WEBVTT - Bonus: An Interview with Maryland Governor Larry Hogan 0:00:04.200 --> 0:00:07.360 Hey, everybody, I am so excited to begin my new 0:00:07.440 --> 0:00:12.840 season of Next Question, which starts next Thursday, February. For 0:00:13.000 --> 0:00:15.920 our first episode this season, we're kicking things off with 0:00:15.960 --> 0:00:19.720 the one and only actor, director Robin Wright, who's talking 0:00:19.760 --> 0:00:24.320 about her new film and directorial debut, Land. And we're 0:00:24.320 --> 0:00:26.720 also going to be talking with Robin about how things 0:00:26.800 --> 0:00:30.479 are changing for women in Hollywood. In the meantime, I 0:00:30.560 --> 0:00:34.559 had a really interesting conversation with Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, 0:00:34.640 --> 0:00:37.400 who I think is a rock star, and I wanted 0:00:37.440 --> 0:00:39.760 to share it with you as soon as possible. You know, 0:00:39.800 --> 0:00:42.800 at a time where there's so much talk about uniting 0:00:42.800 --> 0:00:46.559 our bitterly divided country, I think Governor Hogan could be 0:00:46.680 --> 0:00:50.240 used as a model for unity as an incredibly popular 0:00:50.440 --> 0:00:54.480 Republican leader of a very blue state near my home 0:00:54.520 --> 0:00:57.520 state of Virginia. Of course, we're talking about Maryland. I 0:00:57.560 --> 0:01:01.600 spoke with him about this unprecedented moment in our nation's history, 0:01:01.880 --> 0:01:05.280 what it means to be a common sense conservative, and 0:01:05.360 --> 0:01:07.480 why he thinks we're just at the beginning of a 0:01:07.720 --> 0:01:11.480 long and difficult battle for the soul of the Republican Party. 0:01:11.840 --> 0:01:14.400 Oh and I also asked him if he'd ever run 0:01:14.440 --> 0:01:21.080 for president, Governor Hogan, what in the world is going 0:01:21.160 --> 0:01:26.559 on with the Republican Party. Well, that's a really good question, Katie. Um, 0:01:27.240 --> 0:01:29.440 some of us are really trying hard to figure that out. 0:01:29.560 --> 0:01:33.320 I it's I never imagined it could get quite as 0:01:33.400 --> 0:01:36.280 bad as it's gotten at this point. I think we're 0:01:36.319 --> 0:01:39.120 really in the midst of, in the just the beginning 0:01:39.360 --> 0:01:41.920 of what is going to be a long, you know 0:01:42.040 --> 0:01:45.400 and difficult battle for the soul of the Republican Party. 0:01:45.440 --> 0:01:50.440 I mean, we're we're heading off in the direction where, um, 0:01:50.480 --> 0:01:53.240 you know, we're not going to be able to successfully 0:01:53.640 --> 0:01:57.560 win national elections anymore. Where it's gonna be difficult for 0:01:57.600 --> 0:01:59.720 the Republicans to ever get the House or the Senate back, 0:01:59.800 --> 0:02:01.440 or to win the White House back unless we can 0:02:01.480 --> 0:02:04.360 return to some sanity. Um. And there are a number 0:02:04.400 --> 0:02:07.919 of us who are trying to return to a more traditional, 0:02:08.520 --> 0:02:13.079 you know, common sense conservative party, more reaganesque, bigger tent 0:02:13.200 --> 0:02:15.760 party that can appeal to with a positive message that 0:02:15.840 --> 0:02:18.560 we can you know, try to work with Democrats on. 0:02:18.639 --> 0:02:21.480 But there's an awful lot of others who are wanting 0:02:21.480 --> 0:02:24.440 to take us down this path that has no chance 0:02:24.480 --> 0:02:28.040 of success. In fact, I was going to ask you, governor, 0:02:28.120 --> 0:02:32.320 are you in the minority? Is the Republican Party now 0:02:32.919 --> 0:02:36.680 squarely the party of Donald Trump? Well, I think it 0:02:36.760 --> 0:02:39.600 has been, and I think perhaps it still is, but 0:02:40.000 --> 0:02:45.399 I think his influence is is slowly beginning to diminish. 