McAuliffe cuts off interview with local reporter, suggests he 'ask better questions'

WASHINGTON (TND) — Democratic Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe cut off an interview with a Washington, D.C. news station, WJLA, after getting pressed about vaccine requirements, complaining to the interviewer that he “should have asked better questions” the station’s “viewers care about.”

7News DC offered to sit down with both candidates from Virginia’s upcoming gubernatorial race for 20-minute interviews, but McAuliffe only agreed to 10 minutes.

He subsequently cut off the interview after 7News reporter Nick Minock began pressing him about vaccine requirements.

You should have asked questions your viewers care about,” McAuliffe chided Minock.

McAuliffe also tried to indicate he gave Minock “extra time” as he cut off the interview. But the Democratic gubernatorial candidate ended the interview over nine minutes before the full 20 minutes his opponent Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin agreed to.

McAuliffe took jabs at his opponent when questions about vaccine requirements came up. He called Youngkin an “anti-vaxxer” for supposedly saying “you don’t want to get vaccinated don’t do it” and that “there’s many good reasons not to get vaccinated.”

“No there’s not,” rebuked McAuliffe. “He says day one masks off and no vaccination. I am very worried about the future of this country if we do not end COVID-19 as fast as we can and the only way we can do that is to get people vaccinated and people be safe wearing masks.”

Minock asked McAuliffe if he would require kids in schools to get vaccinated. “Yeah, if the CDC says these are safe, then you bet,” he responded.

McAuliffe added, “if we don’t stop [COVID-19] as fast as we can” through getting as many people vaccinated as possible, he worries “about a variant coming along that could become vaccine resistant.”

“I can’t keep schools open,” continued McAuliffe. “We just saw a school close in Prince William yesterday.”

“We have to be smart and follow the science,” McAuliffe added. “And if we do that we will keep our schools open.”

McAuliffe also dismissed concerns about critical race theory, reiterating his belief that “critical race theory is not taught in Virginia.”

The National Desk reported last week that the Virginia Department of Education endorsed guidance encouraging schools to “embrace critical race theory” while McAuliffe was governor, according to a document leaked by investigative journalist Christopher Rufo.

Editor’s Note: 7News DC and The National Desk share the same parent company, Sinclair Broadcast Group.