WEBVTT NOTE recognizability 0.950 NOTE language en-us 00:00:01.060 --> 00:00:04.610 Governor whitman a welcome back to the program I just 00:00:04.610 --> 00:00:09.530 wanted to ask you because you seem to be perfectly plays to address what's happening obviously last 00:00:09.530 --> 00:00:14.160 october the fbi foiled a plot to kidnap you buy a, you know, 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:18.930 lone wolf right-wing extremists and many months ago in 00:00:18.930 --> 00:00:23.600 the spring when you try to do the right thing about coded your own state 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:28.940 capital was breached people with weapons got n how surprised 00:00:28.940 --> 00:00:35.030 were you then about what happened at the united states capitol. 00:00:35.030 --> 00:00:39.580 I appreciate the question christian to be honest I've heard people saying they can't believe this 00:00:39.580 --> 00:00:43.750 happen in our national nation's capital and yet eight months ago that is 00:00:43.750 --> 00:00:48.620 exactly what happened in lansing michigan at our capital a people with long guns 00:00:48.620 --> 00:00:53.350 automatic rifles confederate flags showing up and storming 00:00:53.350 --> 00:00:58.180 our capital with the intention of intimidating lawmakers it played out on the 00:00:58.180 --> 00:01:03.590 national news and yet in my calls to the white house to 00:01:03.590 --> 00:01:08.160 the vice president directly to republican leaders here on the ground 00:01:08.160 --> 00:01:13.020 in michigan asked let's bring down the heat the death threats started back 00:01:13.020 --> 00:01:17.690 than...culminated in a plot to kidnap and murder me 00:01:17.690 --> 00:01:22.990 and yet we know that this current administration has reap 00:01:22.990 --> 00:01:28.400 the rewards of it and they have now reached what they've sown for ten months of 00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:33.720 hate and vitriol and it's sad it's heart-breaking and I think 00:01:33.720 --> 00:01:39.260 hopefully people of goodwill will now rise to this moment...governor this 00:01:39.260 --> 00:01:43.850 is obviously reverberated around the world and leaders and other observers all 00:01:43.850 --> 00:01:48.880 over the world weighing in with the same kind of words that you're using sad shocking you know, 00:01:48.880 --> 00:01:54.030 disgraceful appalling unbelievable...why do you think the capital was 00:01:54.030 --> 00:01:59.020 not properly protected to think it was I mean I don't even want to say 00:01:59.020 --> 00:02:01.960 deliberate well were the police we saw this 00:02:01.960 --> 00:02:06.750 breach happen with only the thin is to blue lines? 00:02:06.750 --> 00:02:12.700 I don't know I was stunned by that and yet I know that when 00:02:12.700 --> 00:02:17.660 the president wanted his photo-op in front of a church they had all the forces in 00:02:17.660 --> 00:02:20.230 the world to push back 00:02:20.230 --> 00:02:25.510 peaceful protesters and use rubber bullets and, 00:02:25.510 --> 00:02:29.490 they have that...moment's notice and yet this plane out of the 00:02:29.490 --> 00:02:33.980 course of ours that was standing there were some truly heroic 00:02:33.980 --> 00:02:36.860 law-enforcement officials that were there 00:02:36.860 --> 00:02:41.620 ...listen and talk to and checked in with a lot of our congressional delegation I now how 00:02:41.620 --> 00:02:45.860 tense and frightening the moments were inside the capitol yesterday but 00:02:45.860 --> 00:02:49.990 I think you're asking a very important question where what 00:02:49.990 --> 00:02:53.610 who was in charge and who made those calls I saw the mayor of 00:02:53.610 --> 00:02:57.790 dc come out with the action plan today and call for 00:02:57.790 --> 00:03:03.130 accountability she's doing the best she can but ultimately these federal properties I 00:03:03.130 --> 00:03:07.950 think are within another's jurisdiction we need to know who that was why people 00:03:07.950 --> 00:03:13.490 are not protected because they certainly have notice so, you know, you talk about the heroic 00:03:13.490 --> 00:03:18.430 cops and try to do their job and...is these tragic picture that's gone around 00:03:18.430 --> 00:03:24.160 since last night obviously of one lone black officer trying to hold off the mob and 00:03:24.160 --> 00:03:28.860 being essentially chased up the stairs and it took a long-time before we got 00:03:28.860 --> 00:03:33.850 any reinforcements and then you say you've checked in with your own congressional delegation 00:03:33.850 --> 00:03:38.190 well representative alyssa slogan reports that she was there when it was all happening of 00:03:38.190 --> 00:03:42.740 course and she called the chairman of the joint chiefs and then we hear 00:03:42.740 --> 00:03:47.340 the acting defense secretary