Juke Box Diner in Manassas hosted the Fox News Channel’s morning show “Fox and Friends,” which did a series of live reports from the diner on Wednesday, July 5, 2023.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who came to the diner to appear on the show, talked about education and talked to Potomac Local News about the importance of hiring more police and supporting them in the field.
“Police officers want to work in places where the department has their backs,” Youngkin told PLN in an exclusive interview after his TV appearance. The governor pointed to a partnership between his administration and Petersburg, which has led to a strengthened police department in the city, and a successful recruiting effort leading to “nearly zero” vacancies, the governor said.
Crime is a key campaign issue for the upcoming November 7 General Election (early voting begins September 23, 2023). In Prince William County, violent crime is up 70% since 2019.
“We also have to hire prosecutors who will prosecute,” Youngkin added. Since 2020, monthly direct criminal indictments have fallen from 300 to about 70 under Commonwealth Attorney Amy Ashworth.
Ashworth, a Democrat, is on the ballot this November, challenged by Republican and former Prince William County Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Matt Lowery. Last week, business owners filed into a county police station to talk about the uptick in crime along the Sudley and Balls Ford roads corridors outside Manassas, where many fear for their safety.
All seats on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, which can hire and fire the county’s police chief, are up in November, too.
During Wednesday morning’s TV broadcast, reporter Griff Jenkins asked diners whether or not Youngkin should run for president. Both replied “no,” and said he should continue focusing on governing Virginia. Youngkin, whose been governor since 2022, is the first Republican to win to occupy the governor’s mansion since 2013.
Bobbie MacDonald woke up, saw the TV crew broadcasting from the nearby diner, and drove down for breakfast. “I would tell the county supervisors that there are big issues in this county right now, crime included. We don’t come into Manassas that often or go to the eastern end of the county. We stay in our little area,” said MacDonald, whose lived in Catharpin since 2005.
Republican candidates Ian Lovejoy, a former Manassas City Councilman running for the newly-created House District 22 in western Prince William County, and John Stirrup, a former Prince William County Supervisor running for the newly-created 21 House District, came to the event. Youngkin encouraged both to “campaign hard” and focus on public safety issues.
No one from the Manassas City Government stopped by for breakfast.
Juke Box Diner owner Joe Attyah said producers at the Fox News Channel asked him if they could broadcast from his restaurant. “It’s a good opportunity for us to get out the message about our business,” said Attyah, who also owns a second Juke Box Diner in Annandale.
The diner, at 8637 Sudley Road, has a classic 1950s decor and serves breakfast all day.
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