Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is being touted as a potential Republican rival to Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential nomination.
Republicans who hate the thought of another Trump nomination should consider the moderate Old Dominion Conservative as a “lifeboat” candidate while former golden boy Ron DeSantis continues to drown in polls.
Youngkin, 56, knocked out longtime Clinton family ally and former Liberal state governor Terry McAuliffe in 2021, with many suspecting he was part of a new wave of Republican leaders.
However, with Republicans falling short in the 2022 midterm elections and still having no substantive alternative to the controversial Trump, some say Youngkin’s name is being proposed as a “lifeboat” candidate.
Virginia’s governor has an approval rating of 57 percent in a state Biden won by 10 points in 2020. According to polls, he would be the first Republican since 2004 to win a presidential election in the liberal state in today’s vote.
With Trump’s former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Trump loyalist Chris Christie among the flop members, another new Republican who could take on Trump has been touted: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin
Youngkin, whose term is limited and will not be able to run for governor again in 2025, claims he is more focused on his own state’s general election in November.
Earlier this year, Axios reported that he was considering returning to the 2024 race — having previously dropped out — after DeSantis campaigned far worse than expected.
“I’m looking forward to the midterms,” he told the Wall Street Journal. “It gives us a chance to present our case to voters and say, ‘That’s how we did it.’ “We want you to expand our leadership license by electing a Republican-led House of Representatives and flipping the Senate.”
He endorsed ten primary candidates this summer, and each of them rose to the rank of November general.
“If Mr. Youngkin topples the Senate in the fall and there is no alternative to Mr. Trump, the pressure on the governor to enter the presidential race will be intense, regardless of looming state filing deadlines,” writes the Journal’s editorial board.
This comes after DeSantis and his wife Casey were harassed by angry protesters who referenced an embarrassing claim that the Florida governor was eating chocolate pudding with his hands.
The aspiring 2024 presidential candidate and his glamorous wife walked awkwardly when two women in T-shirts that read “Bitches get stuff done” targeted them in Menlo, Iowa on Friday.
Heather Ryan, 51, yelled her protest into a megaphone before launching a foul-mouthed tirade at a male bystander who tried to stop her.
Observers claim she also referred to DeSantis as “pudding fingers,” though that moment was not caught on camera.
It was a nod to a Daily Beast story published earlier this year that claimed lawmakers eat chocolate pudding sans utensils, a claim DeSantis has denied but has continued to haunt him ever since.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey were greeted by two loud hecklers at their first stop on a six-city tour of Iowa on Friday
Dressed in all black, the two liberal protesters stood next to Freedom Rock in Menlo, Iowa, awaiting DeSantis’ arrival
CAUTION, STRONG LANGUAGE
A small skirmish broke out at DeSantis’ first stop of the day in Iowa. Two protesters here drown out his remarks, shouting “pudding fingers” and someone supporting him tries to get them to stop. pic.twitter.com/xEtmd2M3c9
— Natalie Allison (@natalie_allison) August 11, 2023
Instead, he spoke about his commitment to helping the US military return to a “mission first” mentality. He said protesters at Melo Freedom Rock had no respect for veterans.
“Racist, fascist, anti-gay.” “Ron DeSantis, go away,” shouted Heather Ryan, 51, of Bondurant, Iowa, and Kara Ryan, 28, of Des Moines, Iowa, into a megaphone.
Donald Trump also echoed the claims about chocolate pudding, including a line about DeSantis’ “dirty fingers” in one of his ads.
The allegations have fueled claims that DeSantis is a socially awkward candidate who lacks the charisma needed to bring him to the White House.
DeSantis, a former GOP gold boy for his stewardship of the Sunshine State, continues to falter in polls. Figures from FiveThirtyEight show he is the choice of just 14.3 percent of GOP voters, compared to 53.7 percent who would like to see Donald Trump run for president again.
The Ryan ladies told they were briefed by TikTok on DeSantis’ very intimate stay in Menlo.
“They’re not even from this county and they come and they want to yell about other people,” DeSantis told the press while still being drowned out by the megaphone chants and the ringing of cowbells. “That’s not how we work.” And we want to lift people up, we want to achieve higher goals. “We want a country that can be reunited.”
“People like that are holding this country back,” he added. “People like these are the reason we lose as Americans because they have no respect for what these people who wear the uniform have done.” And they’re not about honoring the people who work for us got up and fought.”
“As the only veteran running for President, I can tell you that it matters to me.” It means a lot to me.’
Heather Ryan told that she thinks DeSantis is the devil.
“I protest against Satan,” Ryan said. “That’s what I’m protesting against.” He’s Satan.’
“I think he’s more dangerous than Trump because he’s smarter than Trump,” she added. “Trump is an idiot.” You know, Trump has a big personality, so I’m sure he’ll get the nomination. DeSantis has no personality – but he’s still dangerous.”
The protester shouted into a megaphone, “Racist, fascist, anti-gay.” “Ron DeSantis, go away,” as the PAC’s “Never Back Down” campaign bus pulled in at the first stop
“People like that are holding this country back.” “People like that are the reason we lose as Americans because they have no respect for what these people wearing the uniform have done,” DeSantis explained during the protests lasted
Heather Ryan, 51, of Bondurant, Iowa (right) and Kara Ryan, 28, of Des Moines, Iowa (left), told that they are protesting the “devil” and claiming DeSantis is “more dangerous” than Trump because he is “smarter” than the ex-president
DeSantis & Co. are storming Iowa this week ahead of their performance at the State Fair on Saturday.
The nation’s first primary caucus state will invite nearly all presidential candidates to talk about the “political soapbox,” sit down for a “fairside chat” with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, mingle with the attendees, and charm the caucus-goers by turning their heads, eat some burgers or sample unique foods.
The only 2024 candidates not appearing at the show are former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and President Joe Biden, who is running for re-election. Biden faces two Democratic contenders, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson, both coming to Iowa over the weekend.
DeSantis took off from the capital city of Des Moines on Friday morning and made the first stop of the day at Freedom Rock in Menlo, where DeSantis was the first to greet him.
He then encountered a much more welcoming crowd at Downtown’s Family Restaurant in Atlantic, then stopped at an American Legion in Harlan before making a quick pit stop at Audubon’s truck stop.
The day ended with a very brief visit to a Windstar Lines Charter Bus Company location in front of its town hall in Panora, Iowa.