Youngkin ‘Should Have Done More’: White House Blames Former GOP Governor for Redistricting Loss

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Per a Friday report from Politico’s Dasha Burns, frustrations inside the White House are boiling over after Democrats seemingly secured a major redistricting win in Virginia, with former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) taking heat from President Donald Trump’s administration.

“The West Wing thinks Youngkin should have done more in Virginia,” a senior White House official told Politico.

Another person with close ties to the White House pointed to a key decision, saying, “Look, there’s plenty of blame to go around. But if Youngkin hadn’t left the special session open, [Virginia State Senator] Louise Lucas would never have had the chance to ram through those maps… So he has some responsibility for losing these seats.”

The criticism comes just days after Democrats prevailed in the state’s redistricting fight on Tuesday night, with CNN’s Jeff Zeleny reporting the win is “a big deal in the midterm election fight now just six months away” and “will give Democrats up to four more seats in the House of Representatives.”

Youngkin, whose term ended in January after Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s (D) inauguration, had been discussed for potential roles in the Trump administration. But another White House senior official suggested to Politico that his standing has slipped, saying, “He doesn’t have enough friends here.”

On Wednesday, a Virginia judge blocked certification of the congressional map referendum, ruling the measure unconstitutional. Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones (D) said the state will appeal, while the RNC — which backed the lawsuit — called the redistricting effort a “blatant power grab.”

“Last night, Democrats only managed to squeak out a narrow 3-point victory despite burning tens of millions in cash and manipulating voters with misleading ballot language,” a spokesperson for the RNC wrote in a statement to ABC News.

Notably, the Virginia Supreme Court has already overturned two earlier attempts by the circuit court to stop the referendum. The state’s highest court is still set to hear those cases.

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