'The Ingraham Angle' on Youngkin's success in Virginia

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Ingraham: America is back after watching horror show from Biden

Laura Ingraham responds to what is being seen as President Joe Biden's referendum in the Virginia governor's race

This is a rush transcript from "The Ingraham Angle," November 2, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS HOST: I'm Laura Ingraham, and this is THE INGRAHAM ANGLE from Washington tonight.

With more than two-thirds of the vote counted, Republican Glenn Youngkin now has a clear advantage in the Virginia gubernatorial race. Fox News projects now that McAuliffe needs to win roughly two-thirds of the outstanding vote to change that outcome. It's a pretty tall order.

And the Fox News decision desk is not yet ready to make a projection. But again, Youngkin has a very clear and decisive advantage at this moment. Tonight, the seismic event that is this Virginia governor's race. We have reporters on the ground and full election analysis from some of the best political thinkers in the country throughout this hour.

And you've been hearing me talk about this now for a better part of the last year. By all accounts, Glenn Youngkin has outperformed in counties from Deep Blue suburban Northern Virginia to the rural southwest. And it's very important to remember, everyone has to remember this that few really thought that this would have been possible just one year ago. But in nine and a half short months, Corn Pops buddy has laid waste to the Democrats dream of a post Trump political nirvana.

We, Virginians, have watched in horror, as Biden has destroyed almost every advantage Americans have over other citizens of other countries. Our energy independence, our workforce, our unity, our border, our military's prestige. And then they saw another relic of the past, Terry McAuliffe promised more of the same. Adding fuel to the fire, the cynical and rabid anti-Americanism that has infected our schools; an errand boy for the teachers union, McAuliffe, saw nothing wrong with Loudoun County. All of big to do about nothing.

A close race and a state that Trump lost by 10, that hasn't elected a Republican governor for 12 years would have still been good news for the GOP. But an outright win for Youngkin is 9.8 on the Richter scale with far left policies buried in the rubble.

Now, this might would not have been possible without the man determined to prove the critics wrong. Glenn Youngkin himself. He's one of the hardest candidates - hardest working candidates we've ever seen. He wasn't afraid to campaign in Liberal Northern Virginia.

He wasn't afraid to take on the school boards and the radicals that are running our once great education system into the ground. He wasn't afraid to stand up for gun rights, for sane economic policies, and, yes, for American history. Most people who are attacked savagely by the media machine fold. They melt. Trump didn't. And Glenn Youngkin didn't either. He just kept pushing.

Remember, how Democrats felt election night a year ago? They were triumphant. They were elated. Braggarts, they were seemingly unstoppable. Of course, Republicans, man, demoralized, angry, oh, yes, angry, despondent. Many of you turned off your TVs for months. Well, how are you feeling now? You should feel really hopeful and optimistic.

Youngkin was right. This is a common sense movement run by normal average people who want a better life for themselves and their families. We love this country, a country which is not systematically racist by the way. And we're sick of seeing people cancelled, or threatened, or intimidated, or shamed, for speaking their minds or saying no to a vaccine.

And by the looks of things on the other networks, they're taking all the wrong lessons from this race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLLE WALLACE, MSNBC: I think that the real ominous thing is that critical race theory, which isn't real, turned the suburbs 15 points to the Trump insurrection endorsed Republican.

VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: We have seen the emergence of the Delta variant of Trumpism, the Delta variant of Trumpism. In other words, Youngkin, same disease, but spreads a lot faster and can get a lot more places.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Remember when Van Jones was the big uniter, who's kind of a moderate reach across the aisle. That's out the window.

Well, last year, Democrats had so many forces going their way. They had the COVID panic, they had the BLM hysteria, they had the vicious anti-Trump fervor. But tonight shows us that Trump's policies were, in fact, very popular, because they actually work.

In retrospect, it may be that 2020 was not the beginning for the Democratic left, but it's zenith. They misread the electorate and badly. America is back.

Joining me now is Bill Hemmer, co anchor of "America's Newsroom" from 9 to 11am Eastern. And, of course, he's got his big board handy.

BILL HEMMER, CO-HOST OF "AMERICA'S NEWSROOM": How are you doing?

INGRAHAM: Bill, What can you tell us? You've been doing a great job tonight.

HEMMER: Thank you. Interrupt me anytime, something you're looking for, Laura, just shout out. OK.

INGRAHAM: All right.

HEMMER: I'm going to show you something I just noticed. All right. And you would know this better than most, because you live in the Washington D.C. area, right? Here's our nation's capitol, these northern Virginia counties, the most populated areas are still a bit of an outstanding vote in Fairfax. I'll show you that in a moment.

This is Stafford County, Laura. It's a quickly growing area southeast of Northern Virginia, as they call it, their locally Nova. Look where Youngkin is on the board here. You've got 10 percent of the vote outstanding. So he's taken up over 57 percent of the vote.

Why is that important? If you go back to November of last year, it's because Joe Biden flipped the county by two or three points. And now we come back to 2021. And in Stafford here, you see, these are the suburbs. You see it around Richmond, Laura, you see it here in Stafford, the suburbs have come back to the Republican Party in a significant way.

And also, I would argue that we're likely to see tomorrow in some of the exit polling that the independent voter has shifted as well. You saw that advantage in a lot of the pre-polling before this election about independence in the margin you were seeing that favored Glenn Youngkin over Terry McAuliffe.

I'll spin around the state here, Laura. Real quick, just because - I mean, Richmond City was outstanding, but it's about 83 percent in. So we're getting real close to get an idea about what their - what the outcome will be.

Relatively speaking, last November, Biden was at 83 percent. Four years ago in the governor's race, Ralph Northam was at almost 82 percent. Come back to 2021, Terry McAuliffe is well below that number. And, Laura, I could find 10 or 12 different counties across the entire map and find a similar pattern so far with McAuliffe underperforming there as well. Rural--

INGRAHAM: Can I just jump in one moment?

HEMMER: Yes, you sure may.

