THIS IS A WMUR COMMITMENT 2020 SPECIAL.
"CONVERSATION WITH THE CANDIDATE." TONIGHT, FORMER GOVERNOR BILL WELD.
ADAM: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO OUR CONVERSATION WITH THE CANDIDATE SERIES.
I’M ADAM SEXTON.
OUR GUEST THIS EVENING IS FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR, BILL WELD.
TONIGHT, WE’LL BE GETTING TO KNOW GOVERNOR WELD, AND WHERE HE STANDS ON KEY ISSUES.
AT THE START OF OUR SHOW, I’LL BE ASKING THE CANDIDATE SOME QUESTIONS.
AND THEN AFTER A BREAK, WE’LL HAVE OUR STUDIO AUDIENCE ASK THEIR QUESTIONS, IN A TOWN HALL FORMAT.
BUT BEFORE WE BEGIN WITH THAT, LET’S TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THE CANDIDATE’S BIOGRAPH BILL WELD WAS BORN IN SMITHTOWN, NEW YORK IN 1945, GRADUATED FROM HARVARD IN 1966 BEFORE STUDYING
ECONOMICS AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, OXFORD.
HE LATER GOT HIS LAW DEGREE FROM HARVARD AS WELL.
WELD WAS A LAWYER WITH A PRIVATE PRACTICE IN BOSTON, BEFORE GETTING HIRED BY THE HOUSE IMPEACHMENT COMMITTEE TO RESEARCH THE LEGAL GROUNDS FOR IMPEACHMENT DURING THE WATERGATE
SCANDAL.
IN 1981, PRESIDENT REAGA APPOINTED WELD AS THE U.S.
ATTORNEY FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS.
AND HE LATER SERVED AS THE ASSISTANT U.S.
ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE CRIMINAL DIVISION.
WELD WAS ELECTED AS GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS IN 1990, AND RE-ELECTED IN 1994.
IN 1996 HE RAN UNSUCCESSFULLY AS A REPUBLICAN FOR THE U.S. SENATE AGAINST JOHN KERRY, AND FOR GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK IN 2005, BUT DID NOT GET THE NOMINATION.
IN 2016, WELD WON THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY’S NOMINATION FOR VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, APPEARING ON THE TICKET WITH GARY JOHNSON.
WELD AND HIS WIFE LIVE IN CANTON, MASSACHUSETTS, HE HAS 5 CHILDREN, AND 3 STEP-CHILDREN.
GOVERNOR WELD, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
MR. WELD: ALWAYS A PLEASURE.
I HAVE EIGHT GRANDCHILDREN I MIGHT ADD.
ADAM: YOU FACE THIS QUESTION A LOT, BUT IT’S AN IMPORTANT ONE, YOU WERE THE LIBERTARIAN NOMINEE FOR VICE PRESIDENT IN 2016.
NOW YOU’RE EXPLORING A RUN FOR PRESIDENT AS A REPUBLICAN.
WHY SHOULD REPUBLICANS TRU THAT YOUR RETURN TO THE REPUBLICAN IS GENUINE?
MR. WELD MY PRINCIPLES AND BELIEFS HAVE NEVER CHANGED.
I HAVE BEEN A REPUBLICAN SINCE I WAS 18 YEARS OLD.
I HAD A COUPLE YEARS WITH THE LIBERTARIANS.
I HAVE ALWAYS SELF IDENTIFIED AS A MEMBER OF THE PARTY OF LINCOLN.
MY FIRST JOB WAS WITH A NEW YORK U.S. SENATOR.
THOSE WERE THE DAYS.
IT WAS GREAT TO BE A REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT IN WASHINGTON.
PEOPLE WORK TOGETHER.
THERE REALLY IS NO DIFFERENCE.
ADAM: IF YOU MAKE THIS CAMPAIGN OFFICIAL, YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE BETWEEN GOING FOR THE WHITE HOUSE AND TAKING ON PRESIDENT TRUMP.
YOU SAID IN NEW HAMPSHIRE THERE IS A HISTORY OF TAKING ON THE PRESIDENT AND INFLICTING A MORTAL POLITICAL WOUND.
IS THAT PART OF WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO DO?
MR. WELD: I THOUGHT FOR A LONG TIME I COULD START MONDAY IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
I HAVE TWO TERMS AS GOVERNOR AND A LOT OF OTHER EXPERIENCE IN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
I HAVE A LOT OF INTERNATIONAL BACKGROUND, THE LAST 15 YEARS IN BUSINESS AND A MEMBER OF A GROUP OF FORMER WORLD LEADERS.
I FEEL QUALIFIED FOR THE JOB.
HER PRESIDENT TRUMP HAD NO PREPARATION FOR THE JOB WHEN HE TOOK OFFICE.
