Recently resurfaced video from a Fox Business interview in 2015 made waves in Virginia politics this week, as it shows Pete Snyder, a Republican candidate for governor, declaring that President Donald Trump is a “racist jerk.”
The video has been met with intense backlash from all sides, as Snyder’s supporters insist he has changed his opinion of President Trump, and his opposition point out that he has yet to recant his statements smearing President Trump.
“You can be outraged about sanctuary cities,” said Snyder in 2015, “Without sounding like a racist jerk, period. Those things aren’t mutually exclusive, and our Republican party doesn’t stand for the things that Donald Trump said.”
A separate video from the same source also shows the candidate declaring President Joe Biden the “truth teller in chief” just 34 days before the 2016 election.
“The great thing about Joe Biden is, while he tends to exaggerate every once in awhile, he actually tells the truth a good amount of the time,” said Snyder. “This clearly was him telling the truth, he has said in several interviews that he sees himself as the Truth Teller-in-Chief in this administration, and you know what? He was right.”
Former Republican Nominee for U.S. Senate, Corey Stewart, weighed in on Facebook with a video that went viral in Virginia, amassing 98,000 views at the time this article was published. Stewart declared, “If we want [the Trump movement] to continue in this country, we cannot allow our party to be given back to the establishment RINOs.”
“Not only is he a never Trumper, but he is being less than forthright. In fact, he is outright lying to you,” Stewart said. He further clarified, “I gave him fair warning earlier this week… I gave him the chance to come clean, folks. He hasn’t taken it.” Stewart went on to claim that the Snyder campaigns internal staff are pushing Snyder to ignore the issue and try to, “blow this thing off.”
Virginia holds their elections for state offices in odd numbered years, meaning that election day will be in November of 2021. This year, the Republican party opted against having a primary and moved, instead, to hold a unassembled convention.