Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, the Democratic nominee for Virginia governor, called President Trump’s Twitter attacks on him “despicable” in an interview Friday.
On Thursday, Trump promoted Republican nominee Ed Gillespie and accused Northam of “fighting for” violent criminal gangs like MS-13.
Responding in a radio interview on “The Kojo Nnamdi Show,” Northam pointed to his record as a veteran and a doctor, before calling Trump’s accusation “inaccurate.”
{mosads}”For anybody to look at my history, to look at my record, one of public service as a veteran of the United States Army, as a doctor who has taken care of sick children, to say that I condone or influence gangs in the Commonwealth of Virginia is totally inaccurate,” Northam said.
“It’s despicable,” he added, “and all it does is continue to promote the fear mongering, and we’ve seen that out of Washington and again, now I see Mr. Gillespie is going to be his chief lobbyist in Virginia.”
Trump attacked Northam late Thursday night on Twitter, accusing the Virginia Democrat of “fighting for … killer gangs & sanctuary cities.”
“Ralph Northam,who is running for Governor of Virginia,is fighting for the violent MS-13 killer gangs & sanctuary cities,” Trump tweeted. “Vote Ed Gillespie!”
Northam’s campaign blasted Gillespie in a statement Thursday responding to Trump’s tweet.
“They both want to cut funding to education, roll back healthcare and divide Virginians for political gains. Looks like Ed Gillespie’s ads are reaching his target audience — Donald Trump,” Northam campaign spokesperson David Turner told The Hill.
Trump’s Twitter attack comes after a Washington Post-Schar School poll found Northam with a 13 point lead over Gillespie in the race, although other polls have found that the race is closer.
A poll in September found that almost half of voters said Trump will play a role in their choice between the two candidates in November.