I TEND TO THINK IT SHOWS.
I WILL BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT I WANT TO DO.
ADAM: HAS PRESIDENT TRUMP FUNDEMENTALLY CHANGED WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A REPUBLICAN?
MR. WELD: HE HAS MOVED AWAY FROM THE IDEA OF FREE TRADE, LEADERSHIP, THE WORLD COMMUNITY, AND A GROUP OF ALLIES.
NONE OF THE QUARRELS I HAVE WITH HIS DOINGS INTERNATIONALLY IS IT SEEMS HE HAS INSULTED OUR ALLIES AND COZIED UP TO THE AUTOCRATS WHO ARE PRETTY CLOSE TO BEING OUR ENEMIES.
THAT IS NO WAY TO RUN A RAILROAD.
IT IS ALMOST AS IF HE IS PURSUING POLICIES AGAINST OF THE DIRECT INTEREST OF THE UNITED STATES.
ADAM: IF YOU’RE SITTING DOWN BEHIND THE RESOLUTE DESK IN JANUARY 2021, WHAT’S THE FIRST PIECE OF LEGISLATION YOU WANT TO SIGN?
MR. WELD: IT PROBABLY WOULD BE CUTTING SPENDING AND CUTTING TAXES.
AN AREA I AM VERY INTERESTED IN IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL AREA AND NATURAL RESOURCES.
I CONSIDER MYSELF A REAL OUTDOORSMAN.
I SOMETIMES SAY THE OUTDOORS IS MY CATHEDRAL.
IT IS EASILY POSSIBLE TO OVERLOOK THE IMPORTANCE OF CLEAN AIR AND CLEAN WATER TO THIS COUNTRY.
WE HAVE THE MOUNTAINS, VALLEYS, STREAMS, RIVERS.
WE BETTER DARN WELL PROTECT THEM.
THEY ARE OUR MONUMENTS AND CATHEDRALS THAT THEY HAVE IN EUROPE.
WHEN I WAS IN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT I BROUGHT THE SUIT TO CLEAN UP BOSTON.
IT WAS THE DIRTIEST HARBOR IN THE WORLD, NOW IT IS ONE OF THE CLEANEST.
THAT SORT OF THING IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
I THINK IT SHOULD BE TO NEW HAMPSHIRE.
YOU DON’T WANT THE SNOW OFF THE WHITE MOUNTAINS.
WHEN THE POLAR ICE CAP MELTS, THAT WILL HAPPEN.
ADAM: WOULD YOU REJOIN THE PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD?
MR. WELD: ABSOLUTELY.
THAT WOULD BE NEAR DAY ONE MATERIAL.
PRESIDENT TRUMP THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A FAILURE BECAUSE IT WOULD BE DOMINATED BY CHINA.
HE DID NOT EVEN KNOW CHINA WOULDN’T BE A MEMBER AND THE WHOLE ARGUMENT FOR THE TRANSPACIFIC PARTNERSHIP WAS TO HAVE A BEACHHEAD WITH 12 OTHER NATIONS IN ASIA WHERE CHINA
WOULD NOT BE DOMINANT.
ADAM: IS THERE ANYONE FROM THE TRUMP CABINET YOU WOULD KEEP ON THE JOB?
MR. WELD: I DON’T AGREE WITH THOSE WHO SAY THE ENTIRE ADMINISTRATION IS CORRUPT.
I THOUGHT JIM MATTIS WAS A COMPLETE STAR.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF GOOD PEOPLE IN THE ADMINISTRATION.
IT IS NOT ROTTEN TO THE CORE BY ANY MEANS.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE.
IF I GET THERE, I WILL HAVE REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS, FEW LIBERTARIANS, INDEPENDENCE.
WHEN I WAS IN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND WHEN I WAS GOVERNOR, I TENDED NOT TO ASK WHAT PARTY THEY WERE BEFORE I HIRED.
I LOOK FOR THE ABILITY.
ADAM: IF YOU DO GO FORWARD WITH THIS CAMPAIGN AND YOU ARE UNSUCCESSFUL, WILL YOU REMAIN WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND ENDORSE AND VOTE FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP?
MR. WELD: MY DIFFERENCES WITH THE PRESIDENT BOTH DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY ARE TOO PROFOUND FOR THAT.
I’M NOT SAYING I WOULD GO WITH A DEMOCRAT BUT I WOULD BE VERY UNLIKELY TO ENDORSE THIS PRESIDENT.
ADAM: THANK YOU, NOW YOU FACE THE REALLY TOUGH ONES FROM OUR TOWN HALL AUDIENCE.
WE WILL BE BACK AFTER THE BR