In a new ad, the Lincoln Project calls out Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin for using race in his Virginia campaign.

"Why is Glenn Youngkin suddenly talking about critical race theory?" the narrator asks.

"Why do you think it is the issue to put your state back in Republican hands?"

After all, it's not taught in Virginia schools. Not one. We'll tell you why, but first, let's turn the clock back a few years to Lee Atwater, a Republican operative who used race to win elections.

ATWATER: “You start out in 1954, by saying (repeats n-word). By 1968, you can't say (n-word), that hurts you, it backfires. So you say stuff like ‘forced busing’, ‘states' rights’, and all that stuff.”

Like Atwater, Glenn is using coded language. Because in 2021, he can't get away with saying what he really wants to say.

So if you see Glenn Youngkin talking about critical race theory —

Make sure to let him know he's not fooling anyone.

ATWATER: “Anyway you look at it, race is coming on the back burner.”