We learned earlier today that Governor Youngkin requested John Reid abandon his quest to be the Republican nominee for Lt. Governor.
Reid responded with a fiery video on this campaign’s Facebook page. He will not resign from his quest to be Lt. Governor.
From VirginiaMercury.com:
>>>Youngkin’s request, first reported by The Richmonder, came in response to allegations that a social media account with the same handle that Reid uses had shared pornographic content online. A Tumblr account bearing the same username Reid has used on other social media platforms included explicit photographs that had been reposted from other accounts.
“The Governor was made aware late Thursday of the disturbing online content. Friday morning, in a call with Mr. Reid, the Governor asked him to step down as the Lt. Governor nominee,” a spokesperson for Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia PAC said in a statement.
“I can tell you that’s not my account and anyone on the internet can open accounts with the same or similar names as other people,” Reid countered in the video. He went on to deny ever publicly performing or sharing anything pornographic.
“Have I seen porn? Yes. Have I had one night stands? Yes. Are my exes all still in love with me? No,” Reid said. “What more can I possibly tell you, and why am I the candidate who has to answer questions on this topic? Let’s be honest: It’s because I’m openly gay and I have never bowed down to the establishment and I will not.”
While he has come to expect “harassment and vulgar attacks” from “radical” Republicans and “angry leftists” for his identity as an openly gay Republican man, Reid said, “what I didn’t expect was the governor I have always supported to call and demand my resignation without even showing me the supposed evidence or offering me a chance to respond. I did not accept that and I deeply resent it.”
Characterizing the situation as an “assassination attempt,” Reid ended his remarks by thanking his supporters and signaled he’ll “have more to say” after consulting with lawyers and “officials across the state.”<<<
These comments are further evidence that John Reid is not ready for prime time and he needs to do as the Governor requested. There is no way he can successfully run on a Republican ticket that doesn’t support him.
More here and at the above link.
21 comments
NEWS FLASH::
Regarding the Gov Youngkin – John Reid cage match: The Executive Cmte of the RPV Central Committee met late Sunday afternoon to consider what RPV could do to moderate the Youngkin-Reid dust-up. Video of that meeting has been released by one attendee who made the video without the knowledge of others attending.
QUOTE FROM JOHN REID
“Hi. I’m John Reid. It’s Sunday afternoon and I had certainly hoped that we could put the bigotry and ugliness of last week behind us and unify our Republican ticket this year. But shockingly, once again, representatives of my campaign have been told by the leader of Governor Younkin’s political organization that the attacks on me will continue unless I drop out of the race for lieutenant governor. What colossal arrogance and abuse to a loyal fellow Republican and like it or not the declared legal nominee of our party just like what we saw against President Trump over the last eight years!
My representatives were shown the same explicit photographs of other people that I’ve got nothing to do with that I was shown last week and they were told that if I dropped out of the race they would purchase the opposition research and the lies and threats against me would suddenly stop. This is extortion and it is illegal in Virginia. And I am more outraged now. I have engaged legal counsel to pursue all options against these people.
The insiders in Virginia politics made a big miscalculation if they thought that I would bow down to anyone or run away scared. I’m a conservative Trump supporter and I’m gay, and everybody knows it because I’ve told you in person and in the media for decades. I’ve not broken any law and I’m not a hypocrite. I do not pretend that I was a saint before I entered into my current 8-year relationship. Personally and politically, I don’t have anything to say about what consenting adults do in private.
I am sickened and outraged at the weeks of veiled accusations and attacks on my family. And I’m not going to continue to answer a never-ending parade of questions and false accusations from people who we now know are solely motivated to stage a coup against a gay man whom they didn’t want to be their nominee but didn’t have the guts to run against. It’s unfair. No one else has to deal with this type of speculation and hyper scrutiny of their past before they were married or engaged and I won’t either.
I’m the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor and I’m more transparent and I’m more conservative and I’m tougher than any of my detractors. And I’m not going anywhere – except to get back on the campaign trail, win this election and take these people to court.”
https://youtu.be/7tD80PJF14I
CAT FIGHT!!! CAT FIGHT!!
Regarding the latest developments in the growing intra-Virginia Republican civil war (the latest: their presumptive nominee for Lt. Governor, John Reid, accused Youngkin’s people of “extortion,” staging a “coup” against him, etc.), former VA Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a Trump-supporting conservative Republican, has the following to say:
QUOTE FROM BILL BOLLING:
“This just goes from bad to worse. It is an all out war between John Reid and Governor Glenn Youngkin and Youngkin’s political operatives. I’ve honestly never seen anything like this.
Either John Reid is being persecuted unfairly, or the Youngkin people have information about him that we don’t know about. If they do, they need to make their case publicly or move on.
And what about Winsome Sears and Jason Miyares? Do they stand with Youngkin or do they stand with Reid?”
END BILL BOLLING QUOTE
5th district refugee has stated multiple falsehoods. The accusations cited by this anonymous person were not part of the allegations considered by SCC or the executive committee, which I know because I sit on both. The primary winner I don’t think was determined until August, and within a few weeks only the signatories of that letter were targeted for special (mis)treatment. Zero allegations of party plan violations during primary were part of the process. Both candidates were invited to the unit meetings, though one dhiwed up far more than the other. None of those targeted had refused to put up McGuire signs at polling places, because no voting had started before they were targeted. That’s just a flat out lie. The punishments were never tied to any action by any of the 25 targeted other than them signing that letter to the president DURING THE PRIMARY. Those who refused to sign yet another nonsense pledge that nobody else was asked to sign were thrown out of the party.
How about leaving the deliberate misrepresentations to the democrats, since that’s their expertise.
Patti, I’ll not nit pick at your creative writing except for 2 points:
1. Quite a few of the unit chairs openly supported Good (as you did) before the June primary, asked their committee members to volunteer for Good before the June primary, refused to invite McGuire to meetings before the June primary, etc. You saying these things didn’t happen is just wrong of you, Patti.
2. The CD5 letter to Trump was sent before the June primary and clearly shows their bias for one candidate (Good) in violation of the Party Plan. Here’s the money quote from their ridiculous letter:
““We the undersigned leaders of the 5th District Republican Congressional Committee strongly urge President Donald Trump to reconsider his endorsement of Congressman Bob Good’s opponent in the Republican Primary,”
It would be helpful to the readers here if you post State Central’s request that the CD5 people confirm their intention to support the nominee by signing a pledge. I can dig it up, along with email threads, if you’d rather not.
Until then, here’s a good article with the gory details of the letter and State Central’s actions.
https://virginiamercury.com/2024/09/30/four-top-5th-district-gop-officials-ousted-for-not-supporting-mcguire/
Jeanine, several Republicans in the 5th District who were among 25 people who asked President Trump DURING THE PRIMARY to support the incumbent just got thrown out of the party for not signing a loyalty pledge – the 3rd or 4th in a span of a few months – that NOBODY else was required to sign. No evidence that ANY of them had taken any action against the nominee or refused to support the ticket.
We ALL pledge to support the nominee, and that includes John Reid, who won his nomination fair and square according to the rules put in place by the very people now on a jihad against him trying to cheat their way to some unnamed, dream nominee who wasn’t willing to run themselves or do the work John Reid did. There is zero evidence that disqualifies John as our candidate, per OUR rules. Whatever happened to “we must support the ticket”?
“. . . several Republicans in the 5th District who were among 25 people who asked President Trump DURING THE PRIMARY to support the incumbent just got thrown out of the party for not signing a loyalty pledge . . . ”
Are you telling me that The Exalted Leader will not tolerate different points of view? And anyone who does not toe His line is out?? What is this Republican Party of which you speak — a dictatorship???? Well, am I ever shocked and surprised.
who? name them please
Patti, purposefully miss-stating the facts just can’t stand. Here is what happened:
— Trump had endorsed McGuire and not incumbent Bob Good.
— 25 CD5 members signed a letter asking Trump to rescind his endorsement of John McGuire.
— Several of the committee chairs who signed that letter instructed their committee members (in email and in meetings) to go volunteer for Good’s campaign. This was before the primary and thus violated the Party Plan’s prohibition about supporting one candidate over another.
— Several of the CD5 people who signed the letter were on Good’s payroll (easy to confirm in Good’s FEC financial filings).
— After the primary and the re-counts, McGuire was the official nominee. Several committee chairs refused to put out McGuire signs at voting precincts, invite McGuire to events, or any or the typical things committees do to support nominees. Some even encouraged people to write-in Good’s name on the ballot.
— The obvious refusal to even minimally support the nominee resulted in the State Central executive committee concluding these people violated the party plan. That is when State Central asked all the signers of the letter to publicly pledge to support the nominee. The goal and purpose of the pledge was to reassure republicans that their party leaders were pledging to act responsibly.
— Those who refused to sign the simple pledge form were “deemed’ to have voluntarily resigned from the party because they weren’t agreeing to do their fundamental job of supporting the nominee. Under the Party Plan, these people where not thrown out but removed themselves simply because they could not bear to fulfill their responsibilities stipulated in the Party Plan.
— As you know, if you want to hold a leadership position in the republican party, you must agree to follow the rules stipulated in the party plan. While regular party members don’t have to publicly support nominees, leaders must support or at least not actively work against them.
— As you well know, Patti, all of these people who refused to sign the pledge eventually had their committee membership restored.
Hope this clears things up.
Hmmm. Regardless of how it’s described, what it is is simple: The Republican Party is a disorganized rabble, easily led by a con man, with no concept of what is required to govern, just a lynch mob going after people they don’t like.
Virginia Republicans have a massive, likely fatal, problem.
While The Exalted Leader, Fuhrer Trump, is busy rooting out DEI in its every form, the RPV has nominated a top-three slate of candidates who are an example of DEI gone wild!!
For Governor, a black female immigrant from Jamaica.
For Lt Gov, a gay white guy who is neither an NRA member nor a neo-Confederate.
For Atty Gen, a Cuban immigrant.
Meanwhile, out in Virginia MAGAt land, heads are exploding over the absence of an all old-white-men slate. Meanwhile, Gov Dumbkin fears the MAGAts who elected him will stay home in November, confused by the RPV DEI slate.
And now the Loudoun County Republican Committee comes out in favor of Reid!!!!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4784c83f23051d1e6f0bdfcb8a93bdb73bd6d86c3b166b113d640a07bf666be8.jpg
If he ain’t messing with kids or animals, then it is not my concern nor is it Youngkin’s. Quite a low-life democrat smear job effort and even better is John Reid’s answer!
:. . . Quite a low-life democrat smear job . . .” So — Youngkin is “a low-life democrat”? Who would have thought. I guess he can kiss goodbye to a job in the Trump junta after Jan 2026.
Merle Rutledge Jr. defends John Reid on principle, not based on faith. Everyone was aware that John openly identified as gay from the beginning. One thing I can say about the man is that he is unapologetically himself and doesn’t hide it, unlike Glenn Youngkin. My faith dictates that, as a Christian, I acknowledge my imperfections and refrain from judging others. I continue to uphold my faith, walking as a man of God, full of conviction, and I won’t deny it. This decision is for Virginia, not for a governor. You’ll notice I’ve delivered numerous live speeches without encountering protestors, and if any were present, they respectfully listened. My faith would say I cannot support John Reid for Va Lt Governor or any leadership role. However, my principle is to support a man who openly and honestly expresses himself, and his private life with consenting adults is his own business. If newspaper reports are accurate, the controversy surrounding John Reid will cease when he transitions from being a politician to a leader. Leaders earn respect and don’t rely on newspapers to cease their coverage; instead, they become the headliners. If you are genuine, say so. Everything else is just noise, and I don’t intend to compromise. I would rather stand on my merit and my word than allow the world to dictate my place in history. Merle Rutledge addresses Youngkin’s call for Reid to drop out of the race. We all know his ability to obtain a driver’s license or spell a name on a ballot. This mindset, perpetuated by elites, suggests that we are incapable of grasping basic concepts, which is why they claim to know what’s best for us. All that’s apparent is their personal and financial gain. Guess who’s paying the expenses. Let me put an end to this tax burden and explore ownership. RutledgeforVa.com For Virginia Governor 2025 https://youtu.be/c4TAErb-PgM?si=lbL3EuSGbH1Na8vI #MAGA #We
Good to hear from you, Merle. We hope you are feeling better!
Here is a quote from Winsome Sears’ Facebook page:
QUOTE
Winsome Earle-Sears
Congratulations to Republican Lieutenant Governor nominee John Reid for Lt. Governor of Virginia!
With Jason Miyares and our team, we’ll continue building on the meaningful results of the Youngkin-Sears Administration—making Virginia safer, stronger, more affordable, and with more opportunity than ever before.
Ever Forward!
END QUOTE
————————-
Looks like Sears did not get the memo from Youngkin that she is supposed to dump Reid.
Or is this another case of you Republicans with your heads permanently up your asses?
At this point, Sears is not involved any of this. Reid will remain the nominee unless he drops out. But thanks for trying to participate!
I moderate two pages. I have the ability to block or ban folks. I’m guessing that you have that same ability. I routinely ask my commenters to keep it clean, civil and as an adult. Those who refuse get shown the virtual door. Perhaps it’s time for you to drop the ban hammer.
I have banned him, but like a bad penny, he keeps coming back.
In my case the moment I see that behavior return I hit the ban hammer as many times as it takes for the moron to get the message that adolescent behavior is not acceptable.