Administration

Trump says Virginia ‘has lost its Energy, Vitality, and Strength’ under Spanberger

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by Sophie Brams - 04/11/26 10:52 AM ET

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by Sophie Brams - 04/11/26 10:52 AM ET

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President Trump lashed out against Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) on Saturday, accusing the governor of wrecking the commonwealth’s economy and driving away businesses.

The criticism on Truth Social came as Trump was headed to meetings at his golf club in Potomac Falls, Va., a day after he spoke at a MAGA Inc. fundraiser in Charlottesville.

“I can’t believe what this new Governor, Spanberger has done to the Commonwealth — So sad!” the president wrote, portraying the governor as being responsible for “adding so many Taxes,” including “a Food and Beverage Tax, Digital Services Tax, [and] Utilities Tax.”

While Democratic lawmakers in the Virginia House have introduced a slate of new tax proposals this session, none of the measures cited by Trump have been passed by the legislature or reached Spanberger’s desk.

“It [Virginia] has lost its Energy, Vitality, and Strength. People are leaving that would never have even thought of doing so!” he continued.

Trump argued, without offering evidence, that companies recruited by former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin were “looking for ways to get out” of their contracts.

“It all happened so fast! This went from a thriving and powerful place, once envied by all, to a Commonwealth run by a person who has no concept of Low Taxes and Economic Strength.”

A spokesperson for Spanberger’s office pushed back against Trump’s claims in a statement to The Hill, saying that Virginians were “tired of Donald Trump’s lies.”

“Governor Spanberger has signed dozens of bipartisan bills to contend with high housing, healthcare, and energy costs for Virginians — and not any of the taxes President Trump and his allies are lying about,” the spokesperson said, touting $500 million in new business investments since Spanberger took office in January.

“While the Governor is focused on providing stability amid the chaos coming out of Washington, Trump is spending his weekend grifting more money from his billionaire buddies.”

Spanberger, Virginia’s first female governor, campaigned on an affordability agenda and vowed during her inauguration to tackle the rising cost of goods, housing and energy.

But recent polling suggests her initial acts, including a push to have Virginia rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, have proven unpopular. Analysts have warned that the move could have the opposite intended effect on energy prices.

“Affordability is a great campaign theme, but almost an impossible governing one given the limited tools that a governor has to affect prices,” Mark Rozell, dean of the Schar School, told The Washington Post on Monday.

“The public may like the particulars of some of her proposals, but as long as the overall environment on affordability remains unchanged, there is inevitable disappointment,” he added.

Spanberger has also positioned herself as an outspoken critic of Trump, using her Democratic response to his State of the Union address to rail against his administration’s economic and immigration policies.

“In his speech tonight, the President did what he always does: he lied, he scapegoated, and he distracted,” she said in her rebuttal. “He also offered no real solutions to our nation’s pressing challenges — so many of which he is actively making worse.”

Trump’s latest broadside against Spanberger comes as early voting is underway on a redistricting measure that could help Democrats notch four more House seats in the midterms.

The April 21 referendum to redraw congressional lines seeks to counterbalance mid-cycle redistricting attempts happening in Republican-led states.

This story was updated at 12:48 p.m. EDT.

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