THIS YEAR.
>> CARLOS CURBELO, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR BEING ON THE SHOW
THIS MORNING
IT ALSO COULD BE MICHIGAN,
MICHIGAN, MICHIGAN, YOU KNOW
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND JOE BIDEN
WILL BOTH CAMPAIGN IN THE KEY
BATTLEGROUND STATE OF MICHIGAN
THIS WEEK.
JOINING US NOW, MICHIGAN’S
GOVERNOR, DEMOCRAT GRETCHEN
WHITMER.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK ON THE
SHOW, GOVERNOR
I GUESS, FIRST OF ALL, THE TRUMP
EVENTS, FROM WHAT WE’VE SEEN SO
FAR, MORE LIKE RALLIES, AND
THERE’S NOT A LOT OF SOCIAL
DISTANCING
ARE YOU CONCERNED A BIT ABOUT
THE HEALTH THREAT THAT A TRUMP
EVENT COULD POSE
>> YEAH, OF COURSE I AM.
WE’RE WATCHING THE EVENTS THAT
HE’S HOLDING IN OTHER STATES
LEADING UP TO THIS IS VISIT HERE
IN MICHIGAN TOMORROW, AND WE
KNOW THAT THERE’S NO SOCIAL
DISTANCING, THERE’S VERY LITTLE
MASK-WEARING
THEY’RE PROJECTING THEIR VOICES.
AND THOSE ARE THE PRIME
CONDITIONS FOR THE SPREAD OF
COVID-19
WE’VE PUSHED OUR CURVE DOWN.
WE’VE SAVED THOUSANDS OF LIVES
OUR ECONOMY’S RE-ENGAGED
AND YET, WE KNOW THAT ALL OF
THIS IS VERY PRECARIOUS, AND A
SUPERSPREADER EVENT COULD CHANGE
ALL OF THAT AND MAKE US HAVE TO
ROLL SOME THINGS BACK, AND
THAT’S WHAT WE’RE DESPERATELY
TRYING TO AVOID.
SO OF COURSE I’M CONCERNED ABOUT
IT
>> AND WHAT ARE YOU ABLE TO DO
AS GOVERNOR?
BECAUSE IF THE PRESIDENT WANTS
TO COME TO TOWN, IS THAT IT?
CAN YOU NOT HAVE GUIDELINES THAT
THE PEOPLE OF YOUR STATE NEED TO
INSTEAD OF LIKE WHAT WE’RE
SEEING HERE?
WE’RE SHOWING VIDEO OF ANOTHER
RALLY.
>> YEAH, WE HAVE GUIDELINES.
YOU KNOW, WE SEE THE VAST
MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN THE STATE
FOLLOWING THEM AND DOING THE
RIGHT THING.
I’M NOT GOING TO STOP THE
PRESIDENT FROM COMING INTO THE
STATE OF MICHIGAN, BUT I AM
GOING TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO
ENCOURAGE MICHIGANDERS CONTINUE
DOING THE RIGHT THING AND
PROTECT THEMSELVES
WE KNOW THIS VIRUS DOES NOT CARE
ABOUT PARTY LINE, DOESN’T CARE
ABOUT STATE LINE
IT’S STILL A VERY REAL THREAT
AND THAT’S WHY WE’VE GOT TO STAY
SMART, WE’VE GOT TO DO THE RIGHT
THING AND PROTECT THE ECONOMIC
GAINS WE’VE MADE AND THE LIVES
WE’VE SAVED.
WE’VE GOT TO MASK UP
>> HEY, GOVERNOR, JOE
SCARBOROUGH HERE
LET’S TALK ABOUT COVID AND THE
STATE OF MICHIGAN.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU’VE WON A LOT OF
PRAISE, NOT ONLY FROM MEMBERS OF
THE MEDIA, BUT ALSO, I THINK,
FOR YOU, PROBABLY MORE
IMPORTANTLY, FROM VOTERS IN THE
STATE OF MICHIGAN, IF YOU LOOK
AT YOUR APPROVAL RATINGS
BUT WE’RE IN THE FALL NOW.
THIS IS WHAT WE’VE BEEN WARNED
ABOUT FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS
FROM EPIDEMIOLOGISTS AND
DOCTORS, ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY
OF FLU AND COVID HITTING AT THE
SAME TIME.
WHAT IS MICHIGAN -- HOW ARE YOU
ALL DOING RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF
INFECTIONS AND DEATHS?
AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO
PROTECT PEOPLE IN YOUR STATE AS
WE GO INTO THESE POSSIBLY
DANGEROUS TIMES?
>> WELL, JOE, WE WERE RISING AT
THE SAME TIME THAT THE CITY OF
NEW YORK WAS AND NEW ORLEANS
WE WERE THE -- WE’RE THE TENTH
LARGEST STATE IN THE NATION, AND
FOR A LONG TIME, WE HAD THE
FOURTH HIGHEST DEATH RATE AND
COVID CASES.
NOW WE ARE IN THE 40th POSITION
IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF COVID
CASES AND OUR POSITIVITY RATES
ARE 3.7, WHICH WOULD BE THE ENVY
OF PROBABLY ALMOST EVERY OTHER
STATE IN THE NATION, BUT FOR A
HANDFUL THAT ARE DOING A LITTLE
BIT BETTER
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE’VE
MADE INCREDIBLE STRIDES.
WE’VE PAID A HUGE PRICE FOR IT,
TOO.
YOU KNOW, REAL SACRIFICE
BUT WITH A VACUUM OF LEADERSHIP
IN D.C., IT’S PUT ON THE
NATION’S GOVERNORS TO TAKE THE
LEAD, AND OUR AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS
HAVE TAKEN OFF
WE’VE SAVED LIVES.
WE’RE IN A STRONGER POSITION
BUT WE KNOW THE WEATHER IS
CHANGING
IT’S 55 DEGREES HERE IN MICHIGAN
TODAY, WHICH MEANS MORE PEOPLE
WILL BE INSIDE, AND THAT’S WHEN
WE’VE GOT TO BE HEIGHTENED
CONCERNS FOR A RESURGENCE, A
SECOND WAVE.
AND THAT’S WHY WE’RE PROMOTING
THE FLU SHOT
WE ARE CONTINUING TO BE
AGGRESSIVE AROUND ACTIONS WE’RE
TAKING TO PRECLUDE COMMUNITY
SPREAD
WE HAVE 30,000 TESTS A DAY,
WHICH IS A PHENOMENAL STEP THAT
WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD HERE IN
MICHIGAN
BUT A NATIONAL STRATEGY COMING
OUT OF WASHINGTON, D.C., AND THE
RESOURCES TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORT
IN TERMS OF A SUPPLEMENTAL THAT
WE’D LIKE MITCH McCONNELL AND
DONALD TRUMP TO GET OVER THE
FINISH LINE WOULD GO