Democrats have seized any opportunity to tie Youngkin to former president Donald Trump, who lost Virginia to Biden by 10 points in 2020.

Over at CNN, Dan Merica and Eric Bradner reported over the weekend how “Trump has looked to inject himself into the race, releasing a series of statements on the contest over the last few months and, most notably, calling in to a rally where he lauded Youngkin and said the candidate would ‘do all of the things we want a governor to do.’ John Fredericks, a Virginia-based conservative radio host who served as the chair of the Trump campaign in the commonwealth, told CNN on Friday that the former president also plans to headline a tele-rally in support of the GOP ticket on Monday, the night before Election Day.”

And then there were the fundraising emails from McAuliffe’s camp. “I am stunned more people aren’t worried.” “We must put a stake in the heart of Trumpism on Tuesday.” “Where’s the enthusiasm, Olivier?” “If our voters turn out, we win. If they don’t, we lose.”

It’s not at all clear whether Democrats’ strategy is a winner, however, given Trump is out of the White House and off the ballot. (Democrats also face historical head winds: Over the past two decades or so, the party that holds the White House has tended to lose the Virginia governorship.)