Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) defended his administration's efforts to combat critical race theory in schools and said people needed to stop viewing things through a racial lens during a Thursday night CNN town hall.

Youngkin, who won his 2021 election on a platform that heavily leaned on parental rights issues, took part in a CNN town hall with Jake Tapper on Thursday night on the "War Over Education" and defended his administration's policies on the teaching of critical race theory in schools, as well as how schools should respond to students seeking to identify with a gender different than their biological sex.

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"We've found ourselves in a moment where we're allowing ourselves to be pitted against one another in all things, and we all of a sudden find that everything has to be viewed through the lens of race," Youngkin said during the town hall. "I don't think we should pretend that racism doesn't exist, because it does, but how we move forward is up to us, and I think there's an opportunity for us to put down the accusations and put down the judgment and move together in a way that lifts up all people."

The studio audience, which featured a mix of Republicans and Democrats from all over Virginia, peppered Youngkin with questions on a wide range of topics during the hourlong town hall, from school policies on transgender students to school safety, student achievement, artificial intelligence in schools, and student mental health.

In response to the audience's and Tapper's questions, the governor defended his administration's move to develop new curriculum standards for history and said schools should not be sacrificing excellence for the sake of equity.

"The reality is that when a school hires consultants to come in and teach equity for all students, equal outcomes for all students at any cost, we end up with these kinds of circumstances," Youngkin said, referring to reports from Fairfax County Public Schools that National Merit awards were withheld from students. "We have to celebrate excellence. We shouldn't embrace equity at the expense of excellence."

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Youngkin also addressed rumors that he may run for president in 2024, saying his focus is on Virginia and joking that he is not "writing a book."

"I've been so pleased by the fact that all the things we campaigned on we accomplished," Youngkin said. "I have a big job. I love my job ... and I believe there's an enormous amount of work yet to do in Virginia. We've got a budget to negotiate. We've got a lot of work still to do in education. And every morning, I wake up, and I thank the Lord for putting me there. I asked him for help. And then I go to work with a spring in my step."