0:02:45.480 --> 0:02:49.280 I think after the loss of the election, after the 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:53.480 the crazy conspiracy theories about the election being stolen, and 0:02:53.520 --> 0:02:57.920 then particularly after the insurrection at the Capitol. While he 0:02:58.000 --> 0:03:01.160 still has an awful lot of uh, you know, supporters 0:03:01.160 --> 0:03:04.360 in the Republican Party, it's dropped considerably and there are 0:03:04.639 --> 0:03:08.079 at least thirty or forty of the Republican Party who 0:03:08.120 --> 0:03:11.680 do not want to see Donald Trump involved in the 0:03:11.720 --> 0:03:14.079 party party in a substantial way. So it's it's still 0:03:14.120 --> 0:03:17.160 a majority, but a shrinking majority, and it's a majority 0:03:17.200 --> 0:03:20.919 of a much smaller party. Uh you know, it's we've 0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:23.600 been shrinking the base, and uh, we've got to growth. 0:03:23.639 --> 0:03:27.480 The basis that let's talk about his scathing statement about 0:03:27.560 --> 0:03:31.080 Mitch McConnell. What was your reaction to that. Well, on 0:03:31.120 --> 0:03:34.720 the one hand, it wasn't surprising, Katie, because we've seen, 0:03:35.080 --> 0:03:38.800 you know, these kind of attacks on fellow Republicans and 0:03:38.840 --> 0:03:43.280 on other people and kind of this angry rhetoric for years. 0:03:43.320 --> 0:03:47.120 But um, you know, Mr McConnell, who didn't vote for impeachment, 0:03:47.160 --> 0:03:50.960 I think I think, you know, really spoke how he felt. 0:03:51.160 --> 0:03:55.600 And obviously he's concerned about winning the Senate back. And um, 0:03:55.640 --> 0:03:57.600 you know, I'm sure there were politics involved, but I 0:03:57.600 --> 0:04:00.520 think he meant the words that he said, and um, 0:04:00.760 --> 0:04:02.920 and I admired him for being willing to speak up, 0:04:03.040 --> 0:04:05.280 but for the President to attack him in the personal 0:04:05.320 --> 0:04:07.600 way that he did, it's, you know, it's kind of 0:04:07.600 --> 0:04:11.520 what we've come to expect. It seems that as if governor, 0:04:11.680 --> 0:04:16.160 people speak out against Donald Trump at their own risk. Um, 0:04:16.200 --> 0:04:19.360 you know, there's a lot of fear about Republicans list 0:04:19.480 --> 0:04:24.280 Chainey among them getting out primary. And I'm curious if 0:04:24.400 --> 0:04:27.800 you have gotten any backlash because you've been pretty outspoken 0:04:27.839 --> 0:04:30.160 about the fact that you would have voted to convict 0:04:30.200 --> 0:04:33.040 if you had been in the U. S. Senate. Well, 0:04:33.120 --> 0:04:35.200 not being in the Senate and not being in the 0:04:35.240 --> 0:04:37.480 House and not not not taking a vote may put 0:04:37.520 --> 0:04:40.080 me in a different position. It also didn't come as 0:04:40.080 --> 0:04:42.160 any surprise for me to speak out because I've been 0:04:42.200 --> 0:04:45.799 speaking the exact same way for the entire time since 0:04:45.839 --> 0:04:50.240 Donald Trump announced this presidential campaign, uh, you know, four 0:04:50.320 --> 0:04:54.760 years ago. So I think some people who haven't spoken 0:04:54.800 --> 0:04:58.120 out for four years are are experiencing, you know, and 0:04:58.160 --> 0:05:02.680 finally did are are getting the the brunt of the criticism. 0:05:02.920 --> 0:05:04.479 You know. I also happened to be in a state 0:05:04.520 --> 0:05:06.800 where I ran forty five points ahead of Donald Trump, 0:05:06.880 --> 0:05:08.960 and so, uh you know, he lost by thirty and 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:12.640 I won by fifteen. Uh so he doesn't have quite 0:05:12.680 --> 0:05:15.240 the same influence over me. And and I'm also just 0:05:15.320 --> 0:05:18.240 not as concerned about, you know, what people think about it. 0:05:18.279 --> 0:05:20.359 I'm just you know, I just I've always been pretty 0:05:20.360 --> 0:05:23.320 blunt and say exactly what I think. Your father was 0:05:23.360 --> 0:05:26.360 a real profile encourage back in nineteen seventy four when 0:05:26.400 --> 0:05:30.200 he was the only Republican to vote for all three 0:05:30.320 --> 0:05:34.240 articles of impeachment against Richard Nixon. But there are very 0:05:34.279 --> 0:05:39.479 few profiles encouraged today. Only seven Republican Senators voted to 0:05:39.560 --> 0:05:44.520 convict Donald Trump in that impeachment hearing. Why do you 0:05:44.560 --> 0:05:48.480 think that's the case. Well, thank you for mentioning my dad. 0:05:48.800 --> 0:05:50.600 You know, I'm awful proud of him. I learned a 0:05:50.680 --> 0:05:53.359 lot about integrity and public service from him. He was 0:05:53.400 --> 0:05:57.359 the first Republican in Congress to come out for Nixon's impeachment. 