Donald Trump is pulling out of a key battleground state
The move reportedly "blindsided" Republican operatives and Trump staffers in the state, according to NBC News.
Clinton's lead in the state, a modest four points this summer, has now ballooned to 7.5 points, according to a RealClearPolitics average of state polls.
Trump's increasingly narrow road to victory now hinges on four other battlegrounds, which his campaign will now primarily focus on: Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio.
But former Trump Virginia state chairman Corey Stewart blasted the decision, telling NBC News it was "totally premature" and insisting on Facebook that his state is "winnable" in November.
"Thousands of dedicated volunteers have spent millions of hours knocking on doors, making phone calls and raising money for Mr. Trump over the past 15 months. Virginia is winnable," Stewart said on Facebook. "Pulling out now would be a betrayal to these volunteers."
Stewart was fired by the Trump campaign this week after he took part in a protest outside Republican National Convention headquarters.
Virginia is the home state of Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine.