McAuliffe criticized Youngkin over 2020 election views, but questioned Democrats' loss in 2000

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Republican Glenn Youngkin likes his chance to win Virginia governorship

Virginia GOP gubernatorial candidate discusses his race against potential opponent Terry McAuliffe on 'Special Report'

Democratic candidate for Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe has falsely claimed Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin questioned the results of the 2020 election, but McAuliffe has his own history of questioning close presidential elections.

The former Old Dominion governor has criticized Youngkin for his views on election integrity, even accusing the Republican candidate of "parroting Trump’s conspiracy theories about the 2020 election" on his campaign website.

Youngkin has not claimed that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Trump. He announced an "election integrity task force" ahead of the gubernatorial battle, saying the issue was not a partisan one, but one related to "democracy."

Youngkin also said in an interview with FOX Business in May that President Biden was "legitimately elected our president."

"He took the oath and was sworn in. He's sleeping in the White House," Youngkin said. "He's, unfortunately, signing executive order after executive order."

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However, McAuliffe has his own history of questioning the outcome of elections: he did it while serving as the Democratic National Committee chairman with former President George W. Bush’s 2000 electoral win.

"Our base voters are madder than heck and think they were robbed. They worked their hearts and souls out in the presidential election only to have it taken from them," McAuliffe said in 2001.

In an article from 2002 about the Voting Rights Institute McAuliffe founded as DNC chair, the former governor claimed voters in Florida were "disenfranchised" during the 2000 election. 

"If I ever allow what happened in Florida to occur again, I’ll be thrown out as chairman of this party," McAuliffe said. "I mean, there’s no question that people were disenfranchised."

McAuliffe also claimed in a 2001 interview with Black Entertainment Television that the Democrats "won the campaign" in 2000 but "didn’t get the prize," and that there would be a re-re-recount that would swing Florida for former Vice President Al Gore by 25,000 votes.

"Folks, you know it, I know it, they know it," McAuliffe said at the Democratic Business Council’s 20th-anniversary dinner in 2001. "We won that election."

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"And let’s never forget it," he added.

McAuliffe's campaign did not respond to Fox News' request for comment.

A spokesperson for Youngkin’s campaign told Fox News that the only person running for governor that has suggested a presidential election was "stolen" is Terry McAuliffe.

"Terry McAuliffe is the only person in this race who has suggested an election was stolen," the spokesperson said. "After more than one presidential election he disputed the outcome and cited irregularities."

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"Now McAuliffe is singing a different tune just as you would expect from a hypocritical career politician who talks out of both sides of his mouth," they added.

Last month, McAuliffe released an attack ad targeting Youngkin over his ties to former President Trump, but had his own ties to the former president, too.

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McAuliffe took $25,000 from Trump in 2009 for his failed gubernatorial bid and toasted the former president at the 2017 National Governor’s Association dinner after the former president referred to him as a "friend" that he has known for a "long, long time."

"I just want to toast you, Mr. President, and say we want to work with you on those ideals that have instilled and brought all of us governors together. That we can respectively grow our states and grow our nation to be truly the great destiny that we are," said McAuliffe.

"So I’d like to offer a toast to the president of the United States of America," McAuliffe added.