0:05:57.440 --> 0:06:00.080 He was on the House Judiciary Committee. He was the 0:06:00.120 --> 0:06:02.840 only Republican to vote for all three articles of impeachment. 0:06:02.880 --> 0:06:06.279 So talk about he was one the only one. Uh. 0:06:06.360 --> 0:06:08.880 And here we had seven senators and ten members of 0:06:08.920 --> 0:06:11.839 the House, and you know, I uh, you know, I 0:06:11.880 --> 0:06:15.640 admire them for voting their conscience and having the guts 0:06:15.640 --> 0:06:19.159 to stand up. I can tell you without any question 0:06:19.320 --> 0:06:22.280 that there were far more senators and far more House 0:06:22.320 --> 0:06:24.600 members and plenty of my colleagues that are governors who 0:06:24.640 --> 0:06:28.600 felt exactly the same way, but who haven't spoken up 0:06:28.640 --> 0:06:30.960 and and and didn't cast those votes because they were 0:06:31.000 --> 0:06:35.000 afraid of the retribution and the attacks and being primaried. 0:06:35.040 --> 0:06:37.640 And the ones who did did so at their own risk. 0:06:37.680 --> 0:06:39.600 I mean, you know, my dad back in the seventies, 0:06:39.640 --> 0:06:43.360 he suffered, He knew he was potentially ending his political career, 0:06:43.360 --> 0:06:44.920 but he did what he thought was right for the country. 0:06:44.920 --> 0:06:46.920 And I think some of those folks, I really admire 0:06:46.960 --> 0:06:48.640 the fact that they had the guts. There just weren't 0:06:48.720 --> 0:06:51.520 enough of them. Well, what about the fact that there 0:06:51.520 --> 0:06:54.480 weren't enough of them? Are these people just addicted to 0:06:54.680 --> 0:07:00.200 power over country, party over country, anything over country. I'm 0:07:00.200 --> 0:07:02.640 not sure I would characterize it quite like that, Katie. 0:07:02.680 --> 0:07:05.279 I mean, it's hard for me to put myself in 0:07:05.400 --> 0:07:08.919 and judge how people were making these decisions, um, and 0:07:09.000 --> 0:07:12.520 how they arrived at their conclusion. Some people really, UM 0:07:12.880 --> 0:07:15.960 didn't know. I think sincerely didn't believe thought he was wrong, 0:07:16.080 --> 0:07:18.280 thought he insight in the violence, but that they that 0:07:18.760 --> 0:07:21.800 you couldn't shouldn't impeach a former president, and that the 0:07:21.840 --> 0:07:24.000 election was over. Some people, I think thought that we 0:07:24.040 --> 0:07:26.920 needed to put Donald Trump behind us and not continue 0:07:27.040 --> 0:07:30.360 the the talk. And some people I think maybe thought 0:07:30.360 --> 0:07:32.160 he was guilty and didn't have the guts to vote 0:07:32.200 --> 0:07:34.360 that way. UM. So it's a little bit of all that. 0:07:34.400 --> 0:07:36.240 But I don't I wouldn't say they, you know, I 0:07:36.480 --> 0:07:38.800 don't want to characterize what they did because I I 0:07:38.840 --> 0:07:41.240 can't put myself inside of their own minds and their 0:07:41.280 --> 0:07:43.760 hearts and figure out what they how they decided their vote. 0:07:44.520 --> 0:07:46.320 When we come back, we're going to have more of 0:07:46.320 --> 0:08:01.240 my conversation with the Governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan. It 0:08:01.360 --> 0:08:03.880 comes to this, Fike, Governor Hogan, over the heart and 0:08:03.920 --> 0:08:07.600 soul of the Republican Party. How do you reconcile the 0:08:07.640 --> 0:08:12.000 fact that of Republicans say they have a positive view 0:08:12.520 --> 0:08:17.440 of President Trump and over half would vote for him 0:08:17.480 --> 0:08:23.600 again in it's a little surprising, um, but you know, 0:08:23.720 --> 0:08:27.120 he uh he, he really has had quite a following 0:08:27.120 --> 0:08:29.600 over the past four years. And uh you know, I 0:08:29.600 --> 0:08:32.000 think that's going to continue to diminish as time goes on, 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:34.240 