put out a statement saying last night that 00:03:47.340 --> 00:03:51.310 he had confirmed with the vice president with the speaker of the house 00:03:51.310 --> 00:03:55.770 nancy pelosi with the majority leader mcconnell and schumer the now majority 00:03:55.770 --> 00:04:01.510 ...activate the national but he didn't mention the president what do you take from that 00:04:01.510 --> 00:04:06.110 ...did deliberately side lining him at that point did the president actively 00:04:06.110 --> 00:04:11.890 work against securing the capital of the united states well let's be very 00:04:11.890 --> 00:04:16.180 clear and present trump has encouraged egged on 00:04:16.180 --> 00:04:21.300 defended the people that I've participated in what we saw play out last night 00:04:21.300 --> 00:04:25.700 in washington dc but also the people who have 00:04:25.700 --> 00:04:29.790 ... invaded our capital here in lansing who ultimately 00:04:29.790 --> 00:04:34.620 were charging a plot to kidnap and murder me and even in the midst of all of 00:04:34.620 --> 00:04:38.690 that it continued through the campaign through his rallies? 00:04:38.690 --> 00:04:40.360 Defending and egging 00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:44.730 ...on this behavior my father's a saying if you plant potatoes you get 00:04:44.730 --> 00:04:45.570 potatoes 00:04:45.570 --> 00:04:49.960 that's just a simpler way of saying you report you sell and he has 00:04:49.960 --> 00:04:54.250 ...the seeds of division and hate and violence in our country for four 00:04:54.250 --> 00:04:59.420 years now we are seeing the horrific the impact that truly 00:04:59.420 --> 00:05:04.110 has had whether you're the victim of it or not every one of us has a duty to 00:05:04.110 --> 00:05:09.100 stand up to this domestic terrorism and call of what it is we 00:05:09.100 --> 00:05:14.060 remain in the midst of the worst public health crisis that any of us has seen in 00:05:14.060 --> 00:05:18.940 our lifetimes over three hundred sixty thousand americans have died over thirteen 00:05:18.940 --> 00:05:22.490 thousand or up to thirteen thousand today's date 00:05:22.490 --> 00:05:26.080 ...here in michigan and yet we have a white house that 00:05:26.080 --> 00:05:31.460 isn't spending every ounce of energy moving vaccines out we have 00:05:31.460 --> 00:05:35.670 ...who's got a place here in michigan...freezer farm they get 00:05:35.670 --> 00:05:41.350 fifty five million vaccines waiting to be shipped we need the federal government we focus on helping 00:05:41.350 --> 00:05:46.500 americans not sowing the seeds of division and hate while that is really hard to 00:05:46.500 --> 00:05:51.290 ...as well that everybody so desperate for vaccine and you can't get those fifty five million doses 00:05:51.290 --> 00:05:56.330 out in good time we hope that you will be able to I want to ask you something else 00:05:56.330 --> 00:06:01.210 ...obviously you also had an issue where you had to close the statehouse 00:06:01.210 --> 00:06:04.900 ...again in lansing today...I want to ask you this because this 00:06:04.900 --> 00:06:08.140 is been asked a large by people who watch 00:06:08.140 --> 00:06:12.500 the scenes yesterday they saw a overwhelmingly white mob 00:06:12.500 --> 00:06:17.260 mostly from out-of-state according to police who've already made dozens of arrests they say all 00:06:17.260 --> 00:06:22.570 but one of the rest so far from out-of-state is not dc residents and we've heard 00:06:22.570 --> 00:06:25.840 from many people questioning if this had been a black lives 00:06:25.840 --> 00:06:29.400 matter protests if they had dead to breach the 00:06:29.400 --> 00:06:33.530 capital of the response would have been a thousand times different this is what 00:06:33.530 --> 00:06:37.190 ...cory booker has said our democracy is 00:06:37.190 --> 00:06:41.400 ...and I saw it when I saw pictures of yet another insurgency 00:06:41.400 --> 00:06:44.170 ...a flag of another group of americans 00:06:44.170 --> 00:06:51.400 ...try to challenge our nation I saw the flag of the confederate see there. 00:06:51.400 --> 00:06:56.420 What will we do how will we confront the shame so that's one issue governor and, 00:06:56.420 --> 00:07:00.000 then from new york congressman monday jones treated I'll just say 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:04.460 it is today is domestic terrorists were black they would have never been allowed to 00:07:04.460 --> 00:07:09.140 storm the capital tool to us about that well I think that those 00:07:09.140 --> 00:07:13.530 are very raw and very honest assessments 00:07:13.530 --> 00:07:17.760 I think we only have to flip back a few months and look at footage of how 00:07:17.760 --> 00:07:22.390 peaceful protesters around the righteous cause of racial justice 00:07:22.390 --> 00:07:28.170 and equity in america