Youngkin praises possible rivals as he considers presidential bid

As Governor Glenn Youngkin
considers running for President, he is taking a different approach than his likely rivals: showing them respect and admiration.

Prospective candidates are expected to join the Republican primary over the coming months. Preliminary polls suggest that former President Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida will be the two primary front-runners competing for the nomination. If Youngkin chooses to run for President, his strategy seems to be killing them with kindness.

“DeSantis has done a tremendous job,” Youngkin told Politico. “If you look at Florida, he’s done an excellent job.”

Youngkin praised Trump’s “extremely good” policies, such as promoting manufacturing in America, standing firm on the international stage, and lowering taxes for economic growth. However, he did mention that there are certain things he would have done differently during Trump’s tenure in the Oval Office. Youngkin believes that there is a way to disagree with people without being insulting or using derogatory remarks.

The Virginia governor is privately assessing his own prospects for launching a presidential campaign, but he faces stiff competition from Trump and DeSantis, two candidates with national recognition and party prominence. Youngkin, who only claimed 1% of the vote in polls when compared to Trump and DeSantis, who received 52% and 26% of the vote, according to data from Morning Consult, has his work cut out for him.

During his 2021 campaign, Youngkin managed to attract support from Trump while also the support from all corners of the GOP. Youngkin attributed his victory to earning voters of all ideological stripes, a strategy that he believes will be critical in a prospective 2024 campaign.

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