The Australian billionaire behind the Fox network attempted to wield influence within the Republican presidential primary by urging a prominent GOP governor to challenge Donald Trump.
Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul, encouraged Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia to contemplate a potential White House run in the 2024 presidential election, as stated in a Daily Mail article.
Having met twice with the 92-year-old Australian media tycoon this year, Gov. Youngkin’s discussions were detailed by sources mentioned in a Washington Post report.
Murdoch’s concerns stem from Trump’s preoccupation with his loss in the 2020 general election, which he fears could result in another loss in the 2024 general election, according to the report.
The report also indicates that Murdoch is seeking alternatives to Trump due to a $788 million defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, a situation he holds Trump responsible for.
“Not everyone listens to Rupert, and Rupert’s instincts are not always perfect,” familiar with the conversations between Murdoch and Youngkin said.
“But he has always believed that some competition is better than none at all, and he would like to see some debate about the issues in the primary.”
The precise date of their initial encounter remains undisclosed, though the second meeting took place during the spring months.
Before these details came to light, there were reports indicating that Murdoch had conveyed his desire within his inner circle to witness Glenn Youngkin, the 74th governor of Virginia, step into the presidential race.
Youngkin, who formerly served as a private-equity executive at the Carlyle Group, has maintained a low profile concerning his political ambitions. In a statement issued in May, he indicated that he had no intentions of running “this year.”
According to a report from Axios, Youngkin might reveal his plans for the 2024 presidential race based on the outcome of Virginia’s Senate race this November.
The report also emphasized that Murdoch isn’t the sole influential figure supporting Youngkin. Billionaires Ronald Lauder and Thomas Peterffy are purportedly among GOP donors eager to support Youngkin’s potential presidential bid.
While Youngkin has yet to formally declare his candidacy for the 2024 presidential race, it appears that Murdoch’s enthusiasm for Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, has waned, and his media outlets have recently taken a critical stance towards DeSantis.
The New York Post, previously dubbing DeSantis as ‘DeFuture’ following his gubernatorial victory in 2022, has now brought attention to his diminishing poll numbers and backlash stemming from a campaign video that has been interpreted by some as having “homophobic” undertones.
The editorial board of The Wall Street Journal criticized DeSantis for a state legislation that requires businesses in Florida with 25 or more employees to utilize the U.S. government’s E-Verify system to confirm the legal status of new employees.
Survey data illustrates a decrease in nationwide backing for DeSantis within the Republican voter base.
Data compiled by FiveThirtyEight indicates that DeSantis experienced a high level of support, reaching 40 percent among Republican voters in early January. However, this figure has since declined to 15 percent as of August 20.
Dave Rexrode, who serves as the chairman of Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia Political Action Committee, chose not to provide a direct comment regarding the meetings between Murdoch and Youngkin.
“Virginia’s getting attention because parents still matter and Governor Youngkin’s commonsense conservative leadership is working,” Mr. Rexrode said in a statement.
“There’s more to do, so the governor’s not taking his eye off Virginia,” he continued. “These races are too important.”
