WEBVTT - Big Gretch with the Big Dogs | MiniPod 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:02.840 Native Lamb Pod is the production of iHeartRadio in partnership 0:00:02.840 --> 0:00:04.359 with Resent Choice Media. 0:00:04.559 --> 0:00:07.760 Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, welcome, welcome. 0:00:07.400 --> 0:00:10.719 Well, welcome home everyone. 0:00:10.840 --> 0:00:14.200 This is our mini pod. Uh, this is Native lamp Pod. 0:00:14.240 --> 0:00:16.799 Of course, I'm your host, Angela Raie with hosts Tiffany 0:00:16.800 --> 0:00:19.560 Cross and Andrew Gillham, and today we are thrilled to 0:00:19.640 --> 0:00:22.239 have a guest who's a returning guest. Actually, the last 0:00:22.280 --> 0:00:23.920 time we spoke with her was at the d NC 0:00:24.880 --> 0:00:26.200 convention over the summer. 0:00:26.680 --> 0:00:29.000 But you were trying to I think you're trying on lipstick. 0:00:29.400 --> 0:00:31.360 Sound like big gretch or something like that. 0:00:31.880 --> 0:00:34.239 Yep from the lit bar, shout out to Melissa Butler. 0:00:35.040 --> 0:00:37.960 We are we are here now to just welcome her 0:00:38.000 --> 0:00:40.920 back to the show. Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who is a 0:00:40.960 --> 0:00:43.400 forty night governor of Michigan, thank you so much for 0:00:43.479 --> 0:00:44.200 joining us today. 0:00:44.240 --> 0:00:45.280 Hey, it's good to be with you. 0:00:46.600 --> 0:00:48.280 I love that boss, Lady lip color. 0:00:48.360 --> 0:00:54.480 We love Melissa Butler, as Angela said, is a governor. 0:00:54.680 --> 0:00:57.000 You've been in the news a lot this week, and 0:00:57.080 --> 0:00:59.400 I want to kick us off with not necessarily the 0:00:59.440 --> 0:01:01.120 top story, but definitely a big story. 0:01:01.120 --> 0:01:02.640 If I think for a lot of our listeners. 0:01:03.200 --> 0:01:05.600 Michigan, as you well know, has more than one point 0:01:05.640 --> 0:01:08.959 five million black residents. That's more than Louisiana, more than 0:01:08.959 --> 0:01:12.759 Alabama and South Carolina. Can you talk our viewers through 0:01:12.760 --> 0:01:16.800 your decision in deciding to not endorse you are running me? 0:01:17.600 --> 0:01:21.120 Garland Gilchris is the lieutenant governor and is now running 0:01:21.240 --> 0:01:22.720 for governor of Michigan. 0:01:24.280 --> 0:01:26.839 Yeah, well, you know what, the race for governors kicked 0:01:26.880 --> 0:01:30.880 off pretty early. I'm grateful that I have had such 0:01:30.880 --> 0:01:35.240 a phenomenal partner in Garland. He is really a star 0:01:35.640 --> 0:01:39.200 and a great leader and has been an amazing partner. 0:01:39.680 --> 0:01:42.440 You know, I know enough to know that there's a 0:01:42.800 --> 0:01:45.360 long road ahead, and he and I've had a lot 0:01:45.360 --> 0:01:48.760 of very i think honest conversations over the years, and 0:01:49.320 --> 0:01:52.800 you know, I think he if he's successful in winning 0:01:52.840 --> 0:01:56.040 that race, he'll be a great governor. But I've also 0:01:56.120 --> 0:01:58.080 served with a lot of the people that are running, 0:01:58.120 --> 0:02:00.560 and so he and I he understands. But we've been 0:02:00.880 --> 0:02:04.080 we've been close, and I'll continue to I think be 0:02:04.160 --> 0:02:05.280 a good partner to him too. 0:02:05.520 --> 0:02:08.239 I just want to ask the sorry and a quick 0:02:08.600 --> 0:02:13.359 follow up, So are you concerned or how concerned are 0:02:13.440 --> 0:02:17.600 you that by not endorsing your running mate and Lieutenant 0:02:17.639 --> 0:02:22.480 Governor Garland Gilchris, a black man in Michigan, How concerned 0:02:22.520 --> 0:02:25.400 are you that the Republican Party might try to use 0:02:26.080 --> 0:02:29.320 John James, who is a black man running and he 0:02:29.360 --> 0:02:32.600 could potentially be the only black person on the ticket 0:02:32.760 --> 0:02:37.240 given the sizeable population of residents who are black in 0:02:37.280 --> 0:02:37.680 your state. 