Virginia’s Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger spoke with Politico about her forthcoming term Tuesday evening.
The event included questions about her interest in working with President Donald Trump, but by the end of the night the two appeared on opposite sides of the nation’s issues.
Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger was asked a handful of questions by Politico’s Brakkton Booker, including if she would work with President Donald Trump once she takes office next month.
“I mean, he’s now started talking about affordability, if he has a real clear vision of what it is, recently he called it a hoax, but if he wants to get clear eyed on the fact that it's not a hoax, and it's a real challenge for people," Spanberger said. "Hope springs eternal. There’s gotta be someplace we can work together.”
Trump, meanwhile, spoke at a rally in Pennsylvania just hours after Spanberger’s interview. There he offered his own take on the “affordability” message that has seen Democrats flip seats since he took office.
“I said it the other day, a lot of people misinterpreted it, they said ‘oh, he doesn’t realize prices are high.’ Prices are coming down very substantially," Trump told the cheering crowd. "But they have a new word, yea know, they always have a hoax. The new word is ‘affordability.’"
Trump then smiles as the crowd chanted "four more years!"
Back in Richmond, former Governor Jim Gilmore was also interviewed for the Politico event. When asked if the incoming governor should work with Trump, the Republican former executive said there's no reason to be hostile to the federal government, but she also can't "bow to it."
"The responsibility of governing Virginia rests with the Governor, not the president," Gilmore said.
Spanberger also addressed future redistricting in Virginia. She said Democrats could win the state's First and Second Congressional districts without map redraws. And when asked directly if she thought a redraw was quote "the way to go:"
“No, but, well, as it relates to what the speaker was talking about, and what’s happening in Texas and North Carolina," she told Booker. "I think it's important Virginia leave open the option.”
Spanberger said the people will get to decide the redistricting issue; she’s focused on affordability.
Democratic House Speaker Don Scott was also grilled alongside Senate Republican Minority Leader Ryan McDougle. They offered different visions on the state of the Commonwealth and the economy.
McDougle said nixing the Virginia Clean Economy Act would help save Virginians money. Scott blamed Trump's tariff regime and said state funds would likely have to be spent to cover some of the expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies.
"They left a poison pill," Scott said of outgoing Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin and his GOP colleagues.
When asked if Trump was part of Republicans failures at the polls in November, McDougle said" "the president did not help bring out voters."
On redistricting, both legislators echoed earlier concerns. McDougle pointed to the voter-approved redistricting commission that currently draws lines and any attempt by Democrats to mess with that system would likely be sussed out in the courts.
Scott said Trump's demands are forcing them to react, and he pointed to recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions in Texas that he thinks will allow their mid-decade redraw to continue.
"Of course you want it in the courts, the last thing GOP wants is voters," Scott told McDougle before referencing the 13 House seats the speaker picked up. "Look what happened in November."
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
