For Virginia Republicans, the pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago begins with  Amanda Chase

Richmond, VA — With less than a month to go until their chaotic convention, Amanda Chase has announced that she will be traveling to Mar-a-Lago to meet Donald Trump and seek his endorsement, raising the question: will Chase’s GOP rivals join her in traveling to Florida? 

This year’s Virginia Republican primary has already been a brutally divisive sprint to the far right. The Republican candidates for governor have scrambled to take the most extreme positions possible, advanced deranged conspiracy theories, attacked each other’s character, accused each other of rigging the primary, and even threatened to sink the Virginia GOP by running independent campaigns. This primary has been such a disaster that former Rep. Denver Riggleman is still considering launching an independent campaign for governor.

The core litmus test of the Republican primary, however, has been complete allegiance to Donald Trump. While all of the candidates in this weak, crowded field have been fighting hard to prove their support for the former president -- who lost Virginia by a resounding 10 points -- they are once again scrambling to keep up with Amanda Chase. 

“Amanda Chase’s announcement is yet another testament to Virginia Republicans’ unhinged allegiance to Donald Trump and his dangerous extremism,” said Manuel Bonder, DPVA spokesman. “Throughout this primary, Virginia Republicans have been scrambling to prove their loyalty to Trump, no matter how unpopular he is. With Republicans across the country making pilgrimages to Mar-a-Lago to secure a coveted endorsement from their party’s leader, the only question is when will the rest of the field follow suit?”

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