0:02:39.040 --> 0:02:40.679 Well, the end of the day, to be successful run 0:02:40.720 --> 0:02:42.920 for governor, you know, you've got to be connected to 0:02:42.919 --> 0:02:45.160 the people. You've got to be everywhere in Michigan. You've 0:02:45.160 --> 0:02:47.880 got to have a vision that creates opportunity for everyone 0:02:47.919 --> 0:02:49.960 who calls this great stay at home. And you know, 0:02:50.000 --> 0:02:53.880 I think that the leugenant governor's resume is going to 0:02:53.919 --> 0:02:57.880 be a powerful, powerful thing for him to run on. 0:02:58.440 --> 0:03:02.000 But you know, I also know sitting governors, lieutenant governors, 0:03:02.280 --> 0:03:04.800 if you look historically, it's it's not always been an 0:03:04.880 --> 0:03:08.240 asset to have the governor have your you know, get 0:03:08.240 --> 0:03:10.280 their endorsement. You got to stand on your own two legs. 0:03:10.280 --> 0:03:14.000 And I think that's something that Garland's gonna gonna earn, 0:03:14.320 --> 0:03:16.280 and he's going to do it on his own terms. 0:03:16.280 --> 0:03:20.280 And it can't always be I think an extension of 0:03:20.480 --> 0:03:24.799 my administration, and so I think he's after asking for 0:03:25.160 --> 0:03:28.120 council and we've been great friends and we're on this, 0:03:28.400 --> 0:03:30.359 you know, we we have an understanding here. 0:03:31.160 --> 0:03:32.120 I am. 0:03:32.200 --> 0:03:36.640 I'm fascinated by this too, Governor, because our good friend 0:03:36.680 --> 0:03:40.200 and brother sitting right here, Andrew Gillum ran for governor 0:03:40.440 --> 0:03:44.120 of Florida. And I remember we've known each other a 0:03:44.160 --> 0:03:46.480 long time, called each other's sibling a long time. But 0:03:46.560 --> 0:03:50.760 I remember when he was running, he was the he 0:03:50.920 --> 0:03:55.360 was not the Institution's candidate. And I'm really fascinated by 0:03:55.400 --> 0:03:59.600 this parallel of what the party does sometimes in states 0:04:00.360 --> 0:04:03.200 and how the party overall and what it does with 0:04:03.360 --> 0:04:07.440 candidates and how it treats black people. You're seeing a 0:04:07.480 --> 0:04:10.760 lot of this happening all over the country where people 0:04:10.760 --> 0:04:12.120 are like, I'm kind of off the party. 0:04:12.360 --> 0:04:13.840 There's a rest thing happening. 0:04:13.880 --> 0:04:15.640 But also it's like we're going to organize, but now 0:04:15.680 --> 0:04:18.160 we're not organizing with y'all. Like all of that is 0:04:18.240 --> 0:04:20.720 kind of happening. And I'll tell you there was this 0:04:21.640 --> 0:04:23.560 tipping point for Andrew. And Andrew, I want you to 0:04:23.600 --> 0:04:25.279 tell your own story, but there's this tipping point for 0:04:25.320 --> 0:04:32.520 Andrew and the race where Andrew went to sit in 0:04:32.800 --> 0:04:34.520 as he did when he was the Florida A and 0:04:34.640 --> 0:04:38.159 M SGA president, and people were reminded by the fact 0:04:38.360 --> 0:04:38.839 that he's. 0:04:38.760 --> 0:04:39.600 One of us, you know. 0:04:40.000 --> 0:04:42.320 And so my point in raising any of that is 0:04:43.200 --> 0:04:47.200 when you have someone that's given their life to politics, 0:04:47.240 --> 0:04:49.839 it was a student government body president, like all of 0:04:49.880 --> 0:04:54.360 these things, going up to a gubernatorial race, and then 0:04:54.400 --> 0:04:57.040 that same party jump ship, whether it's in the form 0:04:57.120 --> 0:04:59.960 of its biggest influence, there's biggest leaders for God, say, 0:05:00.160 --> 0:05:02.280 you're on the list for you know who should run 0:05:02.320 --> 0:05:06.240 in twenty twenty eight, right, So we I'm struggling with this, 0:05:06.279 --> 0:05:08.160 and Andrew. I'm actually instead of asking a question, I 0:05:08.200 --> 0:05:10.080 want to punt to you to ask like, how does 0:05:10.120 --> 0:05:12.920 it build and not be supported by the institution And 0:05:12.960 --> 0:05:16.400 what should a black candidate's expectations be from an institution 0:05:16.560 --> 0:05:19.080 that they've given so much to To Tip's point earlier. 