As he tends to do, President Donald Trump politicized another military celebration as he spoke at a major Navy event in Virginia, pushing the candidacies of several Republicans. Absent from Trump’s remarks, however, was the name of Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is running for governor. The political slight is notable against a candidate who once led Trump’s efforts to mobilize Black voters.
Trump snubs Black MAGA candidate who broke with him
CNN reported that Trump did not mention Earle-Sears, who is running for Virginia’s highest office, when he spoke at an event marking the 250th anniversary of the Navy. The omission was noteworthy because Trump took time during his remarks to highlight other Republicans who served in the Navy, such as Reps. Jen Kiggans, John McGuire and Rob Wittman, but didn’t acknowledge Earle-Sears, who served as a Marine. Earlier that day, Trump endorsed Republican Jason Miyares in his reelection campaign for Virginia attorney general. Trump even used the Navy event to take shots at Earle-Sears’ Democratic opponent, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, but he continued to decline to endorse Earle-Sears.
The continued snub against Earle-Sears may reflect a complicated political relationship between the two politicians. Earle-Sears was a strong Trump backer in 2020, chairing Black Americans to Reelect Trump. In 2021, she was elected lieutenant governor of Virginia — the first Black woman to hold statewide office in Virginia — on a ticket with conservative Glenn Youngkin. However, she initially opposed Trump’s 2024 run. In 2022, after Republicans performed poorly in the midterm election, Earle-Sears told Fox News, “A true leader understands when they have become a liability” and urged Republicans to “move on.” Trump, in turn, posted on social media that he “never felt good about Winsome Sears,” calling her “a phony.” However, she reversed her position and endorsed Trump in 2024. After Trump ran and won, Earle-Sears visited him in the White House earlier this year, but attempts to mend fences with the president didn’t result in his endorsement.
Earle-Sears left without Trump endorsement but with Trump baggage
Without Trump’s support, Earle-Sears has left the door open for Trump’s endorsement but also downplayed direct references to the president. She continues to campaign on issues that resonate with the MAGA crowd, such as stricter immigration policies and bans related to bathroom access for transgender youth. A recent campaign event featured Vivek Ramaswamy, another former close ally to Trump who briefly co-led the Department of Government Efficiency but left after angering the MAGA faithful over his celebration of immigrants and criticism of American “culture.” Ramaswamy, like Earle-Sears, made only limited references to Trump while advocating for MAGA policies.
Even as Earle-Sears campaigns without Trump, Democrats have been eager to tie her to the president. With its proximity to Washington, D.C., the federal government employs 5% of the state’s workforce. An estimated 32,000 Virginians have already lost their jobs due to the Trump administration’s cuts to the federal workforce. Now, more Virginians are going without pay as the government shutdown continues, and they could lose their jobs if Trump follows through on his threats to initiate mass layoffs during the government closure. Spanberger used Ramaswamy’s appearance to argue that Earle-Sears “won’t defend Virginians who are losing their jobs.” The Democrat condemned Earle-Sears for failing to fight against federal cuts, saying “Virginians certainly shouldn’t expect her to stand up for them as governor.”
Earle-Sears is currently struggling in her quest to become the first Black woman to lead Virginia; Spanberger has opened up a 10-point lead in the race, according to recent polling data. Their complicated history notwithstanding, Trump’s hesitancy to endorse Earle-Sears may stem from his worry of being seen as endorsing a losing candidate. As Earle-Sears holds out hope for a Trump endorsement despite her rocky relationship with the president, it is unclear whether her history with the head of the MAGA movement is helping or hurting her chances in Virginia’s gubernatorial race.