Recriminations After Gillespie's Loss In Virginia
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Democrats' startlingly strong showing on Election Day in Virginia has set off overnight recriminations and finger pointing by some of President Donald Trump's most ardent supporters.
Democrat Ralph Northam easily defeated Republican Ed Gillespie in the closely watched race for governor. Gillespie is a former White House aide to President George W. Bush and lobbyist who largely kept his distance from Trump throughout the campaign but embraced some of the president's messaging.
The pro-Trump website Breitbart News, which had earlier praised Gillespie as a "culture warrior" before Election Day, derided him as a "Republican swamp thing" late Tuesday.
Trump's former Virginia campaign manager Corey Stewart called the loss a "humiliating rejection" of Gillespie and moderate Republicans. Gillespie narrowly defeated Stewart in the GOP primary this summer.
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