and and you know, I think we're just getting by 0:08:34.280 --> 0:08:36.839 the election. It's surprising to me that so many people 0:08:36.920 --> 0:08:40.439 believe this, this talk about the election being stolen, which 0:08:40.520 --> 0:08:42.920 doesn't have any basis in fact. I mean, you know, 0:08:43.080 --> 0:08:46.720 some of my Republican governor colleagues who were very strong 0:08:46.800 --> 0:08:50.199 supporters of the president, you know, they certified the elections, 0:08:50.240 --> 0:08:53.600 and you know, they wouldn't overturn the election, and they're 0:08:53.600 --> 0:08:55.920 telling us there just wasn't any truth to these rumors. 0:08:55.920 --> 0:08:59.480 But it's amazing how many people believe them. And it's 0:08:59.520 --> 0:09:03.559 all about you know, social media and and disinformation, and 0:09:03.760 --> 0:09:05.880 we've got to figure out how many how so many 0:09:05.920 --> 0:09:09.640 people were misled. Well, at this juncture, it does seem 0:09:09.760 --> 0:09:13.960 that more centrist moderate Republicans such as yourself are in 0:09:14.000 --> 0:09:19.239 the minority. Still So how do you change that's statistic? 0:09:19.400 --> 0:09:23.079 How do you bring more people to your side if 0:09:23.120 --> 0:09:27.240 you will what you believe the GOP should be. Well, 0:09:27.320 --> 0:09:29.640 it's not gonna be easy, Katie, and I don't have 0:09:29.679 --> 0:09:32.559 a I don't have a magic wand to make everything 0:09:32.960 --> 0:09:35.960 magically go back to normal again. But in my opinion, 0:09:36.000 --> 0:09:38.319 this was kind of a hostile takeover of the Republican 0:09:38.360 --> 0:09:42.160 Party four years ago. Donald Trump was lifelong Democrat and independent. 0:09:42.200 --> 0:09:45.760 It just became a Republican mostly supported Democrats its whole life. 0:09:45.760 --> 0:09:48.839 While while I was chairing youth for Yan Trump was 0:09:48.880 --> 0:09:51.440 working for the Democrats in eight and eighty four. So 0:09:52.520 --> 0:09:54.960 how how this came about is we can go back 0:09:54.960 --> 0:09:58.320 and figure it out. But I don't know whether we 0:09:58.360 --> 0:10:01.000 are going to be successful or not quite Frankly, it's 0:10:01.000 --> 0:10:03.000 something we're going to decide over the next two years 0:10:03.080 --> 0:10:06.439 or four years. But as a lifelong you know, Republican 0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:09.440 who believes in my party and wants to return to 0:10:09.440 --> 0:10:11.600 a more traditional Republican party, I'm I think it's worth 0:10:11.640 --> 0:10:15.240 fighting for. Some people have given up. I understand that, um, 0:10:15.280 --> 0:10:17.520 and some people say it's a it's kind of hopeless, 0:10:17.559 --> 0:10:20.000 But UM, I'm not gonna give up, and I happen 0:10:20.000 --> 0:10:22.280 to believe we we do have a chance. And uh, 0:10:22.320 --> 0:10:25.440 I think if if we want to win purple states, 0:10:25.480 --> 0:10:29.840 if we want to win competitive districts, in suburban congressional districts, 0:10:29.840 --> 0:10:32.800 if we want to elect Republican governors in places like Maryland, 0:10:32.840 --> 0:10:34.320 one of the blue states in the country, and in 0:10:34.360 --> 0:10:38.040 New England with Charlie Baker in Massachusetts, and Phil Scott 0:10:38.080 --> 0:10:41.520 and Vermont and Krista new New in New Hampshire, Democratic states. 0:10:42.120 --> 0:10:45.640 You know, we we we can't keep alienating large swaths 0:10:45.720 --> 0:10:48.400 of the electorate, and we can't just keep trying to 0:10:48.559 --> 0:10:52.640 focus on a smaller and smaller base. You know, in Maryland, 0:10:52.640 --> 0:10:56.320 I've I've you know, won overwhelmingly with with suburban women, 0:10:56.520 --> 0:11:00.319 with Democrats and Independence and Conservatives and Republicans, And you've 0:11:00.320 --> 0:11:02.199 got to find a message that can appeal to more people, 0:11:02.240 --> 0:11:07.920 because successful politics is about, you know, uh, addition and multiplication, 0:11:08.000 --> 0:11:10.920 not subtraction and division. You can't win elections if you 0:11:10.960 --> 0:11:13.960 can't