Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has said he now believes he was not in a racist yearbook picture and can prove it wasn’t him, according to another Virginia Democrat who spoke with the governor.
That official, who relayed to The Associated Press what the pair discussed, has not been identified, but quoted Northam as reiterating that he has no immediate plans to resign.
Northam has scheduled a news conference for 2:30 p.m. ET, when he is expected to say he believes he was not in the photo, which shows one person in blackface and another wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood.
The governor has reportedly been calling fellow Virginia Democrats to try to gain support. Nearly his entire political base has called for him to resign.
After the picture went public on Friday, Northam issued a statement saying he was “sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo.”
But Northam has since said that after further reflection, he has no memory of wearing either of the racist costumes and doesn’t not believe he is in the picture from the 1984 yearbook.
The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, the state House Democratic Caucus and the state Senate Democratic Caucus all called on Northam to resign late Friday, along with several key progressive groups that have been some of the governor’s closest political allies.
The yearbook images, taken from the governor’s medical yearbook, were published again Friday afternoon by the conservative news outlet Big League Politics. The Virginian-Pilot later obtained a copy from Eastern Virginia Medical School, which Northam attended. The photo shows two people looking at the camera — one in blackface wearing a hat, bow tie and plaid pants; the other in a full Ku Klux Klan robe.
An Associated Press reporter saw the yearbook page and confirmed its authenticity at the medical school.
There is no place for racism in America. Gov. Northam has lost all moral authority and should resign immediately.– Joe Biden on Twitter
In his first apology, issued in a written statement, Northam called the costume he wore “clearly racist and offensive,” but he didn’t say which one he had worn.
He later issued a video statement saying he was “deeply sorry,” but still committed to serving the “remainder of my term.”
“I accept responsibility for my past actions and I am ready to do the hard work of regaining your trust,” Northam said.
A small number of protesters stood outside the governor’s mansion Saturday to demand his resignation.
Northam’s departure would mean current Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a Democrat who is only the second African-American to win statewide office in Virginia, would be the next governor. Northam’s term was set to end in 2022.
Black lawmakers said they met with Northam Friday evening, and said in a statement they appreciate his service.
“But given what was revealed today, it is clear that he can no longer effectively serve as governor,” the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus said.
‘He betrayed us’
State Sen. Louise Lucas, a close ally of Northam and longtime African-American lawmaker, said black leaders felt “mortally wounded” by the photo and that he has no option but to resign.
“He betrayed us,” she told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Others said there was no question he should step down. Among them: Democratic presidential hopefuls Cory Booker, Julian Castro, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren; newly elected Democratic U.S. Reps. Elaine Luria and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia; the NAACP and Planned Parenthood.
On Saturday, former vice-president Joe Biden tweeted, “There is no place for racism in America. Gov. Northam has lost all mortal authority and should resign immediately.”
Northam spent years actively courting the black community in the lead up to his 2017 gubernatorial run, building relationships that helped him win both the primary and the general election. He’s a member of a predominantly black church on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, where he grew up.
“It’s a matter of relationships and trust. That’s not something that you build overnight,” Northam told the AP during a 2017 campaign stop while describing his relationship with the black community. Northam, a folksy pediatric neurologist who is personal friends with many GOP lawmakers, has recently come under fire from Republicans who have accused him of backing infanticide after he said he supported a bill loosening restrictions on late-term abortions.
Last week, Florida’s secretary of state resigned after photos from a 2005 Halloween party showed him in blackface while dressed as a Hurricane Katrina victim.