how they were treated in front of place where donald trump 00:07:28.170 --> 00:07:33.060 wanted to have a photo up in front of a church we all saw that 00:07:33.060 --> 00:07:37.900 footage play out and how people were treated how people are pushed to the ground or 00:07:37.900 --> 00:07:42.790 shot at with rubber bullets and not only was there not a sufficient 00:07:42.790 --> 00:07:45.830 presence of law enforcement yesterday but it 00:07:45.830 --> 00:07:50.580 was incredible how long this group of domestic terrorists 00:07:50.580 --> 00:07:55.100 were able to occupy the capital were able to get into the speaker of 00:07:55.100 --> 00:08:00.040 ...office it was stunning to see those pictures play out and 00:08:00.040 --> 00:08:03.590 to see that heroic? 00:08:03.590 --> 00:08:04.260 Man who 00:08:04.260 --> 00:08:09.580 ...man who was trying to do his job to keep the people 00:08:09.580 --> 00:08:12.900 ...attempting a coup at bay he was alone he had 00:08:12.900 --> 00:08:17.390 no backup and no support and I do think that there's an 00:08:17.390 --> 00:08:22.390 undeniable difference and how these events have been handled and I think that 00:08:22.390 --> 00:08:27.130 ...booker is making an important point that I hope people are paying 00:08:27.130 --> 00:08:32.850 attention to because it's wrong and certainly people all over the world have been paying attention to this fact which is why 00:08:32.850 --> 00:08:36.950 I wanted to bring it up not to mention of course the african-american community in the 00:08:36.950 --> 00:08:41.400 united states but let me ask you about accountability uniform a lawyer, you know, 00:08:41.400 --> 00:08:45.450 all the facts aboutthat area of justice? 00:08:45.450 --> 00:08:50.390 Should the president be brought to account held to the standard of justice 00:08:50.390 --> 00:08:55.280 that his own words potentially lead to 00:08:55.280 --> 00:09:00.270 an could be considered asa dishes and be a direct incitement insurrection let 00:09:00.270 --> 00:09:04.860 me just play this particular piece where he was speaking as the vice 00:09:04.860 --> 00:09:09.280 president was gambling this routine organization to 00:09:09.280 --> 00:09:14.250 table the certification of the electoral results the president outside the white house was addressing 00:09:14.250 --> 00:09:19.270 his own supporters in a very different fashion we're going to? 00:09:19.270 --> 00:09:22.100 Walk down pennsylvania avenue I love pennsylvania. 00:09:23.210 --> 00:09:25.900 And, we're going to the capital and we're going to 00:09:25.900 --> 00:09:32.210 try and give you the democrats...hopeless never voted for it. 00:09:32.210 --> 00:09:35.610 Not even one vote but we're going to try and give 00:09:35.610 --> 00:09:36.220 our republicans. 00:09:37.900 --> 00:09:40.710 The week ones because a strong ones don't need any of our 00:09:40.710 --> 00:09:46.220 ...which are going to try and give them the guide 00:09:46.220 --> 00:09:50.090 And, bold this that they need to take back... 00:09:50.090 --> 00:09:54.000 The governor we've heard what ... 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:58.710 has said republican congressmen that it's time to invoke the twenty-fifth amendment and remove 00:09:58.710 --> 00:10:04.450 this president based on his incompetence at leadership again you know, 00:10:04.450 --> 00:10:06.570 about the rule of law you 00:10:06.570 --> 00:10:11.450 ...it weighting what do you think should happen and could happen and now 00:10:11.450 --> 00:10:17.220 you afraid that if the president is not somehow defined in the next several in the next 00:10:17.220 --> 00:10:23.280 couple of weeks before the inauguration something potentially even worse might happen? 00:10:23.280 --> 00:10:28.130 Well, first of all I do believe in the rule of law and no one is above the law 00:10:28.130 --> 00:10:33.010 this president has shown time and time again that he is not up to the challenge 00:10:33.010 --> 00:10:37.900 of being the present the united states failed roll-out of testing and 00:10:37.900 --> 00:10:41.150 ...at getting...getting their arms around 00:10:41.150 --> 00:10:46.650 ...to the inciting of violence ...you know, 00:10:46.650 --> 00:10:49.170 ramping this up and whipping people into a 00:10:49.170 --> 00:10:53.900 frenzy and encouraging them to take matters into their own hands and 00:10:53.900 --> 00:10:59.060 cheering them on to an inability to stop. 00:10:59.060 --> 00:11:03.460 I think the mayhem that played out yesterday I don't think ever was really interested in 00:11:03.460 --> 00:11:08.210 stopping that I don't know I can't get into his head and frankly don't have time 00:11:08.210 --> 00:11:13.110 to try I have a job to do as governor to try to do everything I can to protect the 00:11:13.110 --> 00:11:18.170 people of my state I don't have a voltage I'm not