INGRAHAM: The fact that Christmas and the holidays are right around the corner and the panic that is setting in, and I know we're focused a lot on the schools and rightly so. But the supply chain issue and the Biden bleed on that, I'm sensing in Northern Virginia, kids play sports at Northern Virginia, people are panicked about that. And they're looking for someone to blame. Do you think that might have come into play?

HEMMER: It could be. Laura, I think actually what you could likely do if you were to analyze the last 10 months of the presidency for Biden, you could create your own list, and throw a dart at it and pick supply chain, if that's your issue. COVID, if that's your issue; if economy, that's your issue; education, that's your issue; foreign policy.

Who is going to forget a - an American C-17 rolling down a tarmac in Kabul, Afghanistan, with 20-year-old men bouncing off the site. We have never seen that image before. You wonder then two trips to Capitol Hill, a president who could not get a deal or move people one way or another. After two trips to his Democratic caucus, it makes you wonder on that list that we're talking about. What have you managed well so far in your presidency?

I wouldn't just say supply chain, Laura. I would - I would say you could choose from the entire list that I just clicked off there. But yes--

INGRAHAM: That's fair.

HEMMER: You mentioned Northern Virginia, Prince William as 10 percent outstanding. So we're getting close again. I just want to check in here and here it is. All right. Fairfax County, you got 100 percent of the vote accounted for. McAuliffe, 64.4; Youngkin 35.

I don't know how that ranks historically, but we'll just go ahead and look last November. Where were we? OK. Biden was up six points higher. Go back to 2017, Northam was it just shy of 68 percent. And in 2021, Terry McAuliffe is four points shy of the previous (inaudible)

INGRAHAM: Even in, Bill, the bluest of blue liberal Fairfax County, ok, where you didn't think any progress for the Republicans could be made. Glenn Youngkin made some tonight regardless of the outcome.

Bill, I'm riveted to your big board. So thank you.

HEMMER: Cool. I'll see you later.

INGRAHAM: We'll be checking back with you in just a moment with another update.

Now, for reaction, let's turn to our election night panel. Mollie Hemingway, senior editor at The Federalist, Fox News contributor, author of "Rigged"; also with me Mark Meadows, former Trump White House Chief of Staff; and Stephen Miller, former Trump Senior Advisor, America First Legal" founder.

Mollie, I think of Obama campaigning for McAuliffe, I think of Stacey Abrams campaigning. I think of Kamala, I think of Joe Biden stumbling around Arlington last week. In the end, it looks like that mattered how much, Mollie.

MOLLIE HEMINGWAY, SENIOR EDITOR, THE FEDERALIST: Well, they clearly invested heavily in making sure that this was a secure Democrat victory. I live here in Virginia. We're not a purple state, we're a Democrat state. Democrats win statewide office by 10 points.

Joe Biden won by 10 points. Our current governor, a Democrat, who's embroiled in all sorts of controversies related to his own racism, won by 10 points. This is not Wisconsin, or Pennsylvania, or Georgia, or a narrow congressional district, this is a very safe Democrat area.

They never should have had to bring out the big guns in order to keep this seat. And they did, and they still appear to be losing it. This is just absolutely huge news that speaks not just to the toxicity of the National Democratic agenda, but also how that national Democratic agenda, which we're all subjected to, because they control the White House, the Senate and the House, but also how that's realized and how it affects people at the local level.

It is absolutely true that parents were huge in this in this upset, because they don't like the racism of critical race theory.

INGRAHAM: They hate it.

HEMINGWAY: And then how that's teaching kids. And that's white, black, brown parents, everybody hates it. And they were not getting enough support from Democrats, even though they themselves are frequently Democrat.

INGRAHAM: Now, I want to go now to Mark Meadows, because just four days ago Vice President Kamala Harris made a sweeping comment about the relevance of this Virginia race. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is a bellwether for what happens in the rest of the country. You see, what happens in Virginia will in large part determine what happens in 2022, 2024, and on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Mark, I agree with Kamala Harris. And shouldn't Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, shouldn't they be taking note tonight?

MARK MEADOWS, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: Well, they're taking note, and also moderate Democrats in the state of Virginia and other states should be taking notice.

Listen, the only thing uglier for team Biden tonight is Hunter Biden's art work. This was - you mentioned, this was a seismic shift. It's a tsunami. I know that you haven't made the official call there at Fox. But if you look at the outstanding votes, and those votes that are coming in, and candidly they're coming in from those stronger Democrat - strong hose with absentee votes.

They're just not enough to make out the difference. It will tighten a little bit, but it'll be governor Youngkin. It'll actually be a clean sweep with the lieutenant governor, the AG. And I would predict, even though the jury is still out that Todd Gilbert and the work that he's done for the House of Delegates, that you will flip it from blue to red in the House of Delegates. So it is a bellwether. From here we go to Nevada and Wisconsin and other states. It's hopefully coming to a theater near you, because the policies of Donald Trump actually work. And candidly, parents have had enough.

INGRAHAM: This has to be a 50-state strategy, Stephen, going forward for the Republican Party. The Republicans cannot, like, try to cobble together this Rust Belt thing and pick up maybe one other state and right off California, right off New England, right off Colorado, cannot do it. It's got to be a common sense movement.

You've been talking about this for years. Obviously, Donald Trump fought that and showed us in 2016, how to do it. What is the big lesson going forward, assuming this goes the way we think it's going to go in Virginia? And very close in New Jersey, which we haven't even talked about yet.

STEPHEN MILLER, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISER: Yes. Well, first of all, I think what you're seeing in Virginia tonight is what I call a peaceful, patriotic parents rebellion. Parents taking back their schools, taking back their communities, taking back their state for true traditional American values.

But as you said, this shows that the Trump agenda and its emphasis on ordinary working people and their quality of life, safe, clean streets, patriotic schools, strong borders, fair trade policies, pro jobs, economic policies. These can win in every single community and every state in the country.