convince people that your ideas are the right ones. 0:11:14.440 --> 0:11:18.120 There's some talk Governor about potentially starting a new party, 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:20.760 a third party. I've heard it called the p Trade Party, 0:11:20.760 --> 0:11:24.120 and other things Um, what do you think about that idea? 0:11:24.160 --> 0:11:27.680 Is that sort of a pie in the sky notion? Well, 0:11:27.760 --> 0:11:30.560 you know, you hear it from both ads. There's definitely 0:11:30.920 --> 0:11:34.200 a divide in the Republican Party, you know. Uh, but 0:11:34.280 --> 0:11:36.960 you've heard they were talking about a mega party that 0:11:37.160 --> 0:11:39.840 President Trump was said he wouldn't rule out, you know, 0:11:39.880 --> 0:11:43.319 starting up party of his own. Uh. You know that 0:11:43.880 --> 0:11:48.960 more traditional Republicans are, I think, trying to get their 0:11:49.040 --> 0:11:51.800 own party back. Um, And so I think we're going 0:11:51.880 --> 0:11:53.760 to figure that out. It's very difficult to have a 0:11:53.800 --> 0:11:57.040 third party or hav any. I think there's an overwhelming 0:11:57.080 --> 0:12:01.200 majority of Americans that once when survey showed about seventy 0:12:01.200 --> 0:12:03.040 three percent of the people in America are somewhere in 0:12:03.080 --> 0:12:06.840 the middle. They really aren't happy with the Democratic Party 0:12:06.880 --> 0:12:09.040 moving too far to the left. They're not really happy 0:12:09.120 --> 0:12:12.400 with where the Republican Party is. They're either moderate or 0:12:12.480 --> 0:12:15.080 right of center, left of center. They're not only extremes 0:12:15.120 --> 0:12:17.920 of either party. And I think it is where most 0:12:18.000 --> 0:12:21.240 voters are. But it's very difficult of a process to 0:12:21.240 --> 0:12:23.800 figure out how you nominate people that can appeal to 0:12:23.840 --> 0:12:27.800 those people. Lindsey Graham has said that he is quite 0:12:27.800 --> 0:12:31.760 worried about the midterm elections in two. Given the rift 0:12:32.320 --> 0:12:35.920 that we've seen exposed between Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump 0:12:36.200 --> 0:12:39.280 there now at each other's throat, I'm more worried about 0:12:39.360 --> 0:12:42.560 two than I've ever been. I don't want to eat 0:12:42.559 --> 0:12:46.480 our own President Trump is the most consequential Republican in 0:12:46.600 --> 0:12:48.920 the party. We don't have a snowball's chance in hell 0:12:48.960 --> 0:12:52.040 of taking back the majority without Donald Trump. How concerned 0:12:52.080 --> 0:12:54.720 are you about that? Well, he ought to be concerned, 0:12:54.840 --> 0:12:57.800 and I'm sure you know the leader McConnell is concerned 0:12:57.840 --> 0:13:02.880 as well. Look if if if they start primary senators 0:13:03.040 --> 0:13:06.559 or congressmen who don't agree with the president or don't 0:13:06.600 --> 0:13:10.880 support the president and elect, you know, kind of more 0:13:11.760 --> 0:13:15.240 Q and On supporters and really people that are out 0:13:15.280 --> 0:13:18.559 there on the fringe. They may be able to defeat 0:13:18.600 --> 0:13:20.880 them in a primary, but they're going to lose all 0:13:20.880 --> 0:13:23.720 those elections in November. And you know, I'm of the 0:13:23.720 --> 0:13:26.440 opinion we have to nominate candidates that can appeal to 0:13:26.480 --> 0:13:29.080 more people and win in November. It doesn't matter who 0:13:29.200 --> 0:13:33.360 you knock off in a primary. Apparently the Trump e 0:13:33.520 --> 0:13:36.840 ist Republicans are at the state and local level much 0:13:36.880 --> 0:13:40.160 more so than in the nation's capital. So how do 0:13:40.240 --> 0:13:45.760 you handle that, Trent and what can you do about that? Well, so, 0:13:46.040 --> 0:13:49.200 you know, it's uh the way these it's the same 0:13:49.240 --> 0:13:53.080 thing in that in both parties. Really the most activists 0:13:53.120 --> 0:13:56.360 folks are usually on the central committees at the run 0:13:56.400 --> 0:14:00.200 the local parties. They're not necessarily the actual leaders of 0:14:00.320 --> 0:14:03.800 