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Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is on a bit of a losing streak. And he’s not happy about it.
Last fall, Youngkin had dreams of leading a government under full GOP control. Those dreams were dashed when several candidates he endorsed in Virginia’s legislative races lost, with Democrats ultimately holding the state Senate and flipping the House of Delegates. At the time, news outlets reported on the difficulty Youngkin would likely face in trying to pass his agenda.
Oh, how right they were.
On Thursday, Youngkin raged against Virginia lawmakers — seemingly one in particular — for removing plans for a $2 billion sports arena from the state budget. In December, Youngkin had announced plans to build an arena in Northern Virginia that would house the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the NHL’s Washington Capitals, moving the teams out of downtown D.C. But it turns out the highly publicized affair was a bit premature.
The plan faced a torrent of criticism over its potential windfall for rich investors and its ultimate cost to state taxpayers. That criticism came from labor groups, local residents and — importantly — the Democratic leader of the Senate, Louise Lucas.
As The Washington Post explained:
Lucas used her position as chairwoman of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee to strip language authorizing the arena from the compromise state budget that has been worked out by lawmakers from the Senate and House of Delegates.
Youngkin ranted against the development Thursday, calling it a “colossal mistake” during a news conference in which he seemed to literally turn red with anger.
A little more than a minute into Youngkin’s remarks, Lucas could be seen watching from above, on the steps of the state Capitol — apparently with glee.
Lucas’ X account has been a meme machine ever since Youngkin’s rant. (For a few good ones, see here, here and here — the governor better hope she doesn’t find out about his college basketball stats.)
As The Washington Post noted, there are still ways to authorize state funding for the arena — or the “Glenn Dome,” as Lucas calls it.
Though Youngkin has several options for reviving the plan — such as introducing a budget amendment or sending down a stand-alone bill — he indicated Thursday that he has no immediate plans to do so. “The next step is for the General Assembly and particularly the Senate to embrace the opportunity. It’s their move,” he said.
Just another loss for Glenn Youngkin.