Leahy: Youngkin’s Pelosi Gaffe Shows He’s Not Presidential Material
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is quickly learning the downsides of testing the national political waters. Stumbles and gaffes can wreck a nascent campaign before it even gets to the exploratory phase.
Consider Youngkin’s words at a Friday campaign rally for 7th Congressional District GOP nominee Yesli Vega. News broke that day that David DePape attacked and brutally beat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, in their California home. As The Post’s Greg Schneider and Meagan Flynn reported, Youngkin said “There’s no room for violence anywhere, but we’re going to send [Pelosi] back to be with him in California.”
That sounds bad. But the videotape of Youngkin’s remarks was even worse. The rookie governor doesn’t change his tone or timing when he says it’s time to send Pelosi back to take care of her injured husband.
It’s a sorry display of a pol who sounds callous, even flippant, in the face of another person’s horror.
Youngkin’s gaffe drew swift and entirely warranted condemnation from Democrats.
But in this current era, neither politicians nor corporate honchos (like Youngkin used to be at the Carlyle Group) admit gaffes. And in those vanishingly rare occasions when they are, it’s in the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (channeling Richard M. Nixon) “some mistakes were made” vein.
And yet, Youngkin has an opportunity to make amends, to change the narrative and to show that he’s really not just a red-vested Donald Trump wannabe.
Newsmax host Greta Van Susteren gave Youngkin a chance to take what she called a “do over.” It started out okay. Youngkin said, “there is no room for violence in America,” that the assault was “beyond belief” and that he would pray for Paul Pelosi’s full recovery.
Hearing no apology, Van Susteren again offered the “do over” option to Youngkin, who stuck to his script….
