Brianna Keilar: ‘Dog Whistle Racism’ From Republicans Helped Get Glenn Youngkin Elected

CNN’s Brianna Keilar attributed Glenn Youngkin’s (R) gubernatorial win in Virginia in part to “dog-whistle racism.”

Keilar spoke to Kirsten Powers and Mark McKinnon on Wednesday as New Day dissected Terry McAuliffe’s (D) defeat and what the Virginia contest says about the state of national politics. Even though Donald Trump is taking credit for Youngkin’s victory, McKinnon noted that Youngkin campaigned while keeping the former president at a distance, and “it’s very clear what can happen for Republicans if they put Trump in the rear-view mirror rather than on the windshield.”

When Powers spoke about the national mood behind the election, she offered her hypothesis that Republicans will use critical race theory and other culture war issues to establish the foundation of future campaigns.

“There were a lot of these hot button cultural issues, I think, that Youngkin was really able to use to his advantage,” she said. “I don’t think that’s right because I think it was misrepresented, but this is now I think the Republican playbook is to use these issues to scar people basically. That everything is out of control with their children and they have to be protected.”

“Let’s be clear,” Keilar interjected. “Some of it was dog-whistle racism. But for a lot of voters, that’s not what it was. It was more this anxiety, having had their children out of school for so long. And obviously, those not being choices that they made, but were being dictated for them. They may have agreed with them, but many clearly disagree.”

The panel continued with a discussion on how this race exemplifies national political swings, and what the loss of Virginia says about President Joe Biden’s struggling approval ratings.

Watch above, via CNN.