And I would just note, it was a year ago that President Trump launched the 1776 Commission, to establish that roadmap to take back our schools. And now look what's happening in Virginia. It is a beautiful thing to see.

INGRAHAM: Yes. And, Mollie, I don't think even the whole taking down the statues, which again, the left embraced as 'Oh, great. We're making such progress. We're ripping down statues'. Robert E. Lee's hidden in some museum and then Teddy Roosevelt in New York. They thought that was progress. But what they didn't understand, a lot of people didn't like it.

And polling guru from UVA, Larry Sabato, he went into full meltdown mode earlier tonight. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR OF THE UVA CENTER FOR POLITICS: The issues that Youngkin was running on, you may have the same view I have, of critical race theory, which is, it was a phony issue. It certainly isn't Virginia, where it isn't taught.

But people believe what they want to believe. We're still in the Trump era, right? You don't have to have the facts backing you up. If people want to believe what you say, they will believe it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: So he's full on to the deplorables, back to the deplorables, Mollie. Well, Larry Sabato's crystal ball smashed on the floor again tonight.

HEMINGWAY: Yes. I'm glad he's kind of outed himself as a left winger as opposed to pretending that he was impartial. But this is what the McAuliffe campaign kept saying, was that people were delusional to think that critical race theory was taught in their schools, even though it was officially taught in Virginia schools.

But I also think what parents are saying, is that all of this oddness that left wing partisans are pushing on America, they want to reject all of it. The hatred, the divisiveness, the hatred for their country, being told that our Republic is irredeemably racist and evil relative to other places. That is no way to have a future for a country, or for people working together. And people are very sick of it, and they're rejecting it.

And unfortunately, for Democrats, that's a big part of their messaging. This was a big part, defund the police, and other left wing ideologies was a big part of what they ran on in 2020. And a lot of their progressive caucus is still pushing it. There were five cities across the nation that had defund the police measures up for a vote today. And I'll be curious to see how those go, but I'm hearing that they're going down in flames as well.

INGRAHAM: Now, another flashback to McAuliffe's parade of fools. Biden predicted McAuliffe would win just a few days ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We're going to win. I think we're going to win in Virginia. I've not seen any evidence that whether or not I am doing well or poorly, whether or not I've got my agenda passed or not, is it going to have any real impact on winning or losing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Mark, he lands in about three hours from Scotland. They just probably going to wake him up say, 'Joe, we got some unpleasant news for you'.

HEMINGWAY: Bad news.

MEADOWS: Well, you're exactly right. But here's the other thing, Laura, and both Mollie and Stephen have talked about this. It's a reminder of what works and what doesn't work.

When Virginians go to the gas pump, and they're pumping their gas and they're paying more for gas than they have under Donald Trump, it's a reminder that these are failed policies. When they go to the grocery store and they're paying more in the grocery store, it's a reminder that the failed policies of the left are not working.

And ultimately, when they have supply chain issues, and they're worried about Christmas gifts potentially coming in, it is not President Trump they're blaming, it is Joe Biden and Terry McAuliffe, and the left wing kind of agenda that is there. So this was really a historic night where Virginians sided literally with the parents of school, children, against Terry McAuliffe.

And Larry Sabato, let me just tell you, Chris Rufo said it on this show last night. 'You're not accurate. It was your lie that you're bringing forth.' They do teach critical race theory. They may call it a different name in Virginia. Virginian parents know it and they showed up to let their voices be heard.

INGRAHAM: Stephen, I made a note of this in the 'Angle'. The left, they're going to take all the wrong lessons from this - looks like a loss tonight and close race in New Jersey. And Joy Reid case in point tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOY REID, MSNBC HOST: These Republicans are dangerous, that this isn't a party that's just another political party that disagrees with us on tax policy. That at this point, they're dangerous. They're dangerous to our national security, because stoking that kind of soft white nationalism eventually leads to the hardcore stuff. It leads to the January 6 stuff.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Oh my god, Stephen. They are addicted to January 6. This is their drug of choice. And apparently, it's dangerous, what, to have a secure border, cheap energy, and a growing economy. That's really dangerous for Joy Reid. This is insane. They're not learning anything from this loss tonight. Nothing.

MILLER: No, they're going to keep digging in this same well of critical race theory, open borders, defunding the police, shutting down American energy, and America last across the board. It's a losing policy. It's a losing strategy. More than anything, it's grounded in hatred of American voters. And that will never win and it will not win in Virginia and it won't win in the country.

INGRAHAM: Now, we see Terry McAuliffe is making his way to the lectern area. There he is. He is speaking. Let's go to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY MCAULIFFE, FORMER GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA: Louise Lucas and Charniele Herring and to talk about how we needed to rebuild all of our schools here in the Commonwealth of Virginia and raise teacher pay, and get every child access to a pre-K education, and to get everybody access to broadband here in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

And we have continued to take that fight throughout this commonwealth. But first of all, I want to thank my family. I want to start by thanking - I want to thank my wife, Dorothy. As you know, she has been a champion, a true policy expert. And through her efforts, as you know, 13 million more meals served to needy children here in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

And I want to thank my family. You don't get to pick your parents, as you know, you're born into family. And they have survived campaign after campaign, and I want to thank Dori who is here with me tonight with her fiancee Nick (inaudible). Jack McAuliffe who is here with his fiancee Shannon tonight. Sally McAuliffe, and Peter McAuliffe.

So let's go, let's count all these votes. But let me thank each and every one of you over the course of the last 11 months, for the doors that you've knocked down, the phone calls that you made. Just last weekend, 450,000 doors knocked on, 2 million during the course of this campaign. I want to thank you, the McAuliffe family loves each and every one of you. Thank you for what you've done to this day.

And I want to thank my campaign staff. It was the greatest campaign staff ever assembled. And give them a great round of applause for the great work they have done. But folks, if I said long ago, this is a different state. When Ralph and I were elected eight years ago, we have made our state open and welcoming. But the fight continues.

