On Friday afternoon, at about the same time as the news of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s medical school yearbook photo in blackface-Klan hood was broken by Big League Politics, Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax (D) defended Northam (D) from critics of the governor’s comments earlier this week supporting post-partum abortions. Fairfax said in part, “The attacks on his character and medical judgement in response to policy differences are disgraceful and they must end.”

Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax.

Fairfax also defended fellow Democrat Delegate Kathy Tran over criticism of her bill (since defeated) that would have legalized abortion as a baby was being born. Northam’s infanticide comments came in support of Tran’s bill.

Fairfax posted his statement to Twitter at 1:49 p.m. EST, about the same time that Big League Politics broke the story of Northam’s yearbook blackface-Klan hood photo, posted to Twitter at 2:06 p.m. shortly after being published.

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YEARBOOK: Ralph Northam In Blackface Photo https://t.co/ILATl6iZwR — Big League Politics (@bigleaguepol) February 1, 2019

Image of Fairfax statement:

Northam and Tran comments that Fairfax is defending:

Just when you thought it couldn’t get more extreme than allowing abortion up to the moment of birth, Gov. Northam goes here. Watch the video. pic.twitter.com/IhE0ZwcUs9 — VA House GOP (@vahousegop) January 30, 2019

HEART WRENCHING– @GovernorVA called a press conference to clarify his comments on late-term abortions. Just like they did yesterday, the governor’s words speak for themselves. pic.twitter.com/97M2epIli9 — VA House GOP (@vahousegop) January 31, 2019

Should Northam resign, as seems inevitable as even the man he served under when he was lieutenant governor, Governor Terry McAuliffe has called on him to resign, Fairfax succeeding Northam will be a case of ‘meet the new boss, the same as the old boss’ when it comes to abortion.