0:05:19.600 --> 0:05:23.080 Yeah, I mean, I I the governor knows this from 0:05:23.200 --> 0:05:25.599 living experience right now, in this very moment. 0:05:25.680 --> 0:05:26.039 I know it. 0:05:26.080 --> 0:05:30.200 Obviously having been a candidate, been loyal to the Democratic Party, 0:05:30.200 --> 0:05:33.640 but political positions are a little different than just loyalty 0:05:33.680 --> 0:05:37.120 to the party. There is an important set of decision 0:05:37.160 --> 0:05:42.279 making that goes into the governor's decision to pursue governorship reelection, 0:05:42.480 --> 0:05:45.360 especially in the wake of the kind of attacks that 0:05:46.520 --> 0:05:51.240 met you there. But you also did something else that 0:05:51.279 --> 0:05:54.799 I think it's important to distinguish between what the Democratic 0:05:54.839 --> 0:05:57.560 Party does to a person and what happens in the 0:05:57.600 --> 0:05:59.880 process of governing, and that is you making the disc 0:06:00.000 --> 0:06:02.440 decision that of all the people in your state, of 0:06:02.480 --> 0:06:05.679 all the electors that you've worked with over your tenured 0:06:05.720 --> 0:06:09.680 and storied experience, Garland was the right person for you 0:06:10.240 --> 0:06:13.400 in the instance that you would be incapacitated or in 0:06:13.440 --> 0:06:17.560 some way unable to fulfill your responsibilities, that this was 0:06:17.720 --> 0:06:22.320 your individual and most perfect decision to say, this is 0:06:22.320 --> 0:06:24.200 going to be the guy who I turned to and 0:06:24.240 --> 0:06:28.080 who this state turns to in that event. And so, Governor, 0:06:28.160 --> 0:06:31.359 I'd actually love't I didn't anticipate we start with the 0:06:31.400 --> 0:06:34.720 politics of your home state, but appropriate given that we've 0:06:34.760 --> 0:06:38.560 got so many michigan and listeners. But I'd love to 0:06:38.600 --> 0:06:44.040 hear from you what made you choose Garland and what 0:06:44.120 --> 0:06:46.599 would you say best recommends him for the position. And 0:06:46.640 --> 0:06:49.680 I would argue that if any other candidate asked you, 0:06:49.600 --> 0:06:52.799 you know, for a similar answer that you could offer such. 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:55.600 But in this instance you made the important choice of 0:06:55.640 --> 0:06:57.839 saying this is the guy if not me. 0:06:58.400 --> 0:07:01.400 Yeah, you know so first, so say, let's not give 0:07:01.440 --> 0:07:04.160 the Democratic Party too much credit here, right, I mean, 0:07:04.240 --> 0:07:07.839 let's not assume that a party actually annoyings anyone with 0:07:07.880 --> 0:07:11.679 any great success, especially when there's a field. Lord knows. 0:07:12.200 --> 0:07:14.960 I served in the legislature for fourteen years as the 0:07:15.000 --> 0:07:17.840 minority leader. I ran for governor. There were two people 0:07:17.840 --> 0:07:20.760 who never ran for anything before. Democratic Party didn't support me. 0:07:21.120 --> 0:07:22.960 I had to go out and earn it. And I 0:07:23.000 --> 0:07:26.600 think that that's as sometimes it doesn't feel real good, 0:07:26.680 --> 0:07:30.080 to be honest, it probably made me a better candidate 0:07:30.200 --> 0:07:32.680 going into the general election because I had to take 0:07:32.720 --> 0:07:35.000 it seriously. I had to fight for every vote. I 0:07:35.000 --> 0:07:37.600 had to show up in every community. I had to 0:07:37.640 --> 0:07:40.600 make sure that, you know, I didn't take anyone or 0:07:40.640 --> 0:07:44.200 any community for granted. And I think that's really important 0:07:44.200 --> 0:07:46.160 if you're going to be successful, especially in a state 0:07:46.240 --> 0:07:48.960 like Michigan. It's ten million people. You know, it's a 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:52.120 diverse state. It's the most diverse swing state in the country. 