We got to make sure we protect women's right to choose here, the Commonwealth of Virginia. We got to make sure everybody gets quality, affordable health care here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Everybody's entitled to a world-class education here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. And we are going to continue that fight tonight and every day going forward.

So I just want to thank all of you for what you have meant to us. I look around this room and I see so many friends we've worked with for many years. This is a different state. We are the greatest state in the United States of America. And it's because of you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Well, doesn't seem there like McAuliffe is going to concede. He's asking for all the votes to be counted, which is fine. But interesting that he led with education and parents, because it was that great awakening of parents across Virginia.

Remember, we brought you that town hall that we did live. I don't know how long ago that was. But when we saw it happening, and I guess a lot of people were just laughing it off. But that turned the race against him.

Now, joining me now are two of the most engaged of those parents Asra Nomani, an old friend, founder of the Coalition for TJ; and Ian Pryor, Executive Director of fightforschools.com.

You were both at that unreal rally last night in Leesburg, Virginia, which really reminded me of the 2016 Trump closer. It had that much energy. But, Asra, you were on the 'Ingraham Angle' over a year ago, warning about this anti-racism curriculum in our schools, so-called anti-racism curriculum in our schools. Now, this issue is helping shift entire elections. Your thoughts about everything that's transpired tonight.

ASRA NOMANI, VP FOR STRATEGY & INVESTIGATIONS, PARENTS DEFENDING EDUCATION: Oh, my gosh. This is unbelievable. You don't even know how electric it is right now in this room. What the parents of Virginia have done is sent a clear message to every single person who has treated us like dirt. They are all here. All of the moms and dads. We are mama bears and papa bears and we have said loud and clear, Get your hands off of our cubs. You are going to lose more races if you continue to treat us like dirt. And we have risen. We are loud and we are strong.

And we are saying very clearly, see this. We are not going to allow you to claim our babies. None of this nonsense is going to be acceptable anymore.

INGRAHAM: Ian, your message was to the school board. Our kids don't belong to you. They are our children. You're there to carry out basically our will fairly teach education in a fair manner, in a useful manner. But the Democrats have completely missed this message all along. And last night Democrat Virginia Senator Tim Kaine was still dismissing this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TIM KAINE (D-VA): Glenn Youngkin is trying to kind of create and then inflate a culture of grievance against schools and school teachers that doesn't really match up with the lived reality of people in most Virginia cities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Ian, the lived reality, what does Tim Kaine know about the lived reality?

IAN PRIOR, FIGHTFORSCHOOLS.COM EXEC DIRECTOR: Well, he's living in a different reality than the rest of us. You look at the parents across Virginia, and this is really about them. I mean, they have done amazing work. And of course - and that goes for all the moms and dads in Virginia. But I got to give a shout out to the moms and dads in Loudoun County.

When we started this fight back in April, March, really with the school board, I said, we could do this all day, every day. We could shine the spotlight of accountability on this school board. And they went out there and they worked all day every day. They put on a suit of armor, they took the slings and arrows from intolerant neighbors, from the media, from school board members, from the Department of Justice. And we are still here and we're just getting started.

INGRAHAM: Yes. We haven't even talked about Merrick Garland and the absolute defamation that's being launched against you, Ian, and Asra and all the parents who've been involved. Almost on a daily basis.

You're hearing it tonight on other networks that this is more - another example of the racism, systemic racism in our society. Virginia's going backward. Asra, I love how you go to all your appearances with evidence like you don't just talk about the issues, Asra. You have evidence in your hands.

This is what's being taught and you read from the books, because most parents are so busy. They're not even reading the books, well, they are now. And I've got to give you huge props for what you've done. And you've put your neck down on the line, and you are being unstoppable in this fight.

NOMANI: We are so fierce. And I'll tell you every single person behind me, they're the moms and the dads. They are been in the trenches. I can't even tell you. People are sort of like in between tears and just joy, because we have been suffering for so long. In Fairfax County, it's 12 Democrats that are on our school board. They have ignored us, they treated us like dirt.

And, Laura, you know this, I am a liberal, Democrat feminist. And I will say now for the first time ever, that I voted for Glenn Youngkin today for Governor of Virginia. And I am going to be so proud to have him as our governor, because he did something remarkable that Terry McAuliffe forgot. He remembered that he was a dad, he is a father, and he is a parent. And this is our sacred duty.

And all these amazing people behind me, they have sent me here with a clear message to the nation by parents. Mama bears and papa bears, protect your cubs. And all of you politicians and activists and educrats, who want to get in our way, get out of the way.

INGRAHAM: Ian, I want you to speak if you could beyond Virginia tonight, which looks like it's going to be clearly Youngkin's night, to go beyond Virginia to the rest of the country. This issue - building on this issue of American history, love of country, national unity, a whole panoply of issues that have come up over the past year during the reign of - the reign of terror of Biden. How does this get replicated in other states?

PRIOR: Yes. Well, I think it's really simple. I mean, for the past 10 years or so, the left have been - has been so focused on the politics of division, right. Putting people in different boxes, pitting them against each other to win elections. And to really overcome that, you need a unifying issue and you need brave people to fight for that unifying issue.

Well, what you have is, that unifying issue being children, and the brave people being parents that fight for their kids' education and for a future where they can succeed as mentally tough individuals in the real world. And right now, I mean, what we're going to see in 2022, is that parents are going to continue to rise and they're going to continue to power candidates across the finish line in elections. And if Democrats can't figure that out, they are going to get wiped out like never before.

INGRAHAM: And, Asra, in also across party lines, you crossed party lines tonight to vote for Glenn Youngkin. Do you think there will be enough Democrats in states like Colorado and Arizona, moving forward, who will say, you know, I thought Joe Biden was kind of a moderate, but he's just totally given in to the squad and the far left. I've got to look elsewhere. Do you think that's going to start happening, this is the beginning of that domino effect?