the party in those states, and they're usually not elected officials, 0:14:03.840 --> 0:14:07.800 but you know they're certainly the Trump team took over 0:14:07.920 --> 0:14:11.240 most of the state party apparatus. Um, you're seeing some 0:14:11.320 --> 0:14:16.400 of those uh, party officials attacking uh, you know, the 0:14:16.480 --> 0:14:20.200 United States senators and congressmen who had the audacity to 0:14:20.480 --> 0:14:23.800 stand up and tell the truth and for people like Sindy, 0:14:24.280 --> 0:14:29.280 people like Cindy McCain. Yeah, going after Cindy McCain and 0:14:29.440 --> 0:14:34.040 Governor Doug Doocey and uh, and you know, it's it's 0:14:34.120 --> 0:14:38.640 just crazy. So, you know, the governors that were strong 0:14:38.720 --> 0:14:42.840 Trump supporters, like Doug Doocey in Arizona or Governor Kemp 0:14:42.880 --> 0:14:47.280 in Georgia or being attacked by the Republicans, and you know, 0:14:48.040 --> 0:14:51.320 it just doesn't make any sense. But you know it's 0:14:51.680 --> 0:14:53.400 I wouldn't put a lot of mistake in that it 0:14:53.400 --> 0:14:55.600 doesn't really matter. You know, like for example, in two 0:14:55.640 --> 0:14:57.960 thousand fourteen, you know, I'm the second Republican in fifty 0:14:58.000 --> 0:15:00.720 years to get elected, only kind of want two hund 0:15:00.800 --> 0:15:04.280 forty three years to get reelected my state party. Um, 0:15:04.320 --> 0:15:07.840 you know, Apparatus did a convention where I came in 0:15:07.880 --> 0:15:11.240 fourth place, but I'm the highest vote getter ever state. 0:15:11.360 --> 0:15:13.640 So I'm not sure they have as much influence as 0:15:13.640 --> 0:15:16.920 you think. And uh, they can criticize or censure all 0:15:16.960 --> 0:15:19.400 they want, but leaders are going to step up and lead. 0:15:20.160 --> 0:15:23.360 It sounds as if you think that Republicans could potentially 0:15:23.480 --> 0:15:29.040 cannibalize themselves by putting for candidates that are extreme right 0:15:29.400 --> 0:15:34.400 or very much you know, Trump followers, but cannot then 0:15:34.680 --> 0:15:38.480 have success on election day. I think that's the biggest, 0:15:39.000 --> 0:15:43.720 the big the biggest concern, because look, um, political parties 0:15:43.920 --> 0:15:46.560 exist because you want to win election, so you get 0:15:46.560 --> 0:15:49.760 a chance to govern, so you can you know, push 0:15:49.840 --> 0:15:53.600 your ideas and your agenda. If we nominate people that 0:15:53.600 --> 0:15:56.240 are unelectable in November, we don't get to run anything. 0:15:56.360 --> 0:15:58.080 We don't get the we don't're not gonna have a 0:15:58.120 --> 0:16:02.160 Republican president. We're not gonna have any Republicans controlling legislative bodies, 0:16:02.200 --> 0:16:04.840 We're gonna lose our big majority among governors. We're gonna 0:16:04.840 --> 0:16:08.440 lose legislative bodies. You know. We we have to elect 0:16:08.960 --> 0:16:11.240 in the primary, nominate the people that are most electable, 0:16:11.320 --> 0:16:13.600 or we're gonna lose a whole lot more seats. The 0:16:13.640 --> 0:16:17.200 more pro Trump of GEOP becomes, the more it could 0:16:17.240 --> 0:16:21.400 help the Democratic Party. Well, that's exactly my point, Katie. 0:16:21.400 --> 0:16:23.200 And that's the point I'm trying to make. I mean, 0:16:23.320 --> 0:16:25.960 I know, you know it's like, well, you're not a 0:16:26.000 --> 0:16:28.680 true believer, so we have to get rid of you. 0:16:28.760 --> 0:16:30.760 Well I am. I do happen to be the most 0:16:30.800 --> 0:16:33.360 popular governor in America who had the only one to 0:16:33.400 --> 0:16:36.120 win in Maryland two or four three years. So maybe 0:16:36.120 --> 0:16:37.760 you shouldn't get rid of me because you're not going 0:16:37.800 --> 0:16:40.080 to get you know, one of these guys you and 0:16:40.080 --> 0:16:42.000 on is not going to get elected governor might stay. 0:16:44.360 --> 0:16:47.800 I'll be continuing my chat with Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. 