In Donald Trump's Republican Party, loyalty is not is not
a two way St.
Listen to how the crowd greeted South Carolina Linds
Senator Lindsey Graham at Trump's victory rally just last night
in Columbia.
When I'm in trouble on the left,
I call up Lindsey Graham and he straightens it out
so fast.
And I'll tell you. No,
no, no, no. Remember, remember,
I love him. He's a good man.
Come up here, Lindsay. Come up here.
Lindsay.
Come here.
Joining us now, Democratic Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina.
I was fixated by that.
I'm sorry. I mean are they born like that in
North Carolina,
Governor, I think if he came they would at a
MAGA rally,
they certainly would. Governor, welcome.
I just
so on on my side of the aisle that's what
we got
and and we're trying to figure out and with Nikki
Haley and all of that you know how that's going
to play out.
On the Democratic side.
You and I were talking a little bit before about
how
the Biden administration has really provided states with
good glide paths that that are
impacting the economy, the healthcare systems et cetera.
Talk a little bit about how you see the differences
between the two parties setting up for the the national
narrative
around public policy, because we have not really had a
public policy debate yet in this country
and I think that's an advantage for Joe Biden.
Quite honestly. What? What's your take on how you're seeing
things set up right now for President Biden versus President
Trump
in terms of how the states governors,
for example, are looking at?
We're all here this weekend,
Republican and Democratic governors, and what we have is a
generational investment for roads and bridges and public transportation and
high speed Internet.
So we're working to make sure that it gets implemented.
But you see from last night that
Donald Trump has an iron grip on this Republican Party
and there is going to be a stark choice and
no boomer this this is going to be a Biden
Trump
rematch. And I don't think a lot of people wrap
their minds around that.
But the the the the choice is going to be
that do you want a president who wakes up every
morning thinking about the American people or do you want
a president who wakes up every morning thinking about himself
and and that is going to be the stark choice.
Joe Biden's experience he's he did more his first two
years
than than most presidents could hope to do in two
terms.
Almost 15,000,000 jobs in the first two years,
more small businesses than ever fighting
prescription drug costs. We're seeing inflation coming down now,
and what we need to do as Democrats is to
let the American people know about these things,
make sure that they understand
why their high speed Internet is going to get connected,
Why the water system in rural Sampson County,
North Carolina, in a community that had been forgotten.
Now people with tears running down their cheeks are finally
going to get clean water and not have to boil
it.
How almost 600,000 people in North Carolina are going to
get Health Care now because we've expanded Medicaid in North
Carolina and got a Republican legislature to do it.
Those are the things that are so exciting that are
going to matter to everyday people.
And I don't think everyday people are talking about what
we're talking about.
We're not talking about the politics of this and aren't
really
aware of it. I don't think many of them aren't.
You know better than anyone that the Biden re election
campaign has set their sights on North Carolina.
They believe that it is winnable for them and with
good reason.
You are part of that reason.
What is the investment that's going to have to be
made in North Carolina to actually deliver a Democratic victory
for Joe Biden?
We're going to have to meet people where they are.
We're going to have to listen to them.
Joe Biden. This was his closest loss in
2020, 1.3% in a in a year.
That was very good for Republicans in North Carolina.
He closed the gap from Hillary Clinton's loss,
which was 3.6% in 2016.
So we're a fast growing state.
Our blue counties are getting bluer and we're going to
have some issues that are going to rally the troops.
Women's reproductive freedom is on the ballot in North Carolina
in November.
It's on the ballot across this country obviously,
but the Republicans with A1 vote super majority
were able to override my veto to
put in a 12 week abortion ban in North Carolina
and people are upset about that.
The Republicans in North Carolina have been able to use
technologically diabolical gerrymandering
to draw districts that don't reflect North Carolina,
who we are as N Carolinians.
We're 5050 state. So we're going to be,
that's going to be an issue that's going to be
on the ballot this time.
We're going to be working to elect a governor.
We're going to make sure that we break that super
majority in the legislature again.
And all of that I think is going to converge
and we're going to work with the Biden campaign
to win this state for for Joe Biden.
People talk a lot about we obviously we talk a
lot about
2024 in the context of the presidential.
But yes in North Carolina and ten other states will
be choosing new governors the state legislature.
America's policy is made in the state legislatures.
What is your biggest hope for the election in North
Carolina and then what's your biggest concern.
Yeah, because you're term limited.
So but you're going you,
you let me let me say I I am working
on on the races as if I were on the
ballot because we have to continue the progress that we've
made in North Carolina. My hope is that we win
the state for Joe Biden because I think the presidential
election is going to go through North Carolina.
That we elect Josh Stein who is currently our Attorney
Attorney General who's running against the independently elected Lieutenant governor
that we break the Super majority in the legislature that
we try to hold our own in Congress.
We have this an important Supreme Court race up.
I appointed Allison Riggs to the state Supreme Court.
She is she is on the ballot.
My my fear is that
people may just decide to to stay home,
that they get frustrated that,
you know, people haven't wrapped their minds around the fact
that this is going to be a Biden Trump rematch.
So I'm concerned about complacency.
And when our country is on the brink here,
when the world is on fire,
we have a president who has the foreign policy experience
to deal with these issues.
We have to let people know what's on the line
here and what a stark,
stark choice we have here between Donald Trump and Joe
Biden.