VIDEO: Gillespie ‘Happy to Have’ Help From Trump

Trump approval rating in Virginia at 36 percent

On NBC 4 last night, Ed Gillespie said he wanted President Trump’s help in the Virginia gubernatorial race if he were to become the Republican nominee.
Watch the video here.
Gillespie: “I want to have everybody who’s willing to help me come in and help. This is going to be a tough race and so obviously help from President Trump, Vice President Pence, I’m happy to have all the help I can get.”
In the primary, Gillespie has run hard to the right, aligning himself with Trump. He has reminded voters that his support of Trump was “clear from the beginning.” Gillespie immediately endorsed Trump after he secured the nomination and touts the endorsement on his website.
He’s also backed the president’s controversial agenda. Gillespie was in favor of Trump’s Muslim travel ban and said he would explore the pre-existing condition waiver proposed in the new Trumpcare bill.
Unfortunately for Gillespie, support from the president may not be very useful. Trump’s agenda is wildly unpopular with Virginians. According to this week’s Washington Post-Schar School poll, Trump’s approval rating in Virginia still remains at an abysmal 36 percent.

###

Background:
November 2016: Gillespie’s Spokesperson said Gillespie’s Support of Trump was “Clear from the Beginning.’ According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, “In a statement, Chris Leavitt, executive director of Gillespie’s political action committee, said Gillespie’s support for the Trump-Pence ticket was ‘clear from the beginning.’ ‘Now’s the time to bring our country and party together, but once again Corey is putting his personal political ambitions first,’ Leavitt said. ‘And if he wants to anoint himself, that’s fine. We see how well Hillary Clinton’s coronation went.’” [Richmond Times Dispatch, 11/10/16]
Gillespie’s Campaign Website: ‘Gillespie Endorsed Donald Trump as Soon as He Clinched the Republican Nomination.’ According to Gillespie’s campaign website, “Myth: Ed Gillespie Didn’t Support The Trump-Pence Ticket Facts: PolitiFact debunked this false attack back in December. Ed Gillespie endorsed Donald Trump as soon as he clinched the Republican nomination and campaigned for the entire GOP ticket, including Virginia U.S. House candidates. He introduced then-Governor Mike Pence at two campaign rallies last year, including at a rally in Fairfax on the Saturday before the election.” [EdforVirginia.com, Get the Facts, accessed 4/17/17]
NBC4 on Trump’s Travel Ban: Gillespie “In Favor of the Ban.” According to NBC4, “I’ll show you this Tweet from Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe: ‘On behalf of Virginia, I urge the POTUS to rescind this Executive Order and return the United States to its place as a beacon of hope for all.’ But then there are, of course, there are a number of tweets of people that are in favor of the ban. Like this Tweet from Ed Gillespie, who’s running for governor of Virginia, ‘When you factor out all the misinformation and media hysteria, as he puts it, it’s clear that a temporary pause on refugee resettlement is a rational step.’” [NBC4, 1/29/17]
In May 2017, Gillespie Said He Would Explore Pre-Existing Conditions Waiver Under Trump-Backed AHCA. According to Newsweek, “Ed Gillespie, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in Virginia’s 2017 governor’s race, pointed to Aetna’s May 3 decision to pull out of the state’s individual insurance market as evidence Obamacare needs to be replaced. But, in a written statement provided to Newsweek, Gillespie also said, ‘I don’t think insurers should be allowed to drop people who have a developing condition, or prevent people from getting insurance because of a pre-existing condition.’ If some form of a waiver makes it into the final law, he continued, ‘I’ll take a look at it, look at the cost, what the funding for a risk pool would be and the impact on Virginians before making an informed decision.’” [Newsweek, 5/11/17]