0:16:48.160 --> 0:16:58.880 Right after this. There was some speculation that you might 0:16:59.120 --> 0:17:03.960 challenge Donald Trump in that didn't happen. But are you 0:17:04.040 --> 0:17:10.160 considering a possible run in I never really seriously considered. 0:17:10.200 --> 0:17:13.000 In there were a lot of people kind of encouraging that, 0:17:13.040 --> 0:17:15.400 but I never you know, formed an exploratory or tick 0:17:15.440 --> 0:17:17.720 took it too seriously. I just didn't think it was possible. 0:17:18.240 --> 0:17:20.760 In four, I get that question a lot, and I'm 0:17:20.800 --> 0:17:23.000 not trying to duck your question, but we really are. 0:17:23.359 --> 0:17:25.480 I have a really important day job in the middle 0:17:25.480 --> 0:17:27.920 of a state of emergency, trying to save lives, trying 0:17:27.920 --> 0:17:31.480 to vaccinate millions of people, working on our economic recovery, 0:17:31.520 --> 0:17:33.919 and I'm really going to try to stay focused on 0:17:34.080 --> 0:17:36.280 doing that important day job for at least the next 0:17:36.320 --> 0:17:39.160 two years of my term. And there's plenty of time 0:17:39.240 --> 0:17:42.840 between now and four to worry about. But I am 0:17:42.840 --> 0:17:45.040 gonna do what I can to, you know, save my 0:17:45.240 --> 0:17:46.960 party that I've been a part of my whole life, 0:17:46.960 --> 0:17:49.359 and I'm gonna speak out and continue to try to 0:17:49.359 --> 0:17:52.560 be a voice. And the abstract is it's something that 0:17:52.640 --> 0:17:56.200 appeals to you, governor, Well, it's certainly something not something 0:17:56.240 --> 0:17:58.800 I would rule out, especially if I felt the call 0:17:58.880 --> 0:18:01.119 to duty. If I if I as if you know, 0:18:01.160 --> 0:18:04.919 I was somebody who could run a credible challenge and 0:18:04.960 --> 0:18:07.840 could potentially get to take the party back on track. 0:18:07.920 --> 0:18:10.679 I mean, I'm more concerned about a future for the 0:18:10.680 --> 0:18:14.000 Republican Party than than my future in the party. But um, 0:18:14.200 --> 0:18:17.000 you know, obviously, you know it's something we're gonna certainly 0:18:17.000 --> 0:18:19.960 take a look at. Governor, How can I I know 0:18:20.080 --> 0:18:23.560 you were very concerned on January six, tell me your 0:18:23.600 --> 0:18:28.080 reaction to the insurrection on Capitol Hill and the actions 0:18:28.160 --> 0:18:31.960 you took as a result. But I was shocked and outraged. 0:18:32.400 --> 0:18:35.920 I was in my office on a on a video 0:18:36.040 --> 0:18:39.680 conference with the ambassador from Japan to the United States, 0:18:40.200 --> 0:18:43.200 and my my chief of staff, came in. It was 0:18:43.280 --> 0:18:45.440 much like George Bush when he was reading to the 0:18:45.560 --> 0:18:48.600 kids in nine eleven, when when when somebody whispered in 0:18:48.600 --> 0:18:50.920 his ear, my chief of staff says, the capital is 0:18:51.000 --> 0:18:54.680 under attack. Uh. And you know I quickly excused myself 0:18:54.720 --> 0:18:59.000 from the the call the conference with the ambassador. I 0:18:59.000 --> 0:19:02.560 immediately called security team and my chiefest staff have talked 0:19:02.600 --> 0:19:06.320 with the mayor of d C who was desperately asking 0:19:06.359 --> 0:19:09.920 for our assistance. I called my security team together and 0:19:10.359 --> 0:19:14.000 within five minutes time, some in person, some on the 0:19:14.000 --> 0:19:19.040 conference video conference. It was our the the Adjutant General 0:19:19.040 --> 0:19:22.399 of our Maryland National Guard, the Superintendent of the Maryland 0:19:22.440 --> 0:19:25.240 State Police are homeland security by all all of our 0:19:25.280 --> 0:19:28.760 security team together about ten people, and immediately said what 0:19:28.840 --> 0:19:31.280 can we do? How fast can we move? Um? We 0:19:31.359 --> 0:19:35.720 called up our entire Maryland State Police UM instant response 0:19:35.800 --> 0:19:39.520 team that are all riot trained. Immediately sent them heading 0:19:39.560 --> 0:19:43.960 towards Washington. UH and we uh. We had this discussion 0:19:43.960 --> 0:19:46.240 about the National Guard. The mayor of d C was 0:19:46.280 --> 0:19:50.359 requesting help from our National Guard. It's a unique situation 0:19:50.440 --> 0:19:54.040 because you don't have a National Guard in DC. They 0:19:54.080 --> 0:19:58.800 don't have the authority every state governor. If Pennsylvania says, hey, 0:19:58.840 --> 0:20:01.119 we need help, we just send them over in Virginia. 