Donors Push Glenn Youngkin to Take the Presidential Plunge – but Will He?

A retreat at the historic Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach seems like a relaxing getaway, but the one later this month will be anything but. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin will meet with wealthy GOP donors hoping to convince him to run for president. 

Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union has an interesting analogy to what this may be like. “It’s like Elizabeth Taylor getting married,” Schlapp tells CBN News. “They seem to get all hot and bothered about the next prospect. It doesn’t last very long.”

The event, unofficially called “The Red Vest Retreat,” is aptly named for Youngkin because of his ever-present wardrobe item during his successful run for governor. His popularity has grown after taking the lead on a popular parental rights agenda. Donors see him as a sensible, results-oriented governor who helped turn a blue state red. 

While donors are interested in Youngkin, the Virginia Governor is playing it low-key. “I’ve said over and over again how humbling it is to talk about my name in this context but I am so focused on Virginia and the elections this year,” he said recently in an interview. 

Luke Ball, a GOP Political Strategist says it’ll be a major uphill climb if he gets in. “Youngkin has done a fantastic job in Virginia,” Ball says. “I don’t think it should behoove him to jump into a presidential race in which statistically nobody is going to be able to beat Donald Trump in this race.”

Still, that’s not stopping him from meeting with potential donors. And while he may not take the bait for 2024, all of this attention could be an investment in a campaign four years further down the road. 

“I think Glenn Youngkin, probably from all reputation, he’s a pretty smart guy,” Schlapp tells CBN News. “I’m not sure he’s going to take the bait on this. I don’t think anybody really can beat Trump. The only person who could beat Trump is Trump.”

That seems to be true. Donors initially jumped behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis when he first entered the race, but DeSantis hasn’t taken off. Why would Youngkin be any different? Plus, if Youngkin were to get in, there’s another challenge for him. 

“The team that helped elect Youngkin governor is all behind DeSantis right now,” says Nathan Gonzales, editor and publisher of Inside Elections. “That doesn’t mean Youngkin can’t win or won’t get in, but there’s a lot of moving parts here.” 

Of course, donors want a candidate who can catch fire so they can dump millions into their campaign. Schlapp still believes that’s not a winning combination this time around. He says Youngkin and the rest of the GOP presidential field have one similar flaw that conservative primary voters will notice. “They don’t like this idea that a small cabal in DC or New York think that they’re going to pick the nominee,” he says. “Those people are going to really have no role in deciding who the nominee is and I think it’s great.” 

That leaves Youngkin with food for thought as donors get ready to knock on his front door. 

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