Biden ties Republican in race for Va. governor to Trump

McAuliffe's campaign highlighted the controversy during his rally Tuesday night by passing out copies of “Beloved” to reporters, and McAuliffe hammered Youngkin for it.

“He wants to bring his personal culture wars into our classrooms," he said. “Folks, we will not allow Glenn Youngkin to bring his hate, his chaos, into our Virginia schools.”

Youngkin has made defending “parental rights” in school classrooms a centerpiece of his gubernatorial run, and his campaign responded by noting that the bills McAuliffe vetoed had passed with Democratic support. It said that by accusing Youngkin of playing racial politics, McAuliffe was effectively leveling the same charge at his own party.

That issue flared up before Biden addressed more than 1,000 people who cheered and shivered against stiff winds on soccer fields in a park in Arlington, long safely blue territory. Other, nearby parts of the fast-growing Washington suburbs have moved Virginia from a onetime swing state to more reliably Democratic — especially as their populations of Black, Hispanic and Asian residents have increased.

A small group of protesters, one hoisting a large “Trump Won” flag, gathered nearby and briefly chanted “Let's Go Brandon,” a euphemism for a vulgarity against Biden that has become popular on conservative social media sites.

Ebonie Gadson, 23, an independent voter who works for a tech company and lives across the street, headed to rally to learn more about a governor's race she said she only recently began closely following.

“Having the president's support, I think, will increase voter turnout and just get everyone excited,” said Gadson, who added that she wanted to learn more about the race “than just what I'd seen on TV.”

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Youngkin is “ensuring every Virginian has a say in their child’s education.”

“With an unprecedented amount of Republican enthusiasm, Virginians are ready to reject Terry McAuliffe and Joe Biden,” McDaniel said in a statement.

Biden made his second trip to Arlington since McAuliffe launched his gubernatorial bid. He's the latest in a parade of Democratic stars to flood the state, hoping to fire up the party's base.

The president follows former President Barack Obama, Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and first lady Jill Biden.

Vice President Kamala Harris will campaign for McAuliffe on Friday, her second stop in as many weeks. In Dumfries, about 30 miles south of Washington last week, Harris called the race “tight” and warned against Democratic complacency.

Youngkin campaigned in Clarksville and Danville, not far from the Virginia-North Carolina border, on Tuesday, part of a 50-stop bus tour. In contrast to McAuliffe, Youngkin, a former top executive at the private equity firm the Carlyle Group, has largely shied away from outside help from national party members, though he has been endorsed by Trump.

“This is no longer a campaign,” Youngkin said as he visited suburban Richmond recently. "This is a movement.”