Lincoln Project Claims Credit For Tiki Torch Stunt By Glenn Youngkin's Bus

[bluewater]

Source: Huffington Post

The anti-Donald Trump group The Lincoln Project took credit Friday for five people appearing with tiki torches at a Charlottesville campaign stop by Virginia's GOP candidate for governor, a stunt recalling white supremacists who descended on that city amid violence in 2017.

Charlottesville TV station WVIR covered the campaign stop and reported candidate Glenn Youngkin was inside a restaurant when the group dressed in matching hats, khakis and white button-down shirts appeared beside his campaign bus. The former private equity executive and political newcomer is in a close race against former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe as Tuesday's Election Day nears.

Photos showed the group holding large tiki torches. Their appearance recalled two days of chaos in August 2017, when white supremacists gathered in the college town for a "Unite the Right" rally ostensibly to protest the planned removal of a Confederate monument.



McAuliffe staffers promoted a reporter's tweet about the group's appearance, using it to attack Youngkin and suggesting that those holding the torches were his supporters. Youngkin staffers accused the McAuliffe campaign or Virginia Democrats of being involved, drawing disavowals. "What happened today is disgusting and distasteful and we condemn it in the strongest terms. Those involved should immediately apologize," McAuliffe campaign manager Chris Bolling said in a statement. The Democratic Party of Virginia issued a statement saying neither the party nor its "coordinated partners and affiliates" had anything to do with "the events" at the campaign bus stop.

The Lincoln Project then weighed in, saying it was behind what it called a "demonstration." "The Youngkin campaign is enraged by our reminder of Charlottesville for one simple reason: Glenn Youngkin wants Virginians to forget that he is Donald Trump's candidate," the group said of the former president.




Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/virginia-governor-tiki-torches_n_617d33b9e4b0657357495b20

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This was a stupid stunt by the Lincoln Project, it lends credence to all the rightwing nuts that keep claiming the 1/6 insurrection at the Capitol was a "false flag operation".



To be honest, I was fooled by this and thought those were actual Republican fascists holding those torches.

Perhaps its important to remember that the Lincoln Project members are still Republicans.

They might hate Trump, but is it possible this was a stunt to damage McAuliffe's campaign by getting Democrats to react to it as being real?

I just don't know...

[BlueIdaho]

1. Still dumb. nt.

[csziggy]

19. Too stupid to come in out of the rain

I wonder if the original plan was to light the Tiki torches? That's hard to do when they are soaking wet - both the torches and the idiots holding them.

[Irish_Dem]

2. I confess that I enjoy watching the LP fight fire with fire.

[Sapient Donkey]

4. Me too, but this one seems like a miss.

This one seems like it gave the Trumpians some more fuel for their fire. Not sure if it really affects anything, but I wish they didn’t do this specific stunt.

[Irish_Dem]

7. I say let the R's fling poo at each other.

Works for me.

[George II]

9. I agree, but in this case the reps are pointing at Democrats even after LP admitted it was them.

[Irish_Dem]

10. Sociopaths always accuse their victims of wrong doing.

It is their standard operating procedure.

It is their way of bullying victims into silence.

[Sapient Donkey]

3. I don't understand why thought this was a great idea

This was poorly thought out.

[DURHAM D]

5. Stupid stunt by Republicans. Just what we need...NOT. nt

[targetpractice]

6. False flag!!!

Kind of funny, but seems ill-conceived.... Will give Republicans ammo to accuse progressives of planting "false flag" stunts elsewhere... like at Jan 6th.

[George II]

8. A stupid move, and the right are eating it up, insisting it was Democrats....

Hope it has little effect overall.

[Martin68]

11. I agree it wasn't a very useful stunt, but I'd like to point out that all they did was stand there

without signs, chanting, or any other political statement. Reminding people that Trump supported the Nazis who invaded Charlottesville is a good thing, and this was perhaps a subtle yet effective way to accomplish that.

[louis-t]

12. Yawn, call me when they run his bus off the road and threaten people.

[bucolic_frolic]

13. TLP has gone from getting in Trump's head to getting in Trump's party, which was their party

So they're trying to steal it back from the inside out.

The value of this though is the voters who will be fooled into thinking MAGAts did this. Recall how naieve, ignorant, and stupid those voters are.

[True Blue American]

14. They go low

Lincoln Project goes lower!

[Baked Potato]

16. The Republican led Lincoln Project is not helping Democrats at all.

They get some “OOOOOS and AAAAAAAHS” with their clever videos that only Democrats watch.

This was a big damn mistake which only energizes Republicans. IMO.

[Dawson Leery]

17. It was alright when they did this against our side 20 years ago.