Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam meets with senior aides amid pressure to resign
Embattled Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam held a Sunday evening huddle with administration officials of color as he faces mounting pressure to resign over the revelation of racially insensitive photos of Northam during his time in medical school. CBS News' Ed O'Keefe and Jack Turman confirm Northam met with senior aides on Sunday night and Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax, who is African-American, was not present for the meeting.
The meeting appears to be the latest effort for Northam to save face as he resists calls to resign over the racist images found in his school yearbook. Northam first apologized for the photo, which showed a man dressed as a Ku Klux Klan member and another in blackface. But on Saturday, the governor amended his story. "I believe then and now that I am not either of the people in the photo," Northam said at a press conference. He acknowledged the photo was "disgusting," "racist" and "offensive."
O'Keefe reports that Democrats plan to meet on Monday to hash out how they can pressure Northam to leave office. Should Northam step down, 39-year-old Fairfax would take over, making him the nation's only black governor currently.
After the photo surfaced Friday, numerous leaders in the Democratic Party including 2020 presidential contenders and both Democratic Virginia senators called for Northam to step down.
On Sunday, former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe told CNN's "State of the Union" that Northam could no longer serve as the state's governor. Northam served as the lieutenant governor of Virginia while McAuliffe was in office.
"We did so many great things together, but once that picture came out, you can no longer be the governor. We have had a horrible history of racism in Virginia. It has been one of the worst 48 hours but Virginia needs to come out of this stronger," said McAuliffe.
President Trump also weighed in on the controversy, calling Northam's actions "unforgivable" in a tweet on Saturday.
