By embracing the political priorities of President Donald Trump, he figured, he could help bolster enthusiasm from Trump-supporting voters who'd nearly blocked his nomination to be the Republican nominee for governor in Virginia. Those voters had apparently preferred Corey Stewart, a candidate who'd internalized Trump's politics in a way that Gillespie hadn't. So, as Election Day approached, Gillespie ran a number of ads highlighting immigration, sanctuary cities and gang violence, despite the fact that crime is much lower in Virginia than in most of the rest of the country.
It was a gamble, but polling suggested it might be working.