Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican Trump ally, is at once publicly supporting the president’s agenda and taking steps to inoculate his state from it.
Those actions include Youngkin’s recent use of his line-item veto power to cut $900 million in projects and programs from the state budget in order to put those funds in the state’s rainy day fund. The rainy day fund, according to Youngkin, needs bolstering as President Donald Trump tries to shrink the federal workforce and pursues a disruptive economic agenda.
Democrats say Youngkin’s cuts to shield the state from the effects of the administration have quickly become a point of frustration.
“I think what bothers me the most is, he isn’t stating what all of us know to be true,” said Del. Joshua Cole, a Democrat who serves on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions emergency committee. “He knows what is going to happen down in Washington is having impacts already.”
Youngkin, who is in the final year of his term, has acknowledged that this is stemming from “short-term risks” from Trump’s agenda.
“The bottom line is this: Virginia’s financial strength, dynamic growing economy, and prudent budgeting enables us to confidently lead through this time of necessary change while other states like Maryland and D.C. are being downgraded because they failed to address long-standing concerns,” Peter Finocchio, a spokesperson for Youngkin, said in a statement to NOTUS.
Youngkin said earlier this month that he was “optimistic” about the state’s financial outlook.
“There are some short-term risks as President Trump resets both fiscal spending in Washington and trade policies that require us to be prudent and not spend all of the projected surplus before we bank it,” Youngkin said in a release.
The cuts feature 37 line-item vetoes that pause capital investments at Virginia universities and scrap funds for a public-private partnership for child care, a first-time homebuyers program, water infrastructure projects and senior housing and healthcare facilities.
Youngkin has promised that the cuts he made will be added to the $3.2 billion in Virginia’s rainy day funds, which is separate from the $295 million set aside by Democrats in the state Assembly. Other Democrats have also pointed to these funds as reason for surprise at Youngkin’s feeling the need to take action.
State Del. David Bulova, the Democratic chair of the emergency committee, told NOTUS that while additions to the rainy day funds are welcome, he’s not happy with the particular cuts Youngkin’s made, given that they come from key education and environmental programs.
“So while we have received acknowledgement from the governor that what’s happening at the federal level will impact our economy and state revenue, this was a pretty solid budget,” Bulova said. “I think I can speak for my side of the aisle that we strongly disagree with these cuts.”
The move drew praise from other Republicans in the state.
“Unlike the federal government, Virginia actually has to have a balanced budget,” a Republican strategist familiar with Virginia politics told NOTUS. “The governor is being responsible by operating like the businessman he is.”
For Chris Obenshain, a Republican state delegate, these budget cuts are not a sign of daylight between Youngkin and Trump.
“Operating in a nice and prudent manner, especially in budgeting, is exactly what voters have been looking for,” Obenshain told NOTUS. “We always need to be prepared. Some of the other states around us are looking at deficits, and we’re not in that situation because we have been responsible — you can’t always guarantee what is going to happen.”
Despite having control of the General Assembly, state Democrats are stuck with Youngkin’s budget cuts as the razor-thin margins in the state Assembly leave them with little recourse to fight back.
“Governor Youngkin adding to the financial buffer is an admission to me that what is going on with the Trump-DOGE machine is going to cause, and is causing, chaos,” Del. Michael Feggans, a member of the emergency committee, told NOTUS.
Virginia’s proximity to Washington makes it uniquely reliant on the federal government, as cuts to the federal workforce translate to more job instability within the state.
This isn’t the only step Youngkin has taken to address local disruptions. His administration launched a job website for fired federal employees touting 250,000 available jobs across the state. Democrats have argued the available jobs don’t line up with the compensation and professional expectations of former federal workers.
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Amelia Benavides-Colón is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.