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EXCLUSIVE: As the federal government began to shut down Wednesday, Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears placed the blame for any ill effects on the Old Dominion at the feet of her Democratic opponent, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger and the state’s two U.S. senators.
Republicans balked Thursday at Democratic attempts to insert so-called poison pills in the spending bill, including healthcare provisions for illegal immigrants that led President Donald Trump to post an AI-generated video of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., wearing a sombrero.
Earle-Sears told Fox News Digital that Spanberger spent months attacking federal Republicans for “fighting reckless spending,” including through DOGE efforts of Trump and others.
“Now, Abigail is watching as her own party votes to shut down the government because they want to continue that reckless spending,” Earle-Sears said.
Former Republican Delegate Winsome Sears celebrates winning the race for Lt. Governor of Virginia as she introduces Republican candidate for Governor Glenn Youngkin during an election night party in Chantilly, Virginia. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
“Virginians deserve leaders who will stand up and lead, not one who tries to score political points at every turn.”
Her campaign contrasted Democrats’ longtime condemnation of DOGE’s self-described government efficiency endeavors with its newfound permissiveness to conversely see the government and some of its public-facing services for Virginians shut down.
“Have Democrats lost their boogeyman?” a campaign spokesperson asked in comments to Fox News Digital, adding Spanberger “didn’t lift a finger” to stop her fellow Democrats from cruising toward the shutdown.
“Her silence speaks volumes,” the spokesperson said. “While Virginians worry about their paychecks, Spanberger, Warner, and Kaine are playing politics.”
“They’re the reason it’s shutting down,” she said.
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Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va., speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, March 13, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Kaine denied the allegation, telling Fox News Digital that Earle-Sears supported efforts the Trump administration led that “eliminat[ed] hundreds of thousands of public and private sector jobs that support the federal government.”
“She supports Trump’s tariffs, which have hurt Virginia businesses and jacked up costs. Now she supports Trump’s shutdown,” Kaine said.
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“Republicans control every branch of government, and they couldn’t keep it open—Virginians don’t deserve this failing president nor do they deserve a Trump-allied governor.”
Warner, the commonwealth’s senior senator who is up for reelection in 2026, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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In a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, Spanberger cited DOGE and said the self-described government efficiency effort along with Trump’s “reckless tariffs and attacks on [Virginians’] health care coverage” are to blame.
“And now, our commonwealth faces totally unnecessary job cuts as President Trump promises to enact mass firings,” Spanberger said, as she and other Democrats have voiced concern that a lull in government operations would allow the executive branch to clean house.
Spanberger added that Earle-Sears is failing to stand up to Trump and allegedly refused to do so when asked to condemn him Thursday.
The Democratic nominee promised that if elected, “Richmond will demand [“good faith” work with] this president.”
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