WASHINGTON — Glenn Youngkin's campaign team is doing a delicate dance with Donald Trump. The goal? To fire up Trump supporters in the Republican base without alienating moderate suburban voters in Virginia who turned against the G.O.P. in the last election.
But comments from the polarizing former president and a spokesman aren't making the two-step any less awkward.
Trump was back in the headlines Wednesday after saying he'd be coming to Virginia "soon." A spokesman added that the "MAGA movement" would deliver a major victory for Youngkin in the governor's race.
Now, the Youngkin campaign is racing to spread the word that Trump won't be here anytime in the next four days, before a hotly-contested election day.
Trump, reacting to hecklers at President Joe Biden's rally Tuesday for Democrat Terry McAuliffe, blasted out an email saying "Thank you, Arlington, see you soon!"
"Virginia loves President Donald J. Trump and his MAGA movement will be delivering a major victory to Trump-endorsed businessman @GlennYoungkin," spokesman Taylor Budowich tweeted. "President Trump looks forward to being back in Virginia! Details will be released when appropriate."
WUSA9 reporter Bruce Leshan tweeted about it, and moments later got a call from the Youngkin campaign insisting Trump would not be in Virginia before Election Day.
While Trump has no plans to be in Virginia, the Associated Press reports the former president will be holding a call-in tele-rally on Monday, November 1, the day before Election Day.
"The best scenario for Terry McAuliffe is having Donald Trump insert himself front and center into this campaign the last weekend," Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington, said. "They couldn't hope for a better last weekend of the campaign."
He added that nothing fires up Democrats like Trump.
"Youngkin is sitting on dynamite, and he's hoping it won't blow before November 2," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. "And maybe it won't, or maybe it will."
The Youngkin team also has to manage the risk of alienating the notoriously thin-skinned former president by pushing him away.
"Nobody is coming to campaign with me," Youngkin told reporters at a rally last Tuesday in Stafford. "This is a race about Virginia."
Early voting ends Saturday. Election Day is Tuesday.