NOMANI: Absolutely. And I'll tell you who knows this -- James Carville. He knows this. For months he has warned the Democratic Party that woke-ism was going to destroy the party. And he should have known better, but he misguided Terry McAuliffe, or they didn't listen to him. But all of these smarty-pants, right, Larry Sabato, over on CNN, Van Jones, all these people, they're trash talking us.

I am a Muslim, woman of color, and I am telling you, we are not white supremacists. If this is what a white supremacist looks like, then you need to back, you need to get a timeout. All of you need a timeout. And you know what, we're going to send you to your rooms, because we are the parents in this country who are awake, and we are going to guide this country, because we know that you are not leading us right now.

And I absolutely believe, Laura, there are so many Democrats like me. Because this nonsense, woke baby, this is nonsense. And all it does is it's illiberal and racist. And we want peace and goodness in our world.

INGRAHAM: And Terry McAuliffe's closing argument, you're going to be shocked to hear about this, was to bring in -- well, a very, very, I'd say, compelling and attractive political figure. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDI WEINGARTEN, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS: What's happening right now is a bunch of misinformation, because every educator knows parents must be our partners. And COVID has created huge anxiety and angina today. We have got to bring people together, not do what Youngkin is doing of pulling people apart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Dogs across the country are covering their ears with their paws. Ian, that was Randi Weingarten. Again, they're not learning. They're going further to the left on the very issues that have helped, it looks like, sink Terry McAuliffe and bring the Democrats to the edge.

IAN PRIOR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FIGHTFORSCHOOLS.COM: Yes. When I saw last night that Randi Weingarten was campaigning with Terry McAuliffe on the night before the election, I actually thought that maybe McAuliffe was trying to throw the race somehow, because there's just no way anyone in their right mind would have Randi Weingarten campaigning for them on the night before the election. She is so divisive that I know plenty of Democrats that cannot stand her. They kept kids out of school for a year when they didn't have to. And he brings her out on the campaign trail the night before? What were they thinking? I am convinced that he tried to throw this thing.

INGRAHAM: Asra, you were at the town hall we did, I don't know, when was that? I don't even remember, it's all a blur. But it was back in March. And I think, just so people understand how far ahead of this you were and the parents behind you, on school closures, on Critical Race Theory, both students and parents were speaking out. Let's play -- we'll have that in a moment. But just so people understand, this didn't happen overnight. This has been building during COVID -- during COVID, when they would not reopen the schools for no reason, and students were sick of it.

NOMANI: Yes.

INGRAHAM: So here's what the Fairfax County parents told you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There seems to be a lot of willingness right now among people in positions of power to ignore the academic and emotional needs of our high schoolers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our experience at home with virtual learning was not good. It looked chaotic to me. And so we were very, very fortunate to see the handwriting on the wall, and we got our kids into private school.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Asra, they're all white racists, I guess, who were speaking out then? No, these were just parents who are like we don't know what to do, our kids are drowning. And here we go.

NOMANI: Yes. And, Laura, you were there with us. I want everybody who's watching this to know, Laura Ingraham was with us as parents. I remember the summer of 2020, Laura, when I first came on and I spoke with you, and I didn't even know about the machine of the teacher's union then. But you gave us a voice.

And what it was, was that this machine used the tragedy of George Floyd's killing to decide that it was open season on our little bear cubs. That's what they did. Randi Weingarten, the teachers' unions, these activists, they decided it was time to cash in. And you know what? We stood up. Back in the summer of 2020, that's when it began. It was my birthday, June 7th, that year that our principal sent us a letter and my son's high school and said we needed to check our privileges. The Asian immigrant mothers and fathers from communist China and India.

And you know what those parents did? They stood up. And they tried to have meetings with Ralph Northam, the school board, the education secretary. And you know what they did? They all canceled their meetings. They never had meetings with them.

And the little headline here, Terry McAuliffe, when we tried to have him speak to our parents, he asked for $20,000 for one hour with our parents. And Glenn Youngkin did not ask for a cent. And so this is the real conscience that we need to invigorate amongst all of our leaders, realizing that we're human beings. We are not some white supremacists.

INGRAHAM: It's ridiculous.

NOMANI: -- or white race. We are good people.

INGRAHAM: You just brought something up, and Ian, I want to now like project forward to, again, all these moderates, so-called moderate Democrats, Jon Tester in Montana, Mark Warner in Virginia, Joe Manchin in West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema, all these people across the country who campaigned as non-squad members. They're sensible Democrats. What should they be taking from this tonight? Because it's not just the parents and the education issue. This is a menu, a cornucopia of things that have gone wrong over the past 10 months, 11 months, in the United States. So what does Joe Manchin see tonight that might change his thinking going forward?

PRIOR: Well, I think that they need to look to their state. They need to get away from this national political echo chamber that you see the AOCs and the Squads in. They need to get away from the cancel culture moment that really helped lead to this. Look, you go back to Loudoun County, this is where it started back in March where you really fired people up, when you had 700 people in a group trying to cancel others, right, because they disagreed with them.

Well, guess what? They own this. They helped make this happen. People are sick of it. People are sick of people trying to cancel them because they're intolerant of different viewpoints. So if I'm Joe Manchin and I'm Jon Tester and Kyrsten Sinema, I'm looking at my state, and I am trying to lead with them in mind, not with national politics and the pressure coming from the far left. Be a leader for your state, stay local, all politics is local. Tip O'Neill said it. It's just as true today as it was then.

INGRAHAM: A lot of people tonight are pinging me on my cell phone asking when Asra and Ian are going to start running for office, because both of you have made such an impact on this debate, and I thank both of you very much. I wish I was there with you now, both of you. Thank you

And joining me now is Victor Davis Hanson, Hoover Institution senior fellow, and Dinesh D'Souza, conservative commentator, filmmaker. Victor, your takeaway from tonight, we're going to check in with Bill Hemmer on New Jersey, which is fascinating as well. Victor?

