Fox's Rupert Murdoch met with VA Gov. Youngkin to encourage WH run: report

NewsCorp founder Rupert Murdoch has reportedly met with Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin twice to encourage him to seek the White House in 2024.

The timing of these meetings remains somewhat, unclear with one occurring in the spring and the other at an unspecified time, the Washington Post reported. Youngkin has rocketed to stardom in the Republican Party since his 2021 upset win in blue-leaning Virginia. Polling data suggests he would carry the state in a matchup with President Joe Biden and his approval numbers remain high among his constituency.

Murdoch's outlets, such as Fox News and the New York Post, initially appeared to fawn at the prospect of a President Ron DeSantis, though the Daily Mail highlighted that the reports of his meetings with Youngkin appear to coincide with the Florida governor's dip in the polls and the publication of critical articles from the mogul's own outlets.

Youngkin has previously denied any plans to run for president, though Axios reported over the weekend that he would consider entering the race after the state's legislative elections in November of this year. Such a delayed entry into the contest would leave Youngkin with precious little time to attract support prior to the Jan. 15, 2024, Iowa Caucus and the start of the nominating contests.

The first Republican primary debate is slated for Wednesday.

Murdoch's reported meetings with Youngkin appear to be a part of an anti-Trump effort among establishment Republicans to rally behind an alternative to the ex-commander-in-chief. Any such candidate would face an uphill battle, however, as Trump currently enjoys a 40.9% lead in the primary race, according to RealClearPolitics.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.