In the ever-tightening race for Virginia’s governor’s mansion, one candidate appeared to let the pressure boil over.
Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), running for his second non-consecutive term in office, exited an unfinished interview with WJLA-TV’s Nick Minock after scolding the reporter.
The following is the transcript of the exchange.
McAuliffe Staffer: “Alright Nick we are already over time.”
Terry McAuliffe: “Alright, we are over. That’s it. That’s it. Hey I gave you extra time. C’mon man. You should have asked better questions early on. You should have asked questions your viewers care about.”
Nick Minock: “Well, we did.”
The news station said the interview was supposed to last for 20 minutes. McAuliffe left after 10.
Before the abrupt exit, McAuliffe was asked a line of questions about his controversial comments regarding parent input in school curricula, which he made during a late-September debate.
“I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach,” he said at the time.
McAuliffe made that comment in the context of teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT).
Virginia has been ground zero for a national debate over the teaching of CRT in public schools. McAuliffe, for his part, also insists that CRT does not exist, and that it is simply a concept created by Republicans to divide Americans.
“Terry McAuliffe doesn’t care about the issues facing families, and it’s clear he’s not interested in listening to what Virginians – especially parents – have to say,” Youngkin spokesperson Macauley Porter told The Virginia Star. “Glenn has been talking about the issues Virginians are discussing at their kitchen tables and soccer games like cost of living, lower taxes, and fighting to keep parents involved with their children’s lives. That’s why so many Republicans, Independents, and Democrats are coming together in support of our campaign and this movement to give the people a voice in Virginia’s future.”
McAuliffe’s campaign did not respond to The Star’s request for comment.
There are less than two weeks left in the high-profile race, which will be decided on November 2.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Virginia Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Glenn Youngkin” by Glenn Youngkin. Photo “Terry McAuliffe” by Terry McAuliffe. Background Photo “Virginia State Capitol” by David J Bromley CC BY-SA 4.0.
