Virginia RNC Committeeman Candidate Tim Anderson claimed in a November 2022 interview that Republicans would not “tolerate” former President Donald Trump as the Republican Party’s nominee in 2024.
Anderson (pictured above), who formerly represented District 83 in the House of Delegates, predicted to News 3 on November 15, 2022 that Trump’s candidacy would “splinter” the Republican Party and provoke an inter-party “civil war” that would ultimately result in another candidate becoming the nominee in 2024.
“It will splinter it,” Anderson told the outlet of Trump’s candidacy. He then predicted, “you’ll see all kinds of hatred, labeling for people that don’t believe that Trump is the only stand-bearer for the party. It’s a very intolerant culture in the Republican Party and you’re going to see a civil war in our party.”
Anderson then predicted that Trump would not become the Republican nominee.
“I don’t think he will be. I don’t think the GOP will tolerate it again,” Anderson told 3 News. He then claimed Trump “does not understand that the political landscape has changed.”
Around the same time, Anderson wrote in a post to Facebook that Trump’s candidacy is the “absolute worst” scenario for Virginia Republicans.
The political website Anderson launched for his committeeman bid does not mention Trump. On the website, Anderson claims his goal if elected will be to create “a Republican majority in the 2025 Virginia Statewide and General Assembly Races.”
Anderson explained that goal will be partially accomplished his “top priority,” which he explained is “repairing the relationship Virginia has with the RNC so that Virginia can receive national help and proper attention in 2025.”
While his website claims his goal is to help Republicans win by fostering a better relationship with the Republican National Committee (RNC), a post on Anderson’s Facebook page indicates he wants to expand the Republican electorate.
“We have the market cornered on old white people,” wrote Anderson. He argued, “We must start taking positions that appeal to young voters.”
Positions Anderson wants Republicans to adopt appear to include criminal justice reform, decriminalized marijuana, and “first time home buyer grants.” Anderson also claimed to support more popular Republican positions including school choice, border security and fiscal responsibility.
Anderson has also repeatedly argued that Republicans should not oppose gay marriages that are conducted “in a civil ceremony, or a religious ceremony that authorizes such a union.”
Despite acknowledging and supporting the biblical definition of marriage, Anderson has written, “You do not have to be married in a church to be legally married. You do not have to recognize God, the Bible or any other book to be deemed legally married. To be legally married – all a couple must do is pay a license fee to the state and have the marriage officiated by someone authorized under law – such as a judge,” or other official.
He has similarly argued that Republicans should provide welfare and economic opportunities to single mother in a bid to lower the demand for abortions.
In a May 2022 post to Facebook, Anderson noted his failed legislative efforts that would have seen Virginia pay for the community college education of single mothers studying in specific, in-demand fields and for tax credits for employers that pay employees’ childcare expenses as examples of “political mistakes” that cost Republicans.
A Virginia attorney who previously won an award for his pro bono work, Anderson in 2016 offered to take free cases as part of an apology after he apparently impersonated a judge.
According to 13 News Now, the apology became necessary after Anderson “admitted to using a courthouse phone to call his office while pretending” to be a judge in order to determine “whether his staff was properly prioritizing telephone calls received from the Bankruptcy Court.”
Anderson is challenging Morton Blackwell, who he described as “an 85 year old incumbent” in a post to social media.
Blackwell is currently the president of the Leadership Institute, which “prepares conservatives for success in politics, government and the news media,” and claims to have educated more than 285,000 students. Blackwell and has worked in Republican politics since the 1960s, and was part of efforts to elect President Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Tim Anderson” by Tim Anderson.
