Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia says with Trump’s election, ‘we’ve got a friend in the White House’

MARCO ISLAND, FL - EXCLUSIVE - After immoderate high-profile battles with President Biden's medication the past 3 years, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin says that President-elect Trump's decisive predetermination triumph earlier this period means helium present has "a person successful the White House."

Youngkin, the popular Virginia governor who's entering his last twelvemonth successful office, argued successful an exclusive Fox News Digital interrogation that "as a politician who’s been driving pro-business and beardown acquisition and harmless communities and little taxation rates, we present person idiosyncratic successful the White House who believes successful each of that."

"I look guardant to america having the upwind astatine our backs arsenic opposed to successful our face," Youngkin said arsenic helium spoke Tuesday connected the sidelines of the Republican Governors Association yearly wintertime meeting, which is being held this twelvemonth astatine a southwestern Florida waterfront resort.

And pointing to his last twelvemonth steering Virginia, Youngkin said "I can’t hold to spot what we’re going to bash having the upwind astatine our backmost from the Trump administration."

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Republican statesmanlike nominee erstwhile President Donald Trump shakes hands with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin during a rally astatine Greenbrier Farms connected June 28, 2024 successful Chesapeake, Virginia. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

There was plentifulness of speculation regarding Youngkin perchance serving successful a apical presumption successful the 2nd Trump administration, but the politician successful a caller telephone with the president-elect made it wide helium intends to decorativeness retired his term.

But helium doesn't dependable similar he's ruling retired serving successful the Trump medication aft helium finishes up successful Richmond successful a year.

"I told the president erstwhile I called him and told him that I wanted to decorativeness my term, that I would beryllium disposable to assistance him astatine immoderate clip portion I’m politician and afterwards," Youngkin said.

TRUMP FAR AHEAD OF HIS FIRST TERM PACE IN NAMING HIS CABINET

Youngkin energized Republicans nationwide 3 years ago, arsenic the first-time campaigner who hailed from the party’s concern helping edged retired erstwhile Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe to go the archetypal GOP campaigner successful a twelve years to triumph a gubernatorial predetermination successful the one-time plaything authorities that had trended towards the Democrats implicit the erstwhile decade.

The politician instantly became a Republican stone prima and speculation stirred astir a imaginable 2024 White House run.

But Youngkin and his enactment suffered a setback a twelvemonth agone successful legislative elections that grabbed outsized nationalist attention, arsenic Democrats retained power of the Virginia authorities Senate and flipped the House of Delegates.

While Youngkin wasn't connected the ballot, helium had plentifulness riding connected the results, aft investing plentifulness of governmental superior connected behalf of Republican legislative candidates. The results besides meant Youngkin wouldn't person a escaped manus during his last 2 years successful bureau to propulsion done a blimpish agenda.

Youngkin returned to the run way this twelvemonth successful Virginia and a mates of cardinal battleground states, to assistance run connected behalf of Republicans up and down the ballot.

And helium spoke astatine a ample rally Trump held successful blimpish southwest Virginia the play earlier Election Day. 

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks earlier Republican statesmanlike nominee erstwhile President Donald Trump astatine a run rally successful Salem Va., Saturday, Nov 2, 2024.  (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

While Vice President Kamala Harris carried the Commonwealth successful the White House race, her borderline implicit Trump was 4.5 points narrower than President Biden's triumph successful the authorities 4 years earlier, arsenic Trump and Republicans implicit performed expectations.

The results look to person fixed Youngkin much clout up of his last legislative session. Democrats who implicit the past twelvemonth were agreed successful absorption to the governor's projected taxation cuts, whitethorn present beryllium receptive to negotiating.

Asked if the Democrats are present acceptable to play ball, Youngkin said "I’m hoping they are. I deliberation that the designation that Virginians privation to support much of their hard-earned wealth has truly engaged everyone successful a dialog connected however to supply taxation relief."

He argued the predetermination results "demonstrated grounds occupation maturation which has created surplus aft surplus aft surplus is driven by pro-business standards."

And helium emphasized that "we’re going to travel backmost with a large taxation bundle again, and we’re going to marque definite we’re lasting beardown for acquisition and beardown for nationalist safety."

"I’m optimistic," helium added, but acknowledged that "it volition beryllium a mean legislative process. We person a legislative – we’re a 1 spot number successful the House and the Senate – truthful we person to spell to enactment to get things done."

Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia rallies connected behalf of GOP legislative candidates up of the state's intimately watched elections, successful Norfolk, Virginia connected Nov. 2, 2023 (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)

All governmental eyes volition beryllium connected Virginia successful 2025, arsenic the Commonwealth and New Jersey are the lone 2 states to clasp gubernatorial elections successful the twelvemonth aft a statesmanlike election.

But Virginia governors, by law, are prevented from moving for re-election to a 2nd consecutive term.

That doesn't mean Youngkin volition vanish from the run way successful 2025. He says it's conscionable the opposite.

VIRGINIA'S YOUNGKIN ENDORSES HIS LT. GOVERNOR TO SUCCEED HIM

"You’re going to spot maine a lot," helium touted. "We’ve got a precise assertive docket for being politician successful the past 14 months. But portion of that docket that I person is to marque definite that we person [Lt. Gov.] Winsome Sears arsenic our adjacent governor. [Virginia Attorney General] Jason Miyares backmost arsenic our lawyer wide and a ace lieutenant politician who we volition prime astatine our primaries."

Youngkin predicted that "Virginians are going to marque wide that they privation to support doing much of what we’re doing that’s proving grounds occupation maturation and accidental and large outcomes successful schools and harmless communities."

The 2025 Virginia gubernatorial showdown is shaping up arsenic a contention betwixt Sears and Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a erstwhile CIA officer. The victor volition marque past arsenic the state's archetypal ever pistillate governor. And Sears, if she wins, volition besides marque past arsenic the nation's archetypal Black pistillate elected governor.

Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears speaks to the assemblage during a rally held to denote she volition question her party's information for Virginia politician successful 2025 astatine Chick's Oyster Bar successful Virginia Beach, Va., connected Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.  (Kristen Zeis/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Youngkin pushed backmost erstwhile asked if Sears, who served successful the Marine Corps and made past arsenic the archetypal pistillate successful Virginia to clasp statewide office, is excessively blimpish for voters. 

"Not astatine all," the politician rapidly responded. "And Winsome is simply a commonsense blimpish leader. We person been partners virtually from time one. We campaigned together. We were elected together. We person governed together. And I look guardant to seeing Virginians clasp her arsenic the adjacent politician of Virginia."

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As for his ain governmental future, Youngkin was little revealing astir immoderate aboriginal runs for elective office.

Asked astir a imaginable but improbable tally for the Senate successful 2026 against longtime Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Waner, oregon a aboriginal White House campaign, Youngkin rapidly pivoted to his time occupation arsenic governor.

"I person a immense twelvemonth and a fewer months up of maine and that’s wherever my absorption is, and I request to decorativeness strong, truthful Virginia tin truly proceed to soar. And that’s what I’m going to walk my clip on."

After that, helium said "we’ll spot what’s next."

Facing a follow-up question, Youngkin stayed connected script, saying "we’ll spot what happens down the road, but close present my sights are acceptable connected finishing strong."