This story was reported and written by VPM News.
Virginia’s governor lauded former President Donald Trump and condemned rising inflation costs at his Republican National Convention keynote speech on Monday in Milwaukee.
Before speaking, Gov. Glenn Youngkin was greeted with the crowd chanting “Joe must go'' before opening his speech with, “Yes! Joe must go!”
The governor delivered a fiery and energized speech at the convention, which lasted a little over eight-and-a-half minutes, focusing on “the conversation that so many families have at their kitchen tables” over mortgage rates, rising costs of grocery and gas prices, as well as the “silent thief of inflation unleashed by [President] Joe Biden and [Vice President] Kamala Harris.”
He connected his roots as a “Republican outside businessman” elected as Virginia’s 74th governor to those of former President Donald Trump’s: as “an outsider, a businessman who stepped out of his career to rebuild a great nation with the strongest economy. The mightiest military, energy independence, unlimited opportunity, lifting up every American.”
Youngkin, who is “proud to be a home grown Virginian,” said he learned from his family – similarly to families with “ups and downs and highs and lows” throughout the commonwealth – that there is dignity in work.
The speech, which focused on the economy, inflation and rising prices, matched the first day's theme: "Make America Wealthy Once Again." Prior to holding office, Youngkin’s professional career was in private equity; he was named co-CEO of The Carlyle Group firm in 2018, which he maintained until resigning to run for governor in 2020.
Within the commonwealth, Youngkin has advocated for reducing economic regulations and tax cuts. With Republicans in charge of the House of Delegates, Youngkin signed into law about $5 billion in tax relief. Democrats opposed further tax cuts and eventually worked with Younkgin on a compromise budget after a long standoff over a sales tax hike. He created an office to overhaul regulations and a website to enable more transparency in permitting.
“President Trump proved that common sense conservative leadership works. It works for America, and we're proving it in Virginia to $5 billion dollars of tax relief; backing the blue; slashing red tape; declaring loudly that yes, parents matter; and creating jobs, lots of jobs. Virginia now has record job growth. And we were just named America's top state for business.”
The Virginia governor had been considered a top contender for a spot on the 2024 ticket as vice president. In the wake of Trump’s announcement tapping Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, the Virginia governor’s prominent placement at the RNC may suggest a teeing-up for future higher office — especially as his political schedule opens up after leaving office in early 2026. (State law prevents Youngkin from running for consecutive re-election in 2025; no Virginia Republicans have publicly signaled an intent to run yet.)
Trump’s nominee for vice president was a closely guarded secret — and a highly speculative race — this campaign cycle. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who has distanced himself from the 45th president since leaving office in 2020, wrote in his memoir and testified to Congress that Trump had unnecessarily endangered him during the insurrection on Jan. 6., 2020. Pence also ran a short-lived campaign for president in 2023.
“Friends, could this election be more simple? It's common sense versus chaos. It’s strength versus weakness. Friends, it's not just Republicans who see this. It's Republicans, Independents and lots of Democrats, it's Americans,” Youngkin said.
The convention itself comes on the heels of a failed assassination attempt on the former president over the weekend in Butler, Pennsylvania. (WESA, the Pittsburgh-based NPR affiliate, has up-to-date breaking news coverage of the aftermath.)
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