Trump is upset because people are saying Glenn Youngkin is more popular than he is
Well...is anyone shocked?
Former President Donald Trump had already begun taking credit for Republican Glenn Youngkin's win in Virginia before the Tuesday governor's race was even called, having released a statement that night thanking his base for "coming out in force and voting for Glenn Youngkin. Without you, he would not have been close to winning," reports The Hill.
On Wednesday morning, though, Trump took that statement one step further during an interview on a local Virginia radio station, saying that "Without MAGA," Youngkin "would have lost by 15 points or more."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Instead of giving us credit, they say, 'Oh he's more popular than Trump.' It's unbelievable," Trump added in reference to Youngkin, per The New York Times.
That Youngkin "kept his distance" from the ex-president despite rallying around issues popular with his base appeared lost on the MAGA leader, who endorsed the governor-elect in May, per the Times.
The host of Wednesday's show, John Fredericks — who also served as Trump's Virginia campaign chair during his White House campaigns — agreed with the ex-president's credit-seeking comments, adding that "If there was no Trump in this election, there's no Glenn Youngkin."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Democrats seek 2026 inspiration from special election routsIN THE SPOTLIGHT High-profile wins are helping a party demoralized by Trump’s reelection regain momentum
-
Film reviews: ‘Bugonia,’ ‘The Mastermind,’ and ‘Nouvelle Vague’feature A kidnapped CEO might only appear to be human, an amateurish art heist goes sideways, and Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘Breathless’ gets a lively homage
-
‘Not all news is bad’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Democrats seek 2026 inspiration from special election routsIN THE SPOTLIGHT High-profile wins are helping a party demoralized by Trump’s reelection regain momentum
-
‘Not all news is bad’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
A most profitable presidencyfeature Donald Trump has added $3 billion to his wealth since returning to the White House. How?
-
Has Zohran Mamdani shown the Democrats how to win again?Today’s Big Question New York City mayoral election touted as victory for left-wing populists but moderate centrist wins elsewhere present more complex path for Democratic Party
-
Trump to partly fund SNAP as shutdown talks progressSpeed Read The administration has said it will cover about 50% of benefits
-
Trump’s White House ballroom: a threat to the republic?Talking Point Trump be far from the first US president to leave his mark on the Executive Mansion, but to critics his remodel is yet more overreach
-
‘Not every social scourge is an act of war’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Pentagon unable to name boat strike casualtiesSpeed Read The Pentagon has so far acknowledged 14 strikes
