President Donald Trump said Ed Gillespie did not “embrace” him and what he stood for after the Republican candidate’s loss Tuesday in the race for Virginia governor.
Trump tweeted:
Ed Gillespie worked hard but did not embrace me or what I stand for. Don’t forget, Republicans won 4 out of 4 House seats, and with the economy doing record numbers, we will continue to win, even bigger than before!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 8, 2017
This tweet came after it became clear Democrat Ralph Northam would win the race to be Virginia’s next governor. (RELATED: Democrat Northam Wins Virginia Gubernatorial Election)
Gillespie is a long time establishment Republican, but he notably embraced Trump-like rhetoric during the race for governor. He attacked MS-13 and sanctuary cities, as well as hit Northam for wanting to tear down Confederate statues.
Many Democrats and mainstream media figures accused Gillespie of racism and “white nationalism” for these ads. (RELATED: CNN Commentator: ‘Fear And White Nationalism’ Were ‘Planks’ Of Gillespie Campaign [VIDEO])
However, despite moving closer to the right on some issues, Gillespie did not directly campaign with Trump, and the results of the election could reflect that.