and Virginia for Governor, Attorney General, or any other position, please remember this: A REPUBLICAN VOTE MEANS A DRASTIC DROP IN ENERGY PRICES AND ENERGY COSTS, A DROP LIKE YOU&rsquo;VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE!&rdquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/115419510654451460\">he wrote<\/a> on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Earle-Sears claimed that the president &ldquo;wants me to win&rdquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2025\/oct\/23\/winsome-earle-sears-embraces-trumps-tepid-va-governor-endorsement\/\">during an interview<\/a> with the <em>Sit Downs with Alex Swoyer<\/em> podcast.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The president wants me to win. You saw what he said,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;And let me tell you something, we&rsquo;re going to win in Virginia because we have the right ideas.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Notably, Trump has not indicated he will rally with Earle-Sears before Election Day, despite his plan to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3852203\/trump-allies-boost-jack-ciattarelli-new-jersey-governor-race\/\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-amps-up-support-for-ciattarelli-with-last-ditch-campaign-help\/\" title=\"Trump amps up support for Ciattarelli with last-ditch campaign help\">hold tele-rallies<\/a> <\/a>for New Jersey Republican&nbsp;gubernatorial candidate <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jack-ciattarelli\/\">Jack Ciattarelli<\/a>. Obama is also <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3855230\/obama-mikie-sherrill-endorsement-power-foray-new-jersey-governors-race\/\">set to campaign<\/a> with Ciattarelli&rsquo;s opponent, Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mikie-sherrill\/\">Mikie Sherrill<\/a> (D-NJ), on the last weekend before Election Day.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s willingness to boost Ciattarelli while keeping a distance from Earle-Sears suggests that the president views the New Jersey gubernatorial race as a winnable for the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republican-party\/\">GOP<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Trump obviously did much better in New Jersey this time than last time &hellip; that&rsquo;s his neighborhood. He&rsquo;s got his resort there,&rdquo; said Jason Roe, a Republican strategist who has worked on multiple presidential campaigns. &ldquo;And I think it&rsquo;s still an outside chance, but I&rsquo;d say there&rsquo;s a real chance [that Ciattarelli wins].&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Earle-Sears, however, leaned on <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/vivek-ramaswamy\/\">Vivek Ramaswamy<\/a>, the former head of the Department of Government Efficiency,<\/span> to stump with her last month. Spanberger hit back that the lieutenant governor was embracing an administration that has helped gut the federal workforce, which makes up a sizable portion of the Virginia economy.<\/p>\n<p>Other high-profile Democrats have also come to Spanberger&rsquo;s aid in the Old Dominion, including former Transportation Secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pete-buttigieg\/\">Pete Buttigieg<\/a> and Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/josh-shapiro\/\">Josh Shapiro<\/a>, who will campaign with her on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>But without a strong, enthusiastic embrace from Trump, there are signs that the GOP turnout may suffer.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The whole Trump movement has been based on [Make America Great Again] turnout. And part of that, of course, is when the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >president fervently endorses<\/a> a Republican candidate that helps drive the MAGA advantage and turnout,&rdquo; said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon. &ldquo;And I think Trump failing to endorse his candidate in Virginia will only make that worse.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Bannon also claimed that the &ldquo;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/no-kings\/\">No Kings<\/a>&rdquo; marches across the nation are a sign of a growing Democratic movement against the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\">Trump administration<\/a>. &ldquo;The No Kings March created a lot of energy in Democratic circles,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And the first test we&rsquo;re going to see that is on November 7 in New Jersey, and Virginia, and California to see if Democratic turnout is higher than Republican turnout.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The only Republican candidate in Virginia that Trump has thrown his endorsement behind is state Attorney General Jason Miyares.<\/p>\n<p>Miyares received Trump&rsquo;s endorsement after news broke that his opponent, Democrat <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jay-jones\/\">Jay Jones<\/a>, sent <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3839056\/jason-miyares-million-dollar-ad-buy-jay-jones-violent-texts\/\">violent text messages<\/a> calling for the death of a former Republican Virginia House Speaker.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans, including Earle-Sears, have pushed to hold the entire Democratic ticket responsible for Jones&rsquo;s text messages. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Republicans know how important it is to win in Virginia this year,&rdquo; said Aaron Evans, president of&nbsp;Winning Republican Strategies. &ldquo;The Republican base is definitely united around ensuring that this really is not about personalities or endorsements. It&rsquo;s about policies and what is Virginia going to look like.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>Evans also dismissed Obama&rsquo;s campaigning for Spanberger as a sign of skittishness for Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think the fact that she&rsquo;s reaching out and trying to get all of these popular Democrats into the state shows that she doesn&rsquo;t believe she&rsquo;s got it in the bag. It shows it&rsquo;s a tight race,&rdquo; he said. <\/p>\n<p>A recent <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/wilder.vcu.edu\/news-and-events\/news-posts\/commonwealth-poll-spanberger-leads-earle-sears-49-to-42-in-virginia-governors-race.html\">Virginia Commonwealth University <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-spike-in-florida-coronavirus-cases-despite-no-mask-mandate\/\" title=\"No Spike in Florida Coronavirus Cases Despite No Mask Mandate\">poll<\/a> <\/a>showed Spanberger leading Earle-Sears by 7 points, 49% to 42%. Another <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.suffolk.edu\/-\/media\/suffolk\/documents\/academics\/research-at-suffolk\/suprc\/polls\/other-states\/2025\/10_22_2025_virginia_statewide_marginals.pdf\">poll from Suffolk University<\/a> showed Spanberger with a 9-point lead over the lieutenant governor, 52% to 43%. A <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/documents\/84f0e3af-875c-4b14-8921-a008804ab25f.pdf?itid=lk_inline_manual_1\"><em>Washington Post<\/em>-Schar School poll<\/a> had Spanberger up by 12 points, 54% to 42%, among likely voters.<\/p>\n<p>With less than two weeks before Election Day and a government shutdown with no end in sight, Trump&rsquo;s absence grows louder. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is crunch time, and I think Trump needed to say, &lsquo;Look, go out and vote for Winsome Earle-Sears, specifically,&rsquo; not just, &lsquo;Oh, yeah, be sure you vote Republican,&#8217;&rdquo; said Richards. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s going to be, at the end of the day, a missed opportunity on the part of the Republican Party.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3855230\/obama-mikie-sherrill-endorsement-power-foray-new-jersey-governors-race\/\">OBAMA TESTS ENDORSEMENT POWER WITH FORAY INTO NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR&rsquo;S RACE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>But some Republicans conceded the governor&rsquo;s mansion may already be lost. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Anyone I&rsquo;ve talked to doesn&rsquo;t think we have a shot at Virginia, so Trump may just be trying to avoid it in any way being a referendum on his leadership by not owning any of it,&rdquo; said Roe. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump cautiously backs Earle-Sears as Obama campaigns for Spanberger<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2658,"featured_media":2502898,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP25296747887024_60c84e-e1761332978386.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4087,5315,5894,3634,5468],"class_list":["post-2502897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-campaign","tag-obama","tag-politics","tag-trump","tag-virginia"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP25296747887024_60c84e-e1761332978386.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2502897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2658"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2502897"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2502897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2502901,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2502897\/revisions\/2502901"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2502898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2502897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2502897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2502897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}