0:07:52.360 --> 0:07:54.040 We have a tendency to go back and forth. Eight 0:07:54.080 --> 0:07:56.880 years of a Democratic governor, eight years of a Republican governor. 0:07:56.920 --> 0:07:59.600 You know, I mean, you can't make any assumptions. 0:08:00.160 --> 0:08:00.320 You know. 0:08:00.400 --> 0:08:03.240 When I went through the process and I won that primary, 0:08:03.280 --> 0:08:04.600 and it was hard, and we had a lot of 0:08:04.840 --> 0:08:09.680 establishment people and institution who were not supporting me, I 0:08:09.720 --> 0:08:12.320 turned it on its head and I won. And then 0:08:12.320 --> 0:08:14.480 I went to go pick my lieutenant governor, and everyone 0:08:14.520 --> 0:08:17.280 wanted to tell me who they thought that person should be. 0:08:17.720 --> 0:08:19.680 Should be this person, it should be from this side 0:08:19.680 --> 0:08:22.760 of Detroit, it should be you know, like everyone had opinions, 0:08:23.280 --> 0:08:25.880 and yet I had to find the person that was 0:08:25.920 --> 0:08:28.960 going to be a good partner who could step in 0:08:29.000 --> 0:08:32.679 if God forbid, they needed to, who I think had 0:08:32.720 --> 0:08:36.640 the same shared set of values. And you know, going 0:08:36.679 --> 0:08:38.680 through that process, I had a lot of great people 0:08:38.720 --> 0:08:41.560 from whom to choose, but Garland rose to the top 0:08:41.679 --> 0:08:45.840 because he was talented, he's young, he's got energy, He 0:08:45.960 --> 0:08:49.520 was a great counterpoint. Has a very different lived experience 0:08:49.640 --> 0:08:52.959 than I do, which makes sure that it'll help inform 0:08:53.040 --> 0:08:53.960 better decisions. 0:08:54.480 --> 0:08:54.719 You know. 0:08:54.880 --> 0:08:58.160 It is part of why I appointed the most diverse 0:08:58.200 --> 0:09:01.600 cabinet in Michigan's history, part of why. You know, you 0:09:01.640 --> 0:09:05.040 look to my appointees from the bench. You know, Kira 0:09:05.080 --> 0:09:07.839 Harris Bolden, the first black woman on Michigan Supreme Court. 0:09:07.920 --> 0:09:10.360 I got to put her on the Supreme Court because 0:09:10.360 --> 0:09:13.520 we had a vacancy that was unexpected. So, you know, 0:09:13.679 --> 0:09:17.240 I take that very seriously. I think that that is 0:09:17.559 --> 0:09:21.840 really important and really healthy. As we went through COVID, 0:09:22.400 --> 0:09:25.560 you know, I just always remind people it was because 0:09:25.600 --> 0:09:29.000 I had Garland, but also jon A. Caldoon, who was 0:09:29.000 --> 0:09:32.320 our chief medical executive, a black woman who was an 0:09:32.600 --> 0:09:36.719 er doc in the city of Detroit practicing during the pandemic, 0:09:37.320 --> 0:09:40.840 who said, when forty percent of our deaths are black 0:09:41.160 --> 0:09:45.760 Michiganders and fourteen percent of our populations, we got to intervene. 0:09:45.840 --> 0:09:50.360 We've got work to do. And but for her leadership, 0:09:50.720 --> 0:09:53.320 others wanted to wait for studies and data which wasn't 0:09:53.320 --> 0:09:56.440 even being collected. We'd lost a whole lot more people. 0:09:56.520 --> 0:09:58.760 But because of that, we did a lot of great work. 0:09:59.040 --> 0:10:03.319 We created the Racial Sparity's Task Force, and other states 0:10:03.360 --> 0:10:07.320 emulated that. The Biden administration emulated that because it made 0:10:07.320 --> 0:10:10.840 a difference. And but for jon Ay Kaldoon having an 0:10:11.080 --> 0:10:13.959 empowered seye at the table and Garland Gilcrest, who was 0:10:14.000 --> 0:10:17.960 the co chair of our Black Leadership Advisory Council. Black 0:10:18.160 --> 0:10:22.079 for sure, we would not have been in a position 0:10:22.240 --> 0:10:33.360 to make those