In an interview aired Thursday on PBS NewsHour, Democratic Virginia gubernatorial candidate and former congresswoman Abigail Spanberger compared working with former President Donald Trump to “working with an arsonist who burns down the house to rebuild it.”
When asked by correspondent Liz Landers whether she’d be willing to work with Trump on areas like job creation, Spanberger replied, “I think that you don’t work with the arsonist who burns down the house to rebuild it. And, in this particular case, the individual who’s responsible for an absolute attack on the federal workforce is not the right person to help rebuild our economy.”
It was a soundbite clearly designed to score points with the Democratic base — but it may reveal more about the mindset of today’s Democratic Party than Spanberger intended. Rather than focusing on solutions or unity, the response played into the same combative rhetoric that voters across Virginia have grown weary of.
For years, Democrats have claimed to be the “party of bipartisanship,” yet when faced with the prospect of working across the aisle on something as crucial as job creation, Spanberger’s instinct was to dismiss cooperation entirely. It’s a stance that may not sit well with moderates and independents in a state that has seen firsthand the economic benefits of pro-growth, low-tax policies championed by Republicans in recent years.
Trump’s focus on revitalizing American manufacturing and bringing back jobs from overseas was one of the few areas that drew bipartisan praise during his presidency — especially among working-class voters and small business owners. To liken that effort to arson is not just hyperbolic; it’s tone-deaf to the economic struggles many Virginians still face.
Spanberger’s remark underscores a growing divide within her own party — one where ideology often outweighs practicality. At a time when voters are craving stability, economic opportunity, and leadership willing to work with anyone to get results, such rhetoric risks alienating the very people Spanberger needs to win.
In politics, you can’t rebuild trust by burning bridges — and Virginia voters will remember who’s holding the match.
What makes her think that she has anything to offer? We’re going to need someone who can get the right applicant for the position, whatever the job. Being hired by the government is like any other job, you can be hired or fired. I guess it doesn’t matter that many other corporations are letting people go,too? Pea brain, it’s called downsizing! We’re also going to have someone to work with the new requirements for benefits, able body must work and now that the illegals are leaving, many opportunities are available.