Virginia GOP Senate nominee Corey Stewart is one of Donald Trump’s most consistent and fervent supporters. The native Minnesotan is known for his sympathy for conspiracy theories and for his flirtations with the “alt right.” Conservatives in Virginia have watched with amazement as Stewart cheers the 45th president at every turn, declining to criticize even his most craven and outrageous antics.
Behold, Stewart has finally found a reason to express apprehension about something Trump did. “I almost never differ with President Trump,” he explained in a somber email to supporters, “but in this case I do.” What was the disgrace that Stewart just couldn’t look past? The president’s proposal to freeze the pay of federal employees in 2019, which the White House put forward as part of its budget negotiations. Whether the administration sticks to its position is an open question, but most conservatives like the idea, believing that the federal workforce is too large and frequently overpaid, especially in the greater D.C. area.
Not Corey Stewart. “Federal employees in Virginia,” he wrote in an email to supporters, “wake up early, face punishing traffic and work hard to serve their nation and support their families. These workers need and deserve a pay raise.”
Let it never be said that Corey Stewart has no principles. He has at least one.