important decisions that literally saved people's life. 0:10:35.200 --> 0:10:37.560 I appreciate that, Governor, and you actually get to I 0:10:37.600 --> 0:10:41.240 think one of the underlying questions that bothered the heck 0:10:41.280 --> 0:10:43.400 out of me these days, and that's this idea that 0:10:43.800 --> 0:10:46.640 any position that you find a black person is one 0:10:46.640 --> 0:10:50.120 that had to be compromised, greased up, and pushed through, 0:10:50.640 --> 0:10:53.400 you know, around peg as a square hole. And just 0:10:53.480 --> 0:10:56.160 in the examples that you gave your individual and personal 0:10:56.320 --> 0:11:01.280 decision to choose your replacement, and your decision and the 0:11:01.400 --> 0:11:05.440 nations and the world's moments of greatest crises to find 0:11:05.720 --> 0:11:08.840 the resolve, the skill set and the talent you needed 0:11:08.920 --> 0:11:13.600 in uh uh qualified individuals who provided that to you. 0:11:14.080 --> 0:11:16.280 And Governor, in light of all of the attacks that 0:11:16.320 --> 0:11:23.480 we see coming legal, philosophical, but frankly spiritually, folks who 0:11:23.480 --> 0:11:26.640 had given so much sacrifice, so much finding themselves yet 0:11:26.760 --> 0:11:30.400 once again put to the back of the line weight. Wait, wait, 0:11:31.320 --> 0:11:34.400 the change is coming. I wonder how do you balance 0:11:34.520 --> 0:11:38.880 your position on and your well born experience of diversity 0:11:38.880 --> 0:11:40.920 being a great strength of where you are and in 0:11:41.040 --> 0:11:43.800 serving the people of your state. How do you do 0:11:44.120 --> 0:11:46.720 how do you front that with this current administration in 0:11:46.840 --> 0:11:50.959 its unparalleled attacks at the institutions of the country, very 0:11:50.960 --> 0:11:55.960 specifically our universities and our governmental institutions that form the 0:11:56.000 --> 0:11:59.800 foundations of this democracy, a collection of states. And you 0:11:59.840 --> 0:12:01.080 have power to push back. 0:12:01.559 --> 0:12:03.320 Well, one of the things you know that we did 0:12:03.400 --> 0:12:06.760 in the two years before this last election, right when 0:12:06.760 --> 0:12:10.440 I had a Democratic controlled House and Senate, the people 0:12:10.440 --> 0:12:12.480 gave us this power. We got a one seat majority 0:12:12.520 --> 0:12:14.360 in each of these chambers. But by God, we're going 0:12:14.440 --> 0:12:16.719 to use it to make sure that we're making some 0:12:17.440 --> 0:12:21.400 changes that will last a lot longer than one gubernatorial 0:12:21.440 --> 0:12:26.200 administration and will survive one presidential administration. And you know, 0:12:26.240 --> 0:12:30.120 as I think about our codification of reproductive rights, we 0:12:30.160 --> 0:12:33.080 did that as a state, amending our constitution, but as governor, 0:12:33.120 --> 0:12:35.360 with our legislature, we got rid of all the trap 0:12:35.480 --> 0:12:38.120 laws making it harder for women to exercise their rights. 0:12:38.320 --> 0:12:42.720 We passed Pride. You know, we full of civil rights 0:12:42.720 --> 0:12:46.800 protections for the LGBTQ plus community. We passed the Crown Act. 0:12:47.000 --> 0:12:50.240 We're feeding one point four million Michigan kids breakfast and 0:12:50.320 --> 0:12:54.400 lunch every single day in our schools. We made community 0:12:54.400 --> 0:12:57.720 college free for every high school graduate. You know, we've 0:12:57.720 --> 0:13:01.400 been living our values and codifying things because we knew 0:13:01.679 --> 0:13:04.760 there's a possibility of an upcoming election that might want 0:13:04.840 --> 0:13:07.400 to try to roll a lot of these protections back. 0:13:07.800 --> 0:13:10.480 We will continue to live our values no matter who's 0:13:10.520 --> 0:13:13.000 in the White House, but especially right now, I think 0:13:13.000 --> 0:13:15.640 it's important for people to