'Don't fret' response to massive job losses in Virginia under Trump won't cut it for me

The new "America’s Top States for Business" rankings make one thing clear: the Trump administration's approach is not working for Virginia.

Democrat Abigail Spanberger represented Virginia’s 7th District in the United States House of Representatives from 2019 to 2025. She is a former federal law enforcement officer and former CIA case officer. She is now the Democratic nominee for governor of Virginia.

But in the months since the Trump administration launched DOGE, I’ve been hearing from Virginians — across the political spectrum — who have lost their jobs or are worried their jobs will be targeted next. And I’m hearing from local business owners and contractors who are worried about their financial futures, as well as business leaders who are concerned about the long-term damage done to Virginia's economy; not just in northern Virginia, but in every corner of our commonwealth. We are home to more than 320,000 federal workers — not even including the private-sector workers who support federal contracts or the small business owners who are seeing Virginians cut back on family budgets.