♪.
NEIL: ALL RIGHT.
WE KNEW THE PRESIDENT WOULD TAKE
MATTERS INTO HIS OWN HANDS.
YOU’RE LOOKING AT A WHITE HOUSE
WHERE THE PRESIDENT OUT LINED,
VICE PRESIDENT, ATTORNEY
GENERAL, PLANS TO VIA EXECUTIVE
ORDER, AT LEAST SIX SUCH
EXECUTIVE ORDERS TO REIN IN
DANGEROUS GUNS OR GET EASY
ACCESS TO THEM.
HE SAYS HE IS NOT AGAINST YOU
KNOW, THOSE WHO WANT TO HAVE
GUNS OR ANYTHING HAVING TO DO
WITH THAT BUT THOSE THAT ARE
RECONFIGURED, SO-CALLED GHOST
GUNS TO BE ANYTHING WHAT THEY
WERE ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO BE.
THAT IS SOMETHING HE WANTS TO
REIN IN.
GUN ENTHUSIASTS, HUNTERS, WHO
FEEL THE PRESIDENT IS GOING TOO
FAR, WORRY THIS COULD BE A STEP
TO FAR BIGGER, MORE ONEROUS
RESTRICTIONS.
LET’S GET THE READ FROM GEORGE
P. BUSH, THE TEXAS LAND
COMMISSIONERS.
KIND ENOUGH TO JOIN US NOW.
COMMISSIONER, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
YOU WERE ENTERTAINING A RUN FOR
ATTORNEY GENERAL IN THE
LONE STAR STATE BUT TEXAS AS YOU
KNOW BETTER THAN MOST, GUN
ENTHUSIAST STATE, A HUNTING
STATE AN PROBABLY IS LOOKING AT
SOME OF THIS WITH SOME WORRY AND
SOME TREPIDATION.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW IN OUR STATE WE HAVE A
PROUD TRADITION OF RESPONSIBLE
GUN OWNERSHIP.
WE HAVE A BILL LOOKING AT WHAT
OTHER STATES HAVE DONE IN TERMS
OF PASSING A CONSTITUTIONAL
CARRY.
I MYSELF AND MY CHL, CONCEALED
HAND GUN LICENSE OWNER HERE IN
TEXAS.
THAT IS A TRADITION WE’LL KEEP
ALIVE AND WELL HERE IN TEXAS.
THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE DEALT
WITH IN TERMS OF CRISIS AMONG
THE HUMAN CONDITION.
IT IS NOT NECESSARILY GUN OWNERS
CREATING THIS PROBLEM.
IT IS FOLKS FACING MENTAL HEALTH
CHALLENGES.
FOLKS COMMITTING SUICIDE.
PERHAPS WE NEED TO DO A BETTER
JOB AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL TO
MAKE INVESTMENT OF RESOURCES TO
MITIGATE THE VIOLENCE WE’RE
SEEING THAT MIGHT BE USED WITH
GUNS, BUT ACTUALLY CAUSED BY A
TROUBLING HUMAN CONDITION.
NEIL: SO, COMMISSIONER, WHEN THE
PRESIDENT WANTS TO BAND THE TYPE
OF WEAPONS THAT WANT TO GO
BEYOND THOSE THAT MIGHT BE
USEFUL FOR HUNTERS, LIKE THE
SO-CALLED GHOST GUNS THAT ARE
RHETT VERY FITTED, HOW DO YOU
FEEL ABOUT THAT?
>> I’M COMFORTABLE WITH EXISTING
FEDERAL GUIDELINES AS THEY ARE.
I BELIEVE STATES CAN BETTER
MANAGE GUN POLICY, THAN SAY THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PARTICULARLY
THROUGH EXECUTIVE ORDER.
MAYBE WE CAN WORK THROUGH
CONGRESS TO COME UP WITH
SOLUTIONS.
LET STATES LIKE TEXAS DESIGN OUR
OWN POLICY, WE KNOW HOW TO
MANAGE OUR ECONOMY, OUR WAY OF
LIFE, HOW WE CAN MANAGE THE
SITUATION IN OUR STATE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I HAVEN’T HAD A
CHANCE TO PERSONALLY REVIEW THE
EXECUTIVE ORDERS MYSELF THIS
MORNING AS THEY BECOME BREAKING
NEWS BUT I WILL SHARE THIS IS
NOT GOING TO BE WELCOME IN OUR
STATE.
NEIL: YOU HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OF
THE STANCE THE ADMINISTRATION
HAS TAKEN ON TRADITIONAL FOSSIL
FUELS INDUSTRY.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST WORRY IN
THE PRESIDENT’S GREEN PUSHING
RIGHT NOW?
>> SO, EVEN THOUGH THE STATE OF
TEXAS HAS LESS THAN 2% OF ITS
STATE GEOGRAPHY CONTROLLED BY
THE FEDS THE BIDEN ORDER ON THE
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING, WHO ARE
SOWN TALL DRILLING BAN ON
FEDERAL LEASES COULD JEOPARDIZE
OF 120,000 JOBS IN OUR STATE, OF
400,000 DIRECTLY EMPLOYED BY THE
OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY.
THAT IS ONE WHERE MY AGENCY IS
INTERVENING IN A CASE IN PENDING
IN THE STATE OF WYOMING.
STATES LIKE COLORADO, WYOMING,
RELY ON FEDERAL LEASES TO
GENERATE REVENUE FOR PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
THEY TALK ABOUT THE ENDANGERED
SPECIES ACT WHICH COULD
JEOPARDIZE PRODUCTION IN OUR
STATE WHICH GENERATES 44% OF THE
NATION’S OIL BUT RIGHT NOW THE,
HYDRAULIC BAN AND HORIZONTAL
DRILLING BAN ON FEDERAL LEASES
IS THE MOST PROBLEMATIC.
NEIL: YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER,
WHILE I HAVE YOU, YOUR UNCLE,
GEORGE W. BUSH, THE FORMER
PRESIDENT, HAS BEEN QUITE
COMPLIMENTARY OF JOE BIDEN IN
HIS FIRST COUPLE MONTHS SAYING
HE IS OFF TO A GOOD START.
YOUR DAD, JED BUSH, HAS
COMMENDED SOME OF THE TONE THAT
HAS COME OUT OF THE BIDEN
WHITE HOUSE.
BY AND LARGE YOUR LARGER FAMILY
HAS BEEN VERY QUIET ON
DONALD TRUMP.
YOU HAVE NOT.
YOU SUPPORTED HIM ULTIMATELY
WHEN HE WAS NOMINEE IN 2016 AND
IN HIS RE-ELECTION IN 2020 BUT
YOU STAND OUT IN YOUR FAMILY FOR
THAT.
SO I, THE OBVIOUSLY QUESTION IS,
WHAT ARE FAMILY DINNER
CONVERSATIONS LIKE?
>> [LAUGHTER].
SOMETIMES AWKWARD.
BUT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT I’M MY
OWN MAN WITH MY OWN VISION FOR
MY STATE HERE IN TEXAS AND MY
OWN IDEAS AND I COULDN’T
RECONCILE SUPPORTING THE
OPPONENTS WHETHER IT BE IN 16,
20, OR THE IDEAS THEY’RE NOW
PRESENTING A.
A LOT OF CONSTITUENTS SAY THEY
DIDN’T SIGN UP FOR WHAT WE’RE
SEEING OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE
AND HE IS BASICALLY BECOME THE
BEHOLDEN TO THE EXTREME IN HIS
PARTY, EASTERN THOUGH HE KIND OF
CAMPAIGNED AS A UNIFIER.
I DISAGREE WITH MY DAD AND MY
UNCLE ON THAT FRONT BUT I THINK
WE TAKE THE ENERGY HONESTLY
RIGHT NOW, AT LEAST WHEN I TALK
WITH THE GRASSROOTS OF WHAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP CREATED, LOOKING
OUT FOR THE BLUE-COLLAR WORKER.
BEING SKEPTICAL OF OUR TRADE
AGREEMENTS.
TAKING ON CHINA ON THE NATIONAL
SECURITY FRONT, SECURING THE
BORDER, PARTICULARLY HERE IN
TEXAS.
THAT IS WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR.
NEIL: I CAN SEE ALL OF THAT.
I GET THAT PART, GEORGE.
I GET THE POLICIES AND THE
POSITIONS OF DONALD TRUMP TOOK,
VERY DIFFERENT THAN THEY BE THE
PERSONALITY OF THE MAN BUT HE
HAD A LOT OF AWFUL THINGS TO SAY
ABOUT YOUR DAD.