a part of the cabinet and when it comes to 00:11:18.170 --> 00:11:22.330 the twenty-fifth amendment or a part of congress when it comes to impeachment but I 00:11:22.330 --> 00:11:27.610 certainly think that the elements could be there but I'm going to stay focused and that way 00:11:27.610 --> 00:11:32.250 in and all of those things because I'm spend all my energy trying to get vaccines and arms of 00:11:32.250 --> 00:11:35.330 michigan...secure and safe so let me ask you a 00:11:35.330 --> 00:11:40.780 ...slightly different question than several of the president's people have resigned in the 00:11:40.780 --> 00:11:45.980 wake of what happened yesterday from deputy national security to various other 00:11:45.980 --> 00:11:50.980 officials nonetheless several and we're going to put up the graphic 00:11:50.980 --> 00:11:55.970 to show didn't actually go back in when the session was reconvene and 00:11:55.970 --> 00:11:58.690 continue their protest of the electoral 00:11:58.690 --> 00:12:03.630 college results these people actually saw what happened to their...seat of our 00:12:03.630 --> 00:12:08.410 and democracy and nonetheless went in to challenge based on complete 00:12:08.410 --> 00:12:13.900 and utter allegations of never be improved in fact been decisively disprove of 00:12:13.900 --> 00:12:18.310 and continue this charade so my question to you is how does the country move 00:12:18.310 --> 00:12:23.120 on after january twentieth while I do think there should be repercussions 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:27.870 franklythat was the case after the civil war and I think there should be the case now 00:12:27.870 --> 00:12:32.560 senator going in to try to disenfranchised a states boulders 00:12:32.560 --> 00:12:36.940 without a sentinel of proof is anti-democratic and is 00:12:36.940 --> 00:12:42.300 ...and I think that there should be repercussions from that I know that as a 00:12:42.300 --> 00:12:47.260 nation this has been a tough time there's no question everyone is hurting the burden 00:12:47.260 --> 00:12:52.700 has been harder for many than others but everyone of us has suffered under this lack 00:12:52.700 --> 00:12:57.700 of leadership from the white house in the midst of this...global panoramic and the company 00:12:57.700 --> 00:13:00.600 ...because of their inability to get their arms around 00:13:00.600 --> 00:13:04.170 that we have much work to do lives are 00:13:04.170 --> 00:13:08.560 on the line the foundation of our democracy held but 00:13:08.560 --> 00:13:13.500 it was tenuous and I think that reminds everyone of us people of goodwill on both 00:13:13.500 --> 00:13:18.460 sides I'll that comes before anyone of us individually or any one 00:13:18.460 --> 00:13:23.380 of our parties that is the most important we should always remember we are americans 00:13:23.380 --> 00:13:26.940 first and...all...to the constitution of the united states 00:13:26.940 --> 00:13:32.410 not to ourselves natural political party and governor do you feel safe, you know, 00:13:32.410 --> 00:13:37.820 you said our democracy held but it was tenuous the violence the 00:13:37.820 --> 00:13:42.450 incitement the conspiracy theories is still out there too many 00:13:42.450 --> 00:13:48.780 people believe what president trump has been peddling do you feel safe? 00:13:48.780 --> 00:13:54.250 I do I'm very fortunate I've got this michigan state police in charge of my security 00:13:54.250 --> 00:14:00.200 net never not felt safe even when there were plots to do the worst imaginable but, 00:14:00.200 --> 00:14:03.850 I haven't checked in with a lot of my fellow governors I know that 00:14:03.850 --> 00:14:08.760 ...seen this happen in states all across the country where people are showing up at 00:14:08.760 --> 00:14:12.020 governors homes showing up at state capitals 00:14:12.020 --> 00:14:16.930 looking to incite violence and potentially do damage and I think 00:14:16.930 --> 00:14:22.130 that it's really a moment where I'm fortunate that I feel safe but I am concerned about my 00:14:22.130 --> 00:14:27.460 colleagues I'm concerned about my nation and I'm going to do everything I can 00:14:27.460 --> 00:14:30.970 to help us navigate out of this moment to a stronger and 00:14:30.970 --> 00:14:35.740 more optimistic place of opportunity because that's what this country was founded 00:14:35.740 --> 00:14:41.070 on and I really believe that's what's at stake here and we've got our work cut out for us but we're 00:14:41.070 --> 00:14:44.520 up to this challenge indeed it's good to hear you hope and 00:14:44.520 --> 00:14:49.620 believe that might change in the moment we still remain in some grave in mortal danger 00:14:49.620 --> 00:14:52.110 until the inauguration governor gretchen 00:14:52.110 --> 00:14:55.380 witness thank you so much for joining me from michigan thank you.