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON, HOOVER INSTITUTE SENIOR FELLOW: Yes, I don't think it was just local issues. Those were the ignition switch that sent off this dynamite of the last 12 months. I think people looked at the status of the country, Laura, and they said this is anarchy, this is chaos, it's beyond politics, we don't have a porous border. We have no border. We don't just have inflation. We printed the money with zero interest. We didn't get humiliated, we got terribly humiliated in Afghanistan. We didn't just have a chain supply, we deliberately created it by subsidizing non-labor.

And I think they think, why did he do this? Why did Biden do this? Why are people doing this? And when they were looking for answers, they said two things -- you're a racist and Donald Trump is under every bed in America. And they wanted an inductive answer, they got none, and I think if they were smart, the Democrats, they would say we're not going to listen to the Squad, we're not going to listen to Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders, and I don't think they're going to do that.

I think they're going to say we didn't charge them with racism enough, we didn't mention Donald Trump enough. We've got to double down. And if they do that, I think the 2010 setback for the Democrats will look like a picnic.

And just finishing, very quickly, I think it taught the Republicans that the MAGA agenda is institutionalized, but it's not enough to get angry. You've got to get angry and smart. You have got to get even, not just mad. And I think that's what Youngkin has really taught the Republicans. There is a way to get mad and get even at the same time at the Democrats.

INGRAHAM: Well, smart campaigning, campaigning in every county. Dinesh, the DNC chair tonight, Jaime Harrison made sure to really kind of listen to the parents' concerns about what's being taught in the schools or not. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAIME HARRISON, DNC CHAIR: The person that interviewed me said that, yes, Critical Race Theory and that it's taught in public schools in Virginia. I'm like which ones? This is a theory in law school. This is a dog whistle to divide people.

They have become a party of fascism and fear, and those are the two things that really motivate them right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Dinesh, are they ever talking about how their agenda is making the country better, or is it just Critical Race Theory?

DINESH D'SOUZA, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: Well, I agree with Victor that while the education issue was front and center, it was a critical issue in Virginia, this was a kind of stop the insanity message to the Democratic Party across the board. The Democratic Party has a razor thin margin in the House and the Senate, but they're governing like this is FDR, like they own the country. And so I think this is a pushback against the insanity going on at so many different levels.

Now, politically, this is, I think, such a devastating loss. I'm trying to sort of put it in perspective. It reminds me a little bit of the loss of the two Georgia Senate seats for the Republicans right after 2020. But in the case of that Georgia election, there was a divide between the Trump kind of MAGA camp and the Republican establishment in Georgia. So it was a little bit of an anomalous situation.

But here in Virginia the Democrats were united, they went all in, Obama was there, Kamala Harris was there, Stacey Abrams. They pulled out all the stops. And even so they suffered not just what looks to be a defeat but a resounding defeat. And I think that has implications for 2022 and perhaps stretching all the way to 2024.

INGRAHAM: Victor, I just want to keep going back to this Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema and this reconciliation bill that is still hanging in the balance. Manchin has got to see what is going on in the country. And West Virginia went by Trump by how much? I've forgotten it was so much. So what is he doing? He should shut this whole thing down, and Biden should come out tomorrow and say -- do an Obama after he got shellacked, and try and work with the other party. But I doubt that will happen.

HANSON: I think he's huddling with his advisors tonight, Laura, to do exactly what you said, and do so in saving grace with his colleagues. But he knows it's suicide now to go along with this crazy bunch that the people repudiated.

I think the message is also they're in an echo chamber. They have Silicon Valley, professor sports, entertainment, corporate boardroom, Wall Street, universities, K through 12, but they don't have the people. They have all the leverages of communication and influence, but the message and their attitude and the meanness by which they deliver it has alienated the people. Without the people you're nothing, and I think Manchin is going to figure that out. He already has.

INGRAHAM: The gubernatorial race in New Jersey is a lot closer than expected. We're going to go back to Bill Hemmer at the billboard for the latest. Bill, this is fascinating. What can you tell us?

BILL HEMMER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Yes, indeed it is, Laura. Listen, there's well over half the vote that's still out right now. Let's see what happens here. Some of these heavily Democratic areas have not clocked in their entire vote. It would be a stunner if Ciattarelli were to be able to hang on to this, but as for the moment, it would appear to be a tight race.

Why is that? I'll just take you here to Middlesex County right now. Murphy is where you would expect him to be, right a little bit under 60 percent in that county, so he seems to be holding his own. You go back to 2017, and this was Murphy then, he was at 57 percent. So that's what's happening in Middlesex.

I was watching Bergen County up here up in the northeastern part. You have the Republican here hanging on in a way that maybe a lot of people didn't expect. Let me just go back four years and show you what the result was there. Murphy was an easy winner in Bergen County, so maybe these numbers hold up, and they keep it a tight race, Laura, or maybe they collapse. This is something we're just waiting to find out here in New Jersey.

It is no secret that the focus of this election was in Virginia, and not New Jersey. So we're waiting to see how this picture fills in just a little bit here. Just give us a little more time, all right?

Now back in Virginia, why can't we make a call? We can't make a call -- here are the current numbers, Youngkin 51.5, McAuliffe just shy of 48 percent. So it's gotten tighter over the past 30 minutes, I would say, Laura. At the moment, some of these bigger counties like Chesterfield, right, we talked a lot about this, suburban vote here south of Richmond, Youngkin's outperforming what he tried, what his intent was to come into tonight. He wanted a floor of about 51 percent. He's well exceeded that. But still, based on our figures there's about 45 percent of the vote out in Chesterfield County. That's what we get from our decision desk here.

A few other places. Loudoun County is done, that's in. Virginia Beach down here in the southeast. We have Youngkin easily outperforming his margin, what he expected coming in to the race tonight, but still about 40 percent of the vote outstanding in Virginia Beach. So a few more votes to be counted there.

