In a recent turn of events, Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Abigail Spanberger, has come under fire for her remarks in a video that surfaced on social media.
In the video, she urged her supporters to let their "rage fuel" them, a statement that has sparked controversy and criticism.
The video was shared by Winsome Earle-Sears, Virginia's Lieutenant Governor and Republican gubernatorial candidate. As reported by Breitbart, Spanberger narrated a story about a time she expressed frustration about politics to her mother, who advised her to "let your rage fuel you."
The controversial remarks were made during an event in June. Spanberger concluded her speech by recounting the story about her mother's advice. "And so, Mom, I love you. I thank you for the sage advice. And to the rest of us, every time we hear a new story, we let it fuel us," she said. She further added, "Every time we turn on the news, we let it fuel us. Every time something bad is happening, we say, 'Oh thats motivation.'"
Earle-Sears responded to Spanberger's comments in a social media post, writing, "Rage. Thats what Abigail Spanberger is calling for. Weve seen it with racist signs, cruel jeers, even cheering a fathers assassination for daring to disagree."
She contrasted Spanberger's call for rage with her own call for love for the people of Virginia, stating, "Virginia is for loversnot rage."
According to the Henrico Citizen, Spanberger made similar remarks during a campaign stop at the Eastern Henrico Government Center. She encouraged voters to focus not only on the three statewide races but also on the 100 Virginia House of Delegates races. "Let your rage fuel you," she said.
"The things that you think are wrong, these things that we want to improve, the things we want to make better... that we want to see in Richmond, or that we want to see pushed back against in Washington. We have the ability here in Virginia to ensure that we set the stage for whats to come."
Critics have been quick to condemn Spanberger's remarks. Walter Curt, in a social media post, pointed out that Spanberger has used the same line in two separate events, indicating that it is part of her regular campaign speech. He criticized her for irresponsibly encouraging her supporters to let their rage fuel them.
The Arlington Republican Party also weighed in, accusing the Arlington Democrats of having let their rage fuel them for years. They criticized the Democrats for being condescending to voters, verbally attacking Republican poll greeters, and vandalizing and destroying Republican yard signs. They questioned the responsibility of using rage as a motivator in politics.
The controversy surrounding Spanberger's comments has emerged in the wake of the assassination of Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk on September 10, while he was speaking with students at Utah Valley University, and a shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas, which resulted in one death and several injuries.
Critics argue that such incidents of violence underscore the danger of political leaders encouraging rage among their supporters.
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