Gov. Youngkin pushes back after Trump says last name 'sounds chinese'

RICHMOND, Va. (WSET) — In a post on the former president's social media platform, Truth Social, Donald Trump made a jab at the last name of Virginia's governor Friday morning, saying it "sounds Chinese."

Trump then followed by saying Gov. Glenn Youngkin would not have won Virginia's gubernatorial election without his endorsement.

"Young Kin (now that’s an interesting take. Sounds Chinese, doesn’t it?) in Virginia couldn’t have won without me," Trump wrote. "I Endorsed him, did a very big Trump Rally for him telephonically, got MAGA to Vote for him - or he couldn’t have come close to winning. But he knows that, and admits it. Besides, having a hard time with the Dems in Virginia - But he’ll get it done!"

WSET reached out to Gov. Youngkin's office to comment on the recent post. We were provided the following statement by the governor:

“I work really hard to bring people together, I do not call people names. This is a moment for us to come together. As a nation, we still have some elections outstanding that haven't been finalized and we've got to find a forward. We are potentially going to have divided government in Washington and just like we have divided government in Virginia, we have proven that we can come together and get things done.”

Virginia’s Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who toured the country in 2020 to campaign for Trump's re-election bid, has begun to distance herself from the former president. She says the midterm elections have given Republicans a "clear message” that it's time for a new standard-bearer.

In an interview Thursday with The Washington Post, Earle-Sears expanded her thoughts and said, "What we saw was, even though he wasn’t on the ballot, he was, because he stepped in and endorsed candidates ... And yet, it turns out that those he did not endorse on the same ticket did better than the ones he did endorse. That gives you a clue that the voters want to move on. And a true leader knows when they have become a liability to the mission." She also said in a separate, TV interview Thursday that she would not support Trump if he runs again in 2024.

Former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, also a one-time ally of Trump, shared similar thoughts in an interview with a Wisconsin TV station on Thursday as well. "I think Donald Trump gives us problems, politically," Ryan said. "We lost the House, the Senate and the White House in two years when Trump was on the ballot, or in office ... I think we just have some Trump hangover. I think he’s a drag on our office, on our races.”

Youngkin was not the only Republican state leader to come under fire from the former president. He has referred to Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis as "Ron DeSanctimonious" and "an average REPUBLICAN Governor" in posts on Truth Social and in rallies before the midterm elections on Tuesday.

The former president has made multiple targeted messages on Truth Social following Tuesday's midterm elections; including claims that various elections are rigged or that Republican candidates' success could be directly attributed to him.