Third Party Candidate Crashes VA Gubernatorial Debate and Chuck Todd Isn’t Sure What To Do

Tuesday’s Virginia gubernatorial debate between Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin was interrupted by a third party candidate who will appear on the ballot in November

About 12 minutes into the debate, Princess Blanding of the Liberation Party disrupted the proceedings being moderated by Meet the Press host Chuck Todd.

As McAuliffe was wrapping a response, a woman could be heard piping up from the audience. “As governor, I will defund the police,” she said.

Todd intermittently responded, “alright” three times as she kept talking.

“Thank you, thank you. Let’s give this a minute,” he said, perhaps speaking to a security detail at the event.

Eventually, Todd beckoned, “Security.”

About 60 seconds after Blanding started speaking, Todd threw the debate to commercial.

A reporter caught up with Blanding outside the debate, and she explained why she crashed it.

More from @PrinBlandingVA who stormed the debate, derailing it for several minutes and demand she have a spot on the stage. She’s particularly mad at Democrats and a system she characterizes as making people chose between the “lesser of two evils.”#VAGov pic.twitter.com/DTgk75MbH4

— Eva McKend (@evamckend) September 28, 2021

“I just made it clear that I am a candidate, to let Virginias know that their censorship of my candidacy is racist. It is very sexist. It is very oppressive. And it’s a form of voter suppression. Their goal is to make sure Virginians don’t know that I exist, so they feel that they have to choose between the lesser of two evils.”

Blanding noted she’s on the ballot but was not allowed to debate.

“I had to come and sit in the audience,” she said. “That’s a bunch of bullshit.”

She went on, “We have been told to trust the system, and the system is meant to keep third party candidates oppressed, to make sure that people don’t know about us.”

Blanding denounced “these two rich White men” on the stage, before telling reporters she is the only Black woman in the history of Virginia to appear on the gubernatorial ballot.

“But I can’t have my voice heard? I can’t speak and represent the voices, needs, and concerns of all Virginians? Again, it’s not ok.”

Watch above via C-SPAN.

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