see, like, this is why 0:13:15.679 --> 0:13:17.920 we did this work in those two years. This is 0:13:17.960 --> 0:13:19.960 what we are going to lean on to make sure 0:13:19.960 --> 0:13:23.080 that Michigan continues to move forward instead of rolled back. 0:13:23.440 --> 0:13:26.240 And I'm fortunate I got a great Attorney General and 0:13:26.280 --> 0:13:29.400 Secretary of State who are continuing to do their job 0:13:29.920 --> 0:13:32.120 in the wake of a lot of the chaos that 0:13:32.120 --> 0:13:34.679 we're seeing coming out of Washington, d C. But make 0:13:34.760 --> 0:13:38.880 no mistake, this is a serious, scary time for a 0:13:38.920 --> 0:13:42.000 lot of folks. And when I go to Washington, d C, 0:13:42.640 --> 0:13:46.400 you know, it's a recognition that, yeah, I got this administration, 0:13:47.040 --> 0:13:49.240 but I got people who need help in Michigan, and 0:13:49.360 --> 0:13:51.320 no matter who's there, I got a duty to try 0:13:51.320 --> 0:13:52.160 to get that help. 0:13:52.520 --> 0:13:56.040 So I'm at Governor you know you we're just in DC, 0:13:56.280 --> 0:13:59.520 and of course there's this viral moment here. Let me 0:13:59.559 --> 0:14:05.160 just reenact, right, and so so my my question for 0:14:05.280 --> 0:14:09.400 you is why, right, like, we spent a hey dog, 0:14:10.000 --> 0:14:11.079 tiff is happy, look at. 0:14:11.040 --> 0:14:15.640 Him, lucky physical dog, make a. 0:14:15.600 --> 0:14:17.120 Cameo before the interviews over. 0:14:17.160 --> 0:14:21.040 But I want, okay, like the dog is gonna be special. 0:14:21.320 --> 0:14:24.840 Kevin and Doug they're going outside anyway, Sorry, go ahead, but. 0:14:24.920 --> 0:14:26.960 On this you know you you went to go pet 0:14:27.000 --> 0:14:35.720 that dog in DC, and so. 0:14:32.440 --> 0:14:35.480 I just want to know why, Governor Whitmer. 0:14:35.480 --> 0:14:38.800 We spent all election cycle telling people that this was 0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:41.360 a fascist coming into the White House. We have documented 0:14:41.400 --> 0:14:43.920 reasons for We're in the middle of a constitutional crisis. 0:14:43.960 --> 0:14:48.360 They don't want to return kilmar Abrego Garcia And you're 0:14:48.400 --> 0:14:50.520 talking about having to do the business of the people. 0:14:50.880 --> 0:14:53.440 But how are we even going to get things done 0:14:53.440 --> 0:14:56.160 for the people with the people in power that we 0:14:56.320 --> 0:14:58.440 have at the you know, at the at the federal levels. 0:14:58.560 --> 0:15:02.040 How are you justifying this visit and what are you 0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:04.280 saying to people besides I'm here on business and you 0:15:04.280 --> 0:15:06.680 don't need to see me do that, Like, what is 0:15:06.720 --> 0:15:09.760 the reason? Tell me why you would go and how 0:15:09.800 --> 0:15:12.640 that squares with the narrative. And I believe the truth 0:15:12.720 --> 0:15:15.000 of what we said leading up to November. 0:15:15.520 --> 0:15:19.000 Sure, you know, I worked hard to like Camell Harris right, 0:15:19.240 --> 0:15:21.800 like I worked my tail off. I did it, not 0:15:21.880 --> 0:15:24.040 just in the state of Michigan. I went everywhere and 0:15:24.080 --> 0:15:26.080 anywhere they asked me to go because I knew how 0:15:26.160 --> 0:15:27.880 hi the six where. I also knew it was going 0:15:27.960 --> 0:15:30.520 to be a really close election. I was worried about it. 0:15:30.880 --> 0:15:35.880 And you know, when when the dust settled, we ended 0:15:35.960 --> 0:15:38.360 up having you know, two weeks ago had a terrible 0:15:38.400 --> 0:15:41.280 ice storm here in Michigan. I mean an ice storm 0:15:41.480 --> 0:15:43.520 where we had an inch and a half of ice 0:15:43.800 --> 0:15:47.880 on trees. It snapped them in half. I still were 0:15:48.080 --> 0:15:51.120 sixteen days out, got fifty five hundred people that don't 0:15:51.160 --> 0:15:54.520 have power have I had power for sixteen days in 0:15:54.600 --> 0:15:57.120 rural parts of Michigan, people that don't have a whole 0:15:57.160 --> 0:15:59.920 lot to begin with, who are struggling to get by 0:16:00.160 --> 0:16:03.480 or living on floors in churches because they need power. 