Friend of Lt. Gov. Fairfax: ‘It’s Time for Governor Ralph Northam to Step Aside’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT clip starts ░░░░░░░░ Yesterday I took responsibility ░░░░░░░░ content that appeared on ░░░░░░░░ page in the eastern ░░░░░░░░ medical school year book ░░░░░░░░ am not and will ░░░░░░░░ excuse the content of ░░░░░░░░ photo It was offensive ░░░░░░░░ and despicable I am ░░░░░░░░ either of the people ░░░░░░░░ that photo And it ░░░░░░░░ my responsibility to recognize ░░░░░░░░ prevent it from being ░░░░░░░░ in the first place ░░░░░░░░ ends SMITH Have Governor ░░░░░░░░ Northam refusing to resign ░░░░░░░░ a racist photo from ░░░░░░░░ medical school year book ░░░░░░░░ he steps down lieutenant ░░░░░░░░ Justin Fairfax would be ░░░░░░░░ s second African governor ░░░░░░░░ has condemned the photo ░░░░░░░░ has not called for ░░░░░░░░ s resignation Our next ░░░░░░░░ is the lieutenant governor ░░░░░░░░ friend and former Virginia ░░░░░░░░ delegate Michael Futrell Thank ░░░░░░░░ for coming this morning ░░░░░░░░ first off has Fairfax ░░░░░░░░ you call a friend ░░░░░░░░ he made any indication ░░░░░░░░ you that he is ░░░░░░░░ for Northam to step ░░░░░░░░ and resign FUTRELL Well ░░░░░░░░ haven t spoken to ░░░░░░░░ Lieutenant Governor of Fairfax ░░░░░░░░ about this Because you ░░░░░░░░ understand the peculiar situation ░░░░░░░░ he is in being ░░░░░░░░ he would be the ░░░░░░░░ person in line I ░░░░░░░░ he released a very ░░░░░░░░ statement which touched the ░░░░░░░░ of what all of ░░░░░░░░ were feeling at the ░░░░░░░░ But what is clear ░░░░░░░░ it s time for ░░░░░░░░ Ralph Northam to step ░░░░░░░░ There is no way ░░░░░░░░ he can continue to ░░░░░░░░ because people can t ░░░░░░░░ that they can follow ░░░░░░░░ And it s time ░░░░░░░░ him to be able ░░░░░░░░ step aside so the ░░░░░░░░ can heal and move ░░░░░░░░ And I am 100 ░░░░░░░░ confident that Justin can ░░░░░░░░ us together so that ░░░░░░░░ we can continue to ░░░░░░░░ forward SMITH Michael is ░░░░░░░░ based on the photo ░░░░░░░░ or are you making ░░░░░░░░ call based on the ░░░░░░░░ of the governor in ░░░░░░░░ hours and days that ░░░░░░░░ where he first apologized ░░░░░░░░ the photo acknowledging that ░░░░░░░░ was in it and ░░░░░░░░ changed his story and ░░░░░░░░ that is not him ░░░░░░░░ Well let s be ░░░░░░░░ here I m not ░░░░░░░░ at a snapshot I ░░░░░░░░ looking at a full ░░░░░░░░ picture What we have ░░░░░░░░ a history of some ░░░░░░░░ that raise red flags ░░░░░░░░ have where they took ░░░░░░░░ Fairfax off of the ░░░░░░░░ during the campaign You ░░░░░░░░ the allegations about the ░░░░░░░░ book which he first ░░░░░░░░ out and said yes ░░░░░░░░ was me You saw ░░░░░░░░ nickname of coon man ░░░░░░░░ saw that when he ░░░░░░░░ to dress up for ░░░░░░░░ he chose to dress ░░░░░░░░ as his quote unquote ░░░░░░░░ governor a slave holder ░░░░░░░░ I bring all those ░░░░░░░░ together you know that ░░░░░░░░ what I m basing ░░░░░░░░ decisions on and if ░░░░░░░░ see all the reports ░░░░░░░░ came out right after ░░░░░░░░ happened his instincts were ░░░░░░░░ His instincts were he ░░░░░░░░ to step aside because ░░░░░░░░ realized he wouldn t ░░░░░░░░ able to lead under ░░░░░░░░ circumstances After a night ░░░░░░░░ sleep and getting in ░░░░░░░░ rooms with some bad ░░░░░░░░ they chose to fight ░░░░░░░░ thing out and see ░░░░░░░░ they can survive the ░░░░░░░░ cycle That s ego ░░░░░░░░ doing what s best ░░░░░░░░ the commonwealth I m ░░░░░░░░ at some point governor ░░░░░░░░ decides to be the ░░░░░░░░ that I always believed ░░░░░░░░ was and do what ░░░░░░░░ best for the commonwealth ░░░░░░░░ step aside SMITH Meanwhile ░░░░░░░░ who would step in ░░░░░░░░ the case Northam resigns ░░░░░░░░ you have pointed out ░░░░░░░░ someone you know well ░░░░░░░░ referenced the statement he ░░░░░░░░ He did not come ░░░░░░░░ and outright call for ░░░░░░░░ resignation of governor Northam ░░░░░░░░ said the governor needed ░░░░░░░░ apologize and I m ░░░░░░░░ he did so I ░░░░░░░░ t condone the actions ░░░░░░░░ his past at the ░░░░░░░░ least suggest a comfort ░░░░░░░░ white supremacy racial stereotyping ░░░░░░░░ intimidation We need leaders ░░░░░░░░ unite and help us ░░░░░░░░ to the better angels ░░░░░░░░ our nature Would you ░░░░░░░░ him to come out ░░░░░░░░ say specifically whether he ░░░░░░░░ the need for Northam ░░░░░░░░ step aside FUTRELL It ░░░░░░░░ not that I would ░░░░░░░░ him to come out ░░░░░░░░ say anything I think ░░░░░░░░ people have spoken As ░░░░░░░░ continue to see across ░░░░░░░░ commonwealth with people organizing ░░░░░░░░ and people trying to ░░░░░░░░ these things on Facebook ░░░░░░░░ their disbelief with the ░░░░░░░░ 000 people of color ░░░░░░░░ voted for the governor ░░░░░░░░ felt let down this ░░░░░░░░ here shows us that ░░░░░░░░ people say that it ░░░░░░░░ time to move on ░░░░░░░░ doesn t matter what ░░░░░░░░ Fairfax does in this ░░░░░░░░ it s about the ░░░░░░░░ SMITH I also before ░░░░░░░░ let you go need ░░░░░░░░ ask you about lieutenant ░░░░░░░░ Justin Fairfax responding to ░░░░░░░░ assault allegations against him ░░░░░░░░ morning his team has ░░░░░░░░ out a statement about ░░░░░░░░ because he could be ░░░░░░░░ one stepping into the ░░░░░░░░ s shoes here He ░░░░░░░░ an outstanding reputation for ░░░░░░░░ people with dignity and ░░░░░░░░ and never assaulted anyone ░░░░░░░░ any way shape or ░░░░░░░░ The lieutenant governor will ░░░░░░░░ appropriate legal action against ░░░░░░░░ spreading the defamatory and ░░░░░░░░ allegation A woman saying ░░░░░░░░ Fairfax sexually assaulted her ░░░░░░░░ the 2004 DNC Any ░░░░░░░░ there FUTRELL First off ░░░░░░░░ is not about Justin ░░░░░░░░ What we ve seen ░░░░░░░░ right now and if ░░░░░░░░ follow my Twitter I ░░░░░░░░ that statement the other ░░░░░░░░ the longer this drags ░░░░░░░░ you are going to ░░░░░░░░ all sorts of allegations ░░░░░░░░ all sorts of people ░░░░░░░░ are going to come ░░░░░░░░ I ve heard well ░░░░░░░░ it the mayor of ░░░░░░░░ pushing it out or ░░░░░░░░ attorney general.”