NBC News anchor Chuck Todd lost control of the second and final Virginia gubernatorial debate between Terry McAuliffe and Glenn Youngkin after a third-party candidate disrupted the political showdown from the audience.
Princess Blanding, a progressive candidate running in the Liberation Party, began shouting towards the stage roughly 15 minutes into the debate.
“I am on the ballot! Why am I not on that stage?” Blanding asked. “This is not democracy!”
She taunted McAuliffe, telling the Democrat, “You are not gonna win Terry.”
Dramatic moment at #VAGOV debate as progressive third-party candidate screams about not being allowed on stage. Debate derailed for several minutes. “You are not gonna win Terry,” – Princess Blanding, a candidate with the Liberation Party pic.twitter.com/MXdAL9meSO
— Eva McKend (@evamckend) September 28, 2021
Blanding, who was accompanied by a few supporters, is heard shouting “I worked very hard to be on the ballot” during the broadcast.
Todd attempted to carry on with the debate, repeatedly telling Blanding “thank you” as she continued shouting down the moderate.
Eventually, the “Meet the Press” host lost his patience.
“Alright, security,” Todd called for back-up.
Shortly after, Todd took it to a commercial break.
Third-party #VAgov candidate Princess Blanding interrupts the governor’s debate live on @NBCWashington and begins heckling the stage, leading @ChuckTodd to call for security and toss to a commercial break.
What a mess. pic.twitter.com/HYErNGcIFJ
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 28, 2021
After leaving the auditorium, Blanding spoke to reporters about what had just transpired.
“I just made it very clear that I am a candidate to let Virginians know that their censorship of my candidacy is racist. It is very sexist. It is very oppressive. And it’s a form of voter suppression,” Blanding said. “Their goal is to make sure Virginians don’t know that I exist so they feel that they have to choose between the lesser of two evils.”
Blanding asserted she “had to work ten times harder” to get on the ballot and it’s “a bunch of bulls—” for her to be subjected to sitting in the audience.
“I will not be silenced,” Blanding vowed.
More from @PrinBlandingVA who stormed the debate, derailing it for several minutes and demand she have a spot on the stage. She’s particularly mad at Democrats and a system she characterizes as making people chose between the “lesser of two evils.”#VAGov pic.twitter.com/DTgk75MbH4
— Eva McKend (@evamckend) September 28, 2021
This is an excerpt from Fox News.
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