Politics

Trump Warns Virginia Dem Will ‘Allow Crime To Be Rampant In Virginia’

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

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Thomas Phippen Acting Editor-In-Chief
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President Donald Trump made an Election Day push for Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie Tuesday, repeating the campaign message that Gillespie will be tougher on crime and better for the Virginia economy than his Democratic opponent.

“Ralph Northam will allow crime to be rampant in Virginia,” Trump said in a tweet from South Korea, referring to the Democratic candidate. “He’s weak on crime, weak on our GREAT VETS, Anti-Second Amendment…./ ….and has been horrible on Virginia economy,” Trump said.

Gillespie “will totally turn around the high crime and poor economic performance of VA. MS-13 and crime will be gone. Vote today, ASAP!” Trump wrote.

The Virginia governor race has been seen as a bellwether for Trump’s pull in Virginia, a state he lost in the 2016 election. Recent poll averages from Real Clear Politics show Northam with a three-point lead, though the race has been close for months and some surveys have shown Gillespie ahead.

Trump endorsed Gillespie in October, but has not campaigned personally for the former advisor to President George W. Bush.

The disturbing rise of El Salvadoran gang MS-13 around Virginia in recent years has been a key part of the race. Gillespie has repeatedly claimed that more than 2,000 MS-13 members operate in Fairfax County, the wealthiest and left-leaning county in the state.

Northam claims that Gillespie’s anti-gang, anti-crime stance is actually anti-immigrants, and the Latino Victory Fund, a group supportive of  Northam, produced an ad late last month showing a truck with both “Vote Gillespie” and “don’t tread on me” bumper stickers chasing Latino and Muslim children down a neighborhood street.

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