Entire Internet Blames Democrats For Alleged Virginia Race Hoax, McAuliffe Claims His Campaign Didn’t Do It
Virginia Democrat gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe’s campaign was dragged online on Friday after Democrat political operatives quickly amplified a photo of five people in tan pants and white shirts carrying tiki torches in front of Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin’s bus.
You’re probably gonna want to try to kill this stunt.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) October 29, 2021
How much did you pay these dudes?
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) October 29, 2021
It’s been clear now for hours that these are Democratic operatives, yet this McAuliffe staffer still has this tweet up. https://t.co/FdVqG33lJT
— Giancarlo Sopo (@GiancarloSopo) October 29, 2021
A local news reporter first tweeted the photo on Friday morning and claimed that the group said “We’re all in for Glenn.”
“Here they are standing in front of the bus as his campaign event at Guadalajara started,” Elizabeth Holmes tweeted. She did not appear to follow up with the group or disclose that she asked them any questions.
These men approached @GlennYoungkin’s bus as it pulled up saying what sounded like, “We’re all in for Glenn.” Here they are standing in front of the bus as his campaign event at Guadalajara started.@NBC29 pic.twitter.com/l681ejyBjc
— Elizabeth Holmes (@holmes_reports) October 29, 2021
The Unite the Right rally was one of the darkest days in the Commonwealth’s history. this is who Glenn Youngkin’s supporters are pic.twitter.com/OpJ55r0AMr
— Christina Freundlich (@christinafreund) October 29, 2021
“Disgusting reference to the 2017 Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville,” McAuliffe’s social media manager wrote.
Wow. At a campaign stop for Glenn Youngkin this morning, people were holding tiki torches and chanting “we’re all in for Glenn.” Disgusting reference to the 2017 Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville. pic.twitter.com/AfKcBt5DwK
— Charlie (@CharlieOlaf) October 29, 2021
“This is disgusting and disqualifying,” a McAuliffe communications aide wrote.
This is disgusting and disqualifying. https://t.co/EJ9Fk7OeTE
— Jen Goodman (@jengoodman75) October 29, 2021
Others associated with Virginia Democrats and other Democrat strategy groups also decried the photo on social media and used it as an opportunity to target Youngkin.
YIKES. https://t.co/O5ZSuxvMLB
— Ally Sammarco (@ally_sammarco) October 29, 2021
Hey @GlennYoungkin would you care to comment about the Nazis at your campaign stop?
They seem to like you. pic.twitter.com/YOdTRHqbq7
— Nick Knudsen 🇺🇸 (@NickKnudsenUS) October 29, 2021
Glenn Youngkin’s closing argument. Retweet this far and wide. Text it to your friends, family and neighbors. https://t.co/pAA0JOfydx
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) October 29, 2021
Camden Layton, the finance director for Virginia Young Democrats, and Colleen Wachenfeld, who is associated with Virginia Democrats, both appeared to be pictured in the five-person group clad in caps and white shirts. Shortly after Twitter users noted Layton and Wachenfeld’s resemblance to the mysterious torch holders, they both made their social media accounts private.
BREAKING: Financial director for Young VA Dems has gone private after being exposed for posing as a white supremacist pic.twitter.com/fbCbafIiZf
— Jewish Deplorable (@TrumpJew2) October 29, 2021
And the old switch to private pic.twitter.com/MURv59od21
— Mike Palicz (@Mike_Palicz) October 29, 2021
VYD and VD did not immediately respond to The Federalist’s request for comment but did issue a defensive statement on Twitter insisting that “The Democratic Party of Virginia, along with its coordinated partners and its affiliates, did not have any role today in the events that happened outside of the Youngkin campaign bus stop today.”
Statement on Glenn Youngkin’s bus stop earlier today: pic.twitter.com/Hw0svCAW9W
— Andrew Whitley (@AndrewWhitleyVA) October 29, 2021
The McAuliffe campaign also did not immediately respond to The Federalist’s request for comment but told a local NBC affiliate and Mediate that “this was not us or anyone affiliated with our campaign.”
The McAuliffe campaign’s denial, however, did not stop people including U.S Sen. Tom Cotton from criticizing the Democrat candidate for going to exceptional means to take down his opponent.
“Terry McAuliffe is so desperate that his staffers are dressing up like Ralph Northam. It won’t work,” Cotton said.
Terry McAuliffe is so desperate that his staffers are dressing up like Ralph Northam.
It won’t work.
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) October 29, 2021
McAuliffe’s campaign already made headlines this week when his spokeswoman mistakenly replied to a Fox News comment request asking her team on McAuliffe’s campaign “Can we try to kill this.” The spokeswoman was referencing reports that just weeks before Virginia’s Election Day, McAuliffe’s campaign paid $53,680 to the Elias Law Group which is led by Marc Elias, a Democrat operative who fueled the Russia hoax.
Shortly after Fox reported on the accidental email, Freundlich claimed that her efforts to subdue the story were successful.
“I think it’s clear based on this story that we did in fact…kill the story,” Freundlich wrote.
I think it’s clear based on this story that we did in fact…kill the story https://t.co/rRCEzAL0Kj
— Christina Freundlich (@christinafreund) October 29, 2021
Her response was mocked by several people who noted that, in fact, the story had not died and was reported on by multiple outlets.
I killed the story that I am talking about and everyone is currently reading about.
Just top notch stuff there.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) October 29, 2021
🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) October 29, 2021
✍🏼uh✍🏼oh✍🏼 pic.twitter.com/0ZHhIGsrbq
— Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) October 29, 2021
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