Fairfax has clocked in, still about 10 percent left there, but we've seen the votes being tabulated in the last hour at a rate that we had not seen earlier in the night. I'll just show you one more here, go to Prince William. We think at the moment -- yes, and Orince William, I want to get this right now. At Prince William, there's about 40 percent of the vote still outstanding. Well, that's three out of 133 counties and cities. In 2017, Northam was around 60 percent, 2021, McAuliffe's well under that. Is there a big batch of blue votes in that 40 percent, Laura, that would change? Yes, it could, could very well. But that's the reason why we are being hesitant to make any sort of call in Virginia tonight.

INGRAHAM: But, Bill, what is going on -- everyone's messaging me about this as well. What on earth is happening in Fairfax County? They've got all of this money in Fairfax County, but they can't bring the vote in a timely manner. What is happening?

HEMMER: I'll tell you, Loudoun County is not making Fairfax look good tonight, Laura.

INGRAHAM: No.

HEMMER: Loudoun County checked in. They're all done, they're in, and Youngkin outperformed. He did what he needed to do in Loudoun County, we can say that for a fact. But over here in Fairfax, well, we've got about 10 percent of the vote outstanding. It's heavily blue. You know that, Laura. It's the most populated county in all of Virginia. So until more of those numbers come in, we're not going to be able to make a call here in Virginia.

So you're coming up on the 11:00 hour east coast time. That's where we stand. Still need a few more batches to roll in here.

INGRAHAM: All right, well, we'll check back with you. Bill Hemmer at the billboard.

Back with me is Victor Davis Hanson and Dinesh D'Souza. Victor -- I guess I'm going to go back to Dinesh, because I'm trying to remember who I was talking to last. I think Dinesh, I'm up for you now. When you think about down the road, people were so demoralized last year, they were so infuriated and all the emotions that we understand, and we know. Isn't this also a message that you can never get this down about politics? There's always another fight. There's always another election. And especially when we know certain policies work, and socialism never works anywhere it's tried. So Republicans just -- or conservatives, they can't just get so down in the mouth every time they lose because, look, we always come back.

D'SOUZA: I agree with that. I think there was a special set of circumstances following the 2020 election. It wasn't just the losing. It was the fact that you were prevented from discussing openly the loss. It was the fact that you had the censorship on digital platforms. It was the fact that it seemed that the institutions of the culture were turning against people. People were being fired from their jobs for saying the wrong thing.

And so I think there was a sense of demoralization. And then the brazenness with which the Biden administration is moving forward, and policies intuitively we knew were crazy, but it's almost as if they were daring the American people to push back. It's almost as if they said we have got the system locked down, we have got the culture locked down. So by in large, your voice doesn't even matter. So I think that's what makes this so encouraging, so exhilarating, because you begin to see the American people are pushing back, and that our instincts about the craziness of the other side are turning out to be vindicated in popular opinion.

INGRAHAM: And Victor, I think Dinesh put it very well. In addition, being a happy, hopeful warrior with plenty of righteous indignation when necessary, but that really counts. Glenn Youngkin is a happy warrior. He's fun to be around, he's positive, he's tough as nails, even though he has kind of a clean-cut boy image, but he's a tough guy. That's also important.

HANSON: It is. And I agree with Dinesh. There were also some specific incidents, and that was that the more that Biden's agenda was realized, the more we had nostalgia for the Trump antithesis. And when they disbarred Donald Trump from social media, they thought they had a big coup. But the fact was we remembered what Trump did and not what he said because he was silenced by the left, and it turned out to be oddly good for them.

They drove January 6th into the ground, and then the more they did that, the more people were uneasy. There hasn't been people arrested with guns in the Capitol. There was one person shot, but it was a Trump supporter and she was unarmed. Officer Sicknick did not die. So things came out about January 6th that troubled people. So there were a lot of incidents throughout that period of January, February, March, where the Republicans were at their nadir that kind of faded.

And now, in an odd way, the more that Biden does things that are anti Trump, the more that we remember really well how good Trump was and how unnecessary the tweets were, because he's not tweeting anymore. And it really works to his advantage. He's sort of the omnipresent person without getting in your face, and I think that's a model for him and the Republican Party. They can really be tough and pursue this agenda without going down these cul-de-sacs. And I think we're going to see a lot more of that.

INGRAHAM: Well, they certainly put him on the defensive from the moment he got in office. And they couldn't tolerate nor what he represented. Victor and Dinesh great to see you. Thank you.

And this is a FOX News alert. Gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey aren't the only important races being decided tonight. At stake in Minneapolis the mayor's office at the fate of the city's police department. Ballot question two asked voters if the Minneapolis police department should be abolished and replaced with the Department of Public Safety. We go to FOX's Garrett Tenney for the latest updates there. Garrett?

GARRETT TENNEY, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Laura, the results are in, and voters have rejected this proposal to dismantle the Minneapolis police department. This is a major blow to progressive Democrats and to the defund police movement overall. Remember, Minneapolis became ground zero for the defund the police agenda after the death of George Floyd, and activists believed if they could win here, it would set the stage to dismantle other police departments in cities across the country.

Standing in their way, though, has been a group of leaders from the black community who have been the most outspoken critics of this plan to dismantle Minneapolis' police department at a time when the city is seeing a surge in violent crime and is on pace to break records for homicides. Black communities have been the hardest hit by this wave of crime, and those leaders argue that while reforms to police are needed, their neighborhoods need more officers, not fewer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The majority of African Americans don't want this. These are progressives that's moving on their own agenda that I call a white supremist agenda, to define our reality then force us to live under their definition.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TENNEY: This proposal to dismantle the police department also became a central issue in the race for mayor and city council. It is too early to tell what the results for the mayor's race will be, but at this point Mayor Jacob Frey, who opposed getting rid of the police department, has a very commanding lead. And as for the city council, it is clear that those members who supported dismantling the police are all having a very difficult night.

So even while we're waiting for the full results to come in, it appears that this is a clear repudiation of the defund and dismantle the police movement, a blow for progressives Democrats, and the ripple effects of this vote will be felt well into the next year as we come up on the midterm election. Laura?

INGRAHAM: Garrett, thank you. And great news out of Minneapolis for the residents there who deserved a lot better than what they've gotten.

