Former Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin speaks at a roundtable discussion at the Department of Justice on June 11, 2026 in Washington. (Al Drago / Getty Images)
By Michael Austin August 9, 2026 at 3:30am
Former Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin reacted to the latest wave of progressive socialist Democrats winning primary races, saying that there’s no such thing as a “moderate Democrat anymore.”
During the latest round of primaries on Aug. 4, socialist candidates secured more wins — most notably with Abdul El-Sayed, a Muslim endorsed by major figures in the progressive wing of the party, clinching the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in Michigan.
“The Democrat Party is in a battle for its very soul, and what we’re seeing is the socialists are winning it,” Youngkin concluded during a Wednesday interview on Fox Business.
“I think what it clearly demonstrates is that Americans have to stand together in order to battle against this socialist movement — not just Republicans, but Republicans, independents, and a lot of Democrats,” he continued.
“This socialist movement is real. Listen, they stand for things that are un-American — truly un-American.”
Youngkin noted that socialist Democratic candidates have endorsed policies such as abolishing the police, defunding the Pentagon, universal amnesty for illegal aliens, and even abolishing the U.S. Senate and the Presidency entirely.
🚨 WTF?! Michigan US Senate candidate Abdul El Sayed: “If you can’t say the name Abdulrahman, keep the name out your damn mouth! I’ll be happy to give you lessons!”
“Abdulrahman” stated in a thick accent on purpose
He’s bringing the 3RD WORLD TO AMERICA and GLOATING ABOUT IT.… pic.twitter.com/qfPcy8wErl
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 5, 2026
“I mean, this is crazy stuff,” Youngkin summarized.
“And this is what is going to be on the ballot. And so we have to have this moment as Americans to stand together and fight against socialism, and stand for the values that we hold dear.”
Fox Business host Stuart Varney asked Youngkin how he believes Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will react to El-Sayed and other socialists winning their primaries.
Youngkin pointed to his own state as a case study for what happens when the Democrats are dragged leftward by their own base.
“There’s no such thing as a moderate Democrat anymore, because the socialist wing of the Democrat Party has taken over,” Youngkin said.
“Abigail Spanberger ran as a moderate,” Youngkin said, referring to the Democrat who replaced him as governor after he was ineligible to run for a consecutive term under the Virginia Constitution.
“The day that she was inaugurated, she moved way left. And that’s what we’ll see out of all the Democrats, because there is no moderate Democrat anymore.”
Spanberger has indeed pushed for new gun control and abortion policies, and Democratic lawmakers in Virginia have introduced new tax hikes.
Youngkin explained that Democrats “want power so bad, they’re willing to compromise the American values that this whole nation was founded upon.”
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Michael wrote for several entertainment news outlets before joining The Western Journal in 2020. He now serves as Managing Editor, which involves managing the editorial team and operations, guiding the publication’s editorial direction, and writing, editing, curating and assigning stories as needed.
Birthplace
Ames, Iowa
Nationality
American
Education
Iowa State University
Topics of Expertise
Cultural Politics, Pop Culture, Christian-Conservatism