LOW ENERGY AND ON AND ON.
YOUR FATHER WAS FAMOUS FOR
SAYING OF THE JANUARY 6th,
CAPITOL HILL VIOLENCE THAT THE
PRESIDENT PROVOKED THAT
DISGUSTING EVENT AT THE CAPITOL.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?
>> WELL, POLITICS IS SOMETIMES
TOUGH.
IT’S A FULL CONTACT SPORT AS
THEY SAY, AND YOU KNOW DURING
ROUGH PRIMARIES WHERE MY
GRANDFATHER WHO RAN FOR
PRESIDENT SEVERAL TIMES OR MY
UNCLE THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT
THEY WERE THE TARGET BUT THEY
ALSO DELIVERED IT AND SO THAT
HAPPENS IN PRESIDENTIAL
POLITICS.
I JUST KNOW THAT IN TERMS OF
WHAT WE DO AT THE LAND OFFICE WE
CAN CAPTURE SOME OF THAT ENERGY,
SOME OF THOSE IDEAS AND USE IT
FOR GOOD IN OUR STATE BECAUSE WE
NEED IT MORE THAN EVER.
NEIL: BOTTOM LINE, YOU DON’T
TAKE ANY OF THIS PERSONALLY OR,
THE REMARKS THAT DONALD TRUMP
MADE AGAINST YOUR DAD PERSONALLY
OR THE EXTENDED BUSH FAMILY, YOU
DON’T TAKE ANY OF THAT
PERSONALLY?
>> I THINK YOU WOULD HAVE A VERY
SHORT CAREER IN POLITICS IF YOU
TAKE ANY OF THIS PERSONALLY.
THIS IS, THE TRUE WAR IS ABOUT
IDEAS AND WHAT’S AT STAKE FOR
OUR COUNTRY IN THE NEXENTRY.
I’M A FATHER OF A 7-YEAR-OLD AND
A 5-YEAR-OLD.
THAT IS WHY I FIRST ENTERED
PUBLIC SERVICE WAS I WANTED THEM
TO BE ABLE TO INHERIT A COUNTRY
A STATE, BETTER CONDITION THAN
THE ONE I HAVE CURRENTLY HAD A
CHANCE TO ENJOY WITH MY
BEAUTIFUL WIFE.
THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO CONTINUE
FIGHTING FOR IN THE COMING NEARS
NEIL: YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER,
YOUR UNCLE, GEORGE W. BUSH, HAD
SAID OF REPUBLICAN PARTY STANDS
AND WHAT IS POPULISM, WHAT’S
NOT, I HOPE I’M QUOTING
CORRECTLY HERE, THE HISTORY IN
THE UNITED STATES HAS SHOWN
THESE POP UPIST MOVEMENTS BEGIN
FRITTER OVER TIME.
SO I’M OPTIMISTIC ABOUT
DEMOCRACY.
I THINK WHAT HE IS SAYING, I
DON’T WANT TO PUT WORDS IN YOUR
UNCLE’S MOUTH, THAT THE
TRUMPISM, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO
CALL IT REPRESENTS A BLIP ON THE
HISTORICAL TIMELINE WHAT DO YOU
THINK OF THAT?
>> WELL IT IS REALLY HARD TO
SAY.
THAT WOULD REQUIRE MY TO BE ABLE
TO PREDICT THE FUTURE WHICH I
CAN’T DO BUT WHAT I CAN DO TALK
TO YOU ABOUT 2022 AND A LOT OF
CONSTITUENTS REALLY TIRED
ALREADY OF THE BORDER SURGE
WE’RE SEEING BECAUSE OUR
COMMUNITIES ON THE BORDER HAVE
BEEN ABSORBING THIS SURGE FOR
GENERATIONS.
THEY WANT A MORE PROACTIVE D.C.
AS IT RELATES TO THAT ISSUE.
THEY WANT A D.C. THAT STEPS BACK
TO ALLOW STATES CREATE THEIR OWN
POLICIES SUCH AS THE TRADITION
HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND
THE GRASSROOTS IS FIRED UP MORE
THAN EVER.
EVEN THOUGH THINGS DIDN’T WORRY
OUT AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET
DURING THE ELECTION CYCLE IN
2020, I CAN TELL YOU A GOOD
NIGHT FOR CONSERVATIVES IN STATE
OF TEXAS.