And back to Virginia where Glenn Youngkin is close to an incredible victory tonight, something that really none of the so-called experts really thought he could pull off. But McAuliffe's campaign may not go down without a fight. One aide telling FOX there is substantial amount of early vote left to be counted, along with large numbers from places like Fairfax, Richmond, and other urban areas where we have outperformed the rest of the state. And just days ago, we learned McAuliffe hired notorious Democrat election fixer Marc Elias, who will no doubt be leading any effort to fight the results.

Joining me now is Harmeet Dhillon, attorney, RNC national committeewoman from California who lived for a long time in Virginia, and Jill Vogel Republican election lawyer helping the Youngkin team.

Let's go to you first Harmeet. Harmeet, you and I attended UVA together and law school, and back then Charlottesville was kind of a middle of the road place. There was some liberalism, but did you expect what you're seeing tonight with this groundswell. And the McAuliffe party seems to have been a little bit disbanded, by the way, but this is Youngkin headquarters. Harmeet, your take?

HARMEET DHILLON, CEO, CENTER FOR AMERICAN LIBERTY: Laura, this is absolutely earth shattering. When you and I were at UVA together, Doug Wilder, a Democrat, moderate Democrat, was the governor, and that's what Democrats were like in Virginia. Fast forward to today where Terry McAuliffe has been embracing the most extreme radical left agenda and policies, and doing so with the arrogance of somebody who won the governor's seat before. And it completely failed.

And so I think this is a wake-up call for Democrats all over the country. And, in fact, Kamala Harris said that very thing. But this is not an accident. This victory is a result of the hard preparation and groundwork by lawyers like Jill, by the Republican National Lawyers Association, which trained and deployed almost 100 lawyers into the field, and by the RNC which invested heavily in over 100 staff.

So this is not just sort of the glamour or personality and flashy results like that. It is about the hard, hard work in the trenches. Scott Presler making sure to register voters. That's how you do it. You don't do it with personality. You do it with latching on to the policies that move middle America, move the soccer moms. And that's the kids and that's the schools and that's the taxes, and that's people paying $100 to fill up their cars. Those are the things that won this election.

INGRAHAM: And interesting tweet earlier tonight which I kept meaning to get to about some of the other historic firsts there will be tonight. The Democrats are always talking about firsts. And we have the first female, I believe, is it the attorney general of Virginia, who has an incredible story of her own. And we're going to go now the Youngkin team, Jill Vogel, who is representing the Youngkin team tonight on this show. Any outstanding legal challenges that you expect from McAuliffe and Marc Elias, Jill?

JILL VOGEL, (R) VIRGINIA STATE Senator: Hey, Laura. Well, at this point it's too soon to tell. I will tell you, it was an interesting message that Terry McAuliffe telegraphed to everybody tonight when he did not concede. I think it's pretty clear to the rest of America where Virginia is. Virginia gave America a resounding message that we've got a new Virginia. What a difference a day makes. And I would just also add, Laura, that it is our lieutenant governor --

INGRAHAM: Sorry about that. I misspoke.

VOGEL: -- that was elected tonight. That's OK. Winsome Sears who is the first female, and I say that because I actually was statewide candidate four years ago for lieutenant governor, and I want to give a shout-out to Winsome and congratulate her. Anyway, it's too soon to tell, but I can tell you -- go ahead.

INGRAHAM: No, go ahead.

VOGEL: I was just going to say, I'm super proud of the campaign that our candidates ran. But I also want to say, to your question, the legal support that we had, both from volunteers and from lawyers around the commonwealth of Virginia, we put together something that has never, ever been done in the commonwealth of Virginia, with thousands of volunteers and hundreds of lawyers.

And we also had something that's never happened in Virginia, and that is an election that started on September 17th. That was really the beginning of our Election Day. And Election Day didn't end until tonight at 7:00 p.m. So we had 45 days of an Election Day, and the most important thing that we could do was build out a structure to give our people the confidence to vote early and know that we were paying attention --

INGRAHAM: You bet.

VOGEL: -- and that their vote would be counted.

INGRAHAM: This campaign, I said it last night when I was in Leesburg, one of the best-run campaigns. And I've been sadly, sadly in the Washington area for like 30 years, OK? I'm really dating myself. But it is one of the best-run campaigns I have seen of all the campaigns I've seen.

And Jill, the entire team, was -- I can't really say anything that you guys didn't do right. That's not being very critical. But that's just my honest assessment of how things went.

I want to just read the tweet that I botched before. Forgive me. "Shouldn't the media be all over a black woman who immigrated from Jamaica, served in the Marines, has a master's agree, ran a homeless shelter for women, raced three kids, and is now running to be the highest ranking minority woman government official in Virginia history, Winsome Sears?" Again, and we have a Cuban -- an individual of Cuban descent who will be, if things go the way we think they will, attorney general of the state, which is just incredible. The story is just amazing.

Harmeet, closing thoughts here, all those moderate Republican, moderate Democrats across the country, what should they take from this, very quickly?

DHILLON: They should take that the Democratic Party is too extreme. They're way beyond the mainstream. And that when it comes to the issues that matter in the pocketbook and in their families, the Republican candidates are their only choice. No amount of hiring Marc Elias or other extremists like that is going to change that truth.

INGRAHAM: All right, Harmeet and Jill, thanks so much. And Glenn Youngkin is going to take the stage any moment. FOX News is told by someone close to the campaign, we're going to celebrate tonight. The McAuliffe campaign celebration seems to have dissipated, according to my sources there. So I don't think they're getting ready to celebrate much over there.

And, and we're going to -- I'm hearing someone, and I can't hear what they're saying. No one. There is no one at McAuliffe's rally. That what they -- I guess that picture kind of tells the story. This has been a wild ride in Virginia. And, again, this reminds us all, never lose heart about the country. Remember, it's always an election away with the next change for America.

Thank you for watching. Remember, it's America now and forever. Bret Baier, Martha MacCallum pick up the coverage from here.

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