0:20:02.080 --> 0:20:04.120 But in d C, we have to get the sign 0:20:04.160 --> 0:20:07.159 off from the Secretary of Defense. So we kept running 0:20:07.160 --> 0:20:09.400 it up the flagpole, you know, and we kept being 0:20:09.480 --> 0:20:12.600 denied by the Department of Defense. Meanwhile, while these meetings 0:20:12.600 --> 0:20:15.639 are going on, I get a call from Stenny Hoyer, 0:20:15.760 --> 0:20:18.639 the Majority Leader, who says to me, you know, you 0:20:18.680 --> 0:20:22.160 know someone a panicked voice says he's in He's been 0:20:22.200 --> 0:20:26.200 whisked away to a bunker or some undisclosed location with 0:20:26.560 --> 0:20:30.560 Speaker Pelosi and with Chuck Schumer. And he's saying, Governor 0:20:30.720 --> 0:20:33.879 this you know the Capitol police have been overwhelmed and 0:20:33.920 --> 0:20:36.240 they've taken over the capitol. Can you send us help, 0:20:36.840 --> 0:20:39.520 you know, just you know, begging for help. And I said, 0:20:40.119 --> 0:20:43.280 you know, Stenny, we have several hundred members of the 0:20:43.920 --> 0:20:46.320 you know, Maryland State Police on the way. They should 0:20:46.359 --> 0:20:49.399 be there shortly, um And he said, we need to 0:20:49.760 --> 0:20:51.800 Can you send the National Guard? And I said, I've 0:20:51.840 --> 0:20:54.000 called up my national Guard. We called up a thousand 0:20:54.000 --> 0:20:56.400 members of the National Guard. But we don't have authorization. 0:20:57.040 --> 0:20:59.719 And Stenny was yelling across the room too. He's saying, hey, 0:21:00.359 --> 0:21:04.199 you know, Hogan says they don't have authorization, and he says, 0:21:04.359 --> 0:21:06.399 you know. The Hoyer says no. The Chuck says, you do. 0:21:06.600 --> 0:21:08.840 And I'm saying, Stanny, I'm telling you I don't. We've 0:21:08.840 --> 0:21:11.000 been told three times by the Department Offense we don't 0:21:11.000 --> 0:21:14.240 have authorization. Does back and forth, back and forth. About 0:21:14.240 --> 0:21:17.560 two hours later, I'm still in the meeting with my team, 0:21:17.560 --> 0:21:20.600 talking about where are the guards stationed outside of DC, 0:21:21.160 --> 0:21:23.720 how many police are in there. I get a call 0:21:23.760 --> 0:21:26.960 on my cell phone from Ryan McCarthy, the acting Secretary 0:21:26.960 --> 0:21:29.919 of the Army. He is on a number of my 0:21:30.160 --> 0:21:33.040 personal phone. I don't even recognize and I but I answered, anyway, 0:21:33.240 --> 0:21:36.199 you know in Virginia number, And he says, can you 0:21:36.240 --> 0:21:38.040 send the National Guard in the d C. And I 0:21:38.119 --> 0:21:41.600 was like, Uh, yeah, We've been waiting for two hours. 0:21:42.440 --> 0:21:45.800 So we Maryland National Guard were the first first ones 0:21:45.960 --> 0:21:48.919 from outside of DC to arrive from Maryland State Police 0:21:48.960 --> 0:21:52.960 were next to arrive after the Metropolitan Police. Uh. And 0:21:53.000 --> 0:21:55.080 we we did everything we could to support them, we said, 0:21:55.119 --> 0:21:57.439 a thousand members of the National Guard, we said, I 0:21:57.480 --> 0:22:00.159 think members of the Maryland State Police and so of 0:22:00.160 --> 0:22:04.640 our allied county police forces at Prince George's and Montgomery County. 0:22:04.960 --> 0:22:07.600 But the hoops who had to jump through. Governor, I mean, 0:22:07.640 --> 0:22:11.480 it's just unbelievable. Do you believe that a nine eleven 0:22:11.680 --> 0:22:15.360 style commission will be able to get to the bottom 0:22:15.359 --> 0:22:17.520 of it? And this is the right thing to do, 0:22:17.600 --> 0:22:21.680 to investigate what happened and why, you know, I do 0:22:21.760 --> 0:22:24.320 think we need full transparency and I think we need 0:22:24.359 --> 0:22:27.760 to get to the bottom of exactly what happened and why. 0:22:27.880 --> 0:22:31.000