WE MAINTAINED MOST OF OUR
MAJORITIES IN THE STATEHOUSE,
STATE SENATE.
WE HAVE WORK TO DO IN OUR
JUDICIAL RACES.
ALL OF THE STATEWIDES ARE HELD
BY REPUBLICANS.
PART OF THE REASON I’M LOOKING
AT ANOTHER OFFICE WE HAVE TO PUT
THE BEST TEAM ON THE FIELD HERE
IN TEXAS.
THE DEMOCRATS WILL COME AT US
WITH EVERYTHING THEY POSSIBLY
CAN WHETHER GOOD CANDIDATES OR
ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL RESOURCES.
NEIL: I DON’T KNOW THE FAMILY
DYNAMICS, GEORGE, WHO AM I TO
JUDGE, I DO KNOW YOU STAND OUT
IN YOUR FAMILY FOR VARIETY OF
REASONS.
YOU’RE A VERY POPULAR
COMMISSIONER.
THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT POST IN
YOUR STATE.
I KNOW YOU’RE ENTERTAINING A RUN
FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL.
OTHERS SAID YOU SET YOUR SIGHTS
ON MAYBE BECOMING A GOVERNOR OR
BECOMING PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
WHAT ABOUT THAT?
>> WELL, RIGHT NOW I’M FOCUSED
ON THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THE
HERE AND THE NOW AND THERE IS
GOING TO BE PLENTY OF TIME AFTER
LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO MAKE
ANNOUNCEMENT AND TALK WITH THE
GRASSROOTS OF OUR PARTY.
YOU KNOW WHAT I HAVE LEARNED,
NEIL --
NEIL: YOU’RE CLEAR, CLEARLY
INTERESTED IN RUNNING FOR
ATTORNEY GENERAL, THAT IS A
GIVEN, RIGHT?
>> I’M TAKING A VERY SERIOUS
LOOK AT IT.
I THINK THAT THE CHARGES THAT
HAVE BEEN LEVIED AGAINST THE
INCUMBENT ARE VERY SERIOUS AND
NEED TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
NEIL: SO FOR PRESIDENT, DOWN THE
ROAD AND THAT BUSH FAMILY STILL
HAS A VIABLE OFFER, DOWN THE
ROAD, WHATEVER YOU SAY ABOUT THE
POLITICS, POSITIONS OF YOUR DAD
AND YOUR UNCLE AND YOUR
GRANDFATHER, THIS IS A FAMILY
WELL-STEEPED IN, IN REPUBLICAN
POLITICS.
IN FACT THE DISPARAGING NOTE IS
ESTABLISHMENT REPUBLICAN
POLITICS.
ARE YOU THE ESTABLISHMENT OR ARE
THEY?
>> I’M ACTUALLY CONSTITUTIONAL
CONSERVATIVE.
I’M A UNIQUE BRIDGE ACTUALLY IN
THIS PARTY THAT CAN BRING
TOGETHER THE CLANS IF YOU WILL.
I HAVE DEMONSTRATED TRACK RECORD
OF DOING THAT HERE IN THE STATE
WITH BEING THE LARGEST
VOTE-GETTER IN 2014 AND THEN IN
2018 WHEN I GOT ELECTED NUMBER
TWO BEHIND THE GOVERNOR.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT TEXAS, WE
REALLY ARE OUR COUNTRY IN A
NUTSHELL, VERY DIVERSE, RURAL,
URBAN, SUBURBAN INTEREST WITH A
WIDE, DIVERSE POPULATION.
I HAVE A MESSAGE THAT SELLS,
RESONATES AMONGST CONSERVATIVES
AND AMONG NEW TEXANS.
WE HAVE ALMOST 200 PEOPLE MOVING
HERE TO THE CAPITAL CITY EVERY
DAY ON A NET BASIS, HALF OF WHOM
ARE FROM CALIFORNIA.
THE RUSH IS ON TO TEXAS AND YOU
NEED KIND OF A BROAD MESSAGE
THAT APPEALS TO FOLKS THAT ARE
SIXTH GENERATION, RELATIVES IN
THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO AND A
MESSAGE THAT APPEALS TO PEOPLE
THAT JUST MOVED HERE FROM L.A.
NEIL: YOU’RE RIGHT.
IT IS DEFINITELY GOING ON.
YOU’RE RIGHT RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH, GOOD CATCHING UP WITH YOU.