| We’ve already seen Wittman phone it in (literally).
Now, a local columnist with the Virginian-Pilot is blasting Wittman for failing to answer for his votes in favor of the war in Iran, cost-spiking tariffs, and the One Big Beautiful Bill that has spiked costs and ripped away health care.
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Virginian-Pilot: Commentary: Duck, dodge and say nothing specific
- I wrote to my congressman, 19-year incumbent Republican Rob Wittman. I asked him why he voted for President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” budget bill and supported other Trump initiatives that seemed to be hurting his constituents.
- I asked the question directly because with early voting underway in Virginia in the 2026 midterm elections, Wittman still has not answered those questions. To the extent that any journalist can get a one-on-one interview with Wittman, the congressman responds to queries with talking points or ignores tough questions entirely.
- For example, NBC correspondent Ryan Nobles asked repeatedly if Wittman was going to invite Trump to campaign with him in Virginia. Wittman never answered the question.
- In a recent telephone endorsement that did not allow questions, Trump called Wittman a “spectacular warrior.” You won’t find that praise featured on Wittman’s campaign website.
- He has yet to explain how his vote for the Big Beautiful Bill improved the lives of his constituents. The federal budget Wittman approved gave America’s richest citizens and corporations permanent tax breaks that will blow up the national deficit over the next decade. How did that help the citizens of Virginia’s 1st Congressional District?
- The budget heaped cost-of-living increases on Virginia’s middle class with tariffs and inflation. How was that a good thing for the folks Wittman represents?
- Wittman voted several times to support Trump after the president flouted the Constitution and started a war with Iran without getting Congress’ approval… Is that constituent service?
- What about supporting a budget that killed 6,300 federal civilian jobs in Hampton Roads in 2025 and tens of thousands in the state? Economists at Old Dominion University estimate that it will take two new private sector jobs to make up for the pay and benefits of each lost federal job.
- Wittman answered my inquiry about supporting Trump to the detriment of his constituents. But my congressman offered me the same political pablum he offered Ryan Nobles and everybody else who has asked tough questions in this campaign. This is Wittman’s reelection strategy: Duck, dodge and say nothing specific.
- I strongly suspect what I got from Wittman was a form letter. Even if it was not, the vanilla content melted quickly into a pool of platitudes that presumed the congressman could play me, his constituent, for a fool.
- In his letter to me, Wittman promised, without a shred of irony, that he will hold “members of Congress accountable.”
- That’s like the engineer who caused the train wreck telling first responders how to extract victims from the rubble.
- Politician, heal thyself.
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