0:16:04.040 --> 0:16:07.720 And so this historic storm meant we're going to need help. 0:16:08.000 --> 0:16:09.800 And I don't know what they've done with FEMA, and 0:16:09.840 --> 0:16:12.040 I don't know what they're planning to do, but I 0:16:12.200 --> 0:16:14.880 had to go and ask for that help. While I 0:16:14.960 --> 0:16:19.240 was there, I was lobbying for Selfridge Air National Guard Base, 0:16:19.440 --> 0:16:22.040 which is in Macomb County, Michigan. You know, every four 0:16:22.120 --> 0:16:23.960 years everyone says, what's going on in Michigan. How do 0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:25.720 you win to state like Michigan. You want to say 0:16:25.760 --> 0:16:28.240 like Michigan because you show up and you fight for people. 0:16:29.160 --> 0:16:33.760 This air base that we are focused on is good 0:16:34.160 --> 0:16:37.920 paying jobs in southeast Michigan, which you're familiar enough with 0:16:38.000 --> 0:16:41.160 my state to know. You know, the population in Southeast Michigan. 0:16:41.200 --> 0:16:44.440 This is good paying jobs. It's so important for economy. 0:16:45.160 --> 0:16:45.400 You know. 0:16:45.680 --> 0:16:47.920 I have a duty to try. Maybe I'm not going 0:16:48.000 --> 0:16:51.120 to be successful. Maybe I will get roasted on social media, 0:16:51.480 --> 0:16:54.320 maybe my own kids will be roasting me, right, And 0:16:54.680 --> 0:16:58.320 it is easy. Yeah, of course it is, you know, 0:16:58.560 --> 0:17:01.840 and and it's so I'll be honest with you. I 0:17:01.920 --> 0:17:05.119 hate that. But I have a duty to try. And 0:17:05.160 --> 0:17:07.760 if I fail, fine, But if I don't even try 0:17:08.240 --> 0:17:10.800 and people are suffering in Michigan, well then I shouldn't 0:17:10.800 --> 0:17:12.119 be in this job in the first place. 0:17:12.480 --> 0:17:14.520 I gotta know what the keys are saying. Hold on, Deandrew, 0:17:14.520 --> 0:17:15.800 I got to what did they say? 0:17:16.280 --> 0:17:19.200 There are some of the same question why he's probably 0:17:19.240 --> 0:17:22.280 not going to help you. He might not, but I 0:17:22.359 --> 0:17:25.159 gotta try. He said some of the things that I 0:17:25.200 --> 0:17:28.320 was hoping to hear, and maybe that yields something good 0:17:28.320 --> 0:17:31.040 for Michigan. But when the Missig people in Michigan are hurting, 0:17:31.359 --> 0:17:33.040 my job is to try to do everything I can 0:17:33.119 --> 0:17:33.400 to help. 0:17:34.200 --> 0:17:39.080 Why personally, you appreciate that the folder the folder covering. 0:17:39.880 --> 0:17:42.200 I wish I hadn't done that. You know, The point 0:17:42.280 --> 0:17:45.280 is I didn't sign up for that press conference. I 0:17:45.280 --> 0:17:48.359 could tell him exactly and all the deals that were signed. 0:17:48.440 --> 0:17:52.600 I was beside myself and the rhetoric on top of it. 0:17:52.880 --> 0:17:54.639 And there's a picture of me in the paper too, 0:17:54.640 --> 0:17:57.200 where I'm writing something down. I'm writing the press release 0:17:57.200 --> 0:17:58.520 that I know I got to put out as soon 0:17:58.560 --> 0:18:00.359 as I walk out of that room, saying I didn't 0:18:00.400 --> 0:18:03.880 have expective any part of that. But yeah, I mean, 0:18:04.359 --> 0:18:06.760 I wish, I wish I could go back in time, 0:18:06.800 --> 0:18:09.080 but I can't. So I'm going to say, well, if. 0:18:08.960 --> 0:18:10.800 You did go back in time, because I think Tiff 0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:13.120 was probably going to take you here, which was what 0:18:13.240 --> 0:18:15.520 is the story. It seems you went, and I've got 0:18:15.520 --> 0:18:16.960 to say I don't take exception. I know what it 0:18:17.000 --> 0:18:18.960 means to be a leader of a party. I know 0:18:19.000 --> 0:18:21.160 what it means to be a candidate for office, and 0:18:21.240 --> 0:18:23.000 as a mayor. I know what it means to govern. 0:18:23.400 --> 0:18:25.720 And when you're governing and your citizens are sending their 0:18:25.760 --> 0:18:28.560 hard earned tax dollars to Washington, d C. With the 0:18:28.600 --> 0:18:30.840 hope of it coming back and being of service to them, 0:18:31.320 --> 0:18:33.520 you got to do what is required. And I think 0:18:33.720 --> 0:18:35.320 one of the things that we also need to see 0:18:35.320 --> 0:18:39.800 simultaneously is that your values stay a front and center 0:18:40.200 --> 0:18:43.040 and that you don't come out singing an awful tune 0:18:43.440 --> 0:18:46.720 because the dance, you know, master decided that that's what 0:18:46.760 --> 0:18:48.399 you got a dance to. Tiffany, I'm sorry. 0:18:48.440 --> 0:18:49.920 I just wanted to make the point that I mean, 0:18:50.119 --> 0:18:52.639 it was highly covered that you were not there to 0:18:52.760 --> 0:18:57.440 participate in that you were, you know, against your will, 0:18:57.480 --> 0:19:01.080 almost ushered into the Oval Office press conference and you 0:19:01.119 --> 0:19:03.160 didn't know you were here. You told the Economic Club 0:19:03.640 --> 0:19:06.280 in DC this week. I didn't want my picture take 0:19:06.320 --> 0:19:07.720 and that was all I kind of wished. I hadn't 0:19:07.720 --> 0:19:09.920 put my folder in front of my face, But whatever, 0:19:10.320 --> 0:19:12.200 you know, I was there I just wrote a book 0:19:12.200 --> 0:19:14.080 about learning to laugh at yourself, so I'm pretty good 0:19:14.080 --> 0:19:14.960 at We all have our. 0:19:14.880 --> 0:19:16.879 Moments that first. 0:19:16.880 --> 0:19:20.320 But you also penned a letter to Donald Trump saying 0:19:20.320 --> 0:19:22.560 that you look forward to working together, and you praise 0:19:22.600 --> 0:19:24.919 the support for the auto industry, which this week the 0:19:25.040 --> 0:19:27.760 UAW writ in your state also echoed those sentiments while 0:19:27.800 --> 0:19:30.159 also being critical of him. And I just want you 0:19:30.200 --> 0:19:33.719 to know I do appreciate the complex situation because at 0:19:33.720 --> 0:19:37.479 a time when there were adults in the GOP party, 0:19:37.600 --> 0:19:41.600 that was a sense of normalcy. In these times, there 0:19:41.680 --> 0:19:44.520 is no GOP. I think we have to acknowledge that 0:19:44.560 --> 0:19:48.199 there are right wing extremists who are members of a 0:19:48.280 --> 0:19:52.440 Maga cult running this party. I'm curious how you stripe 0:19:52.480 --> 0:19:57.040 the balance of fighting for the people of Michigan but 0:19:57.280 --> 0:20:00.600 also not allowing yourself to be you used for a 0:20:00.640 --> 0:20:06.000 nefarious photo with someone who's quite frankly unhinged and politically 0:20:06.240 --> 0:20:07.200 in its. 0:20:08.720 --> 0:20:11.200 So I guess I would say this. You know, during COVID, 0:20:11.800 --> 0:20:16.640 I fought the Trump administration because michiganers were dying and 0:20:16.960 --> 0:20:19.000 they weren't doing what I think needed to be done, 0:20:19.440 --> 0:20:22.040 just to keep people safe and protect people and give 0:20:22.040 --> 0:20:25.919 them good information, get the masks and gloves that we needed. 0:20:26.800 --> 0:20:29.320 You know, nothing's changed. But you know, my job is 0:20:29.359 --> 0:20:31.120 to fight for the people in Michigan, and I'm going 0:20:31.200 --> 0:20:34.600 to do that no matter who is in the White House. 0:20:35.240 --> 0:20:37.800 I'm there fighting for funds to help people who are 0:20:37.840 --> 0:20:40.560 suffering in northern Michigan because of this ice storm. I'm 0:20:40.560 --> 0:20:44.399 fighting there. I'm there to fight for jobs for Selfridge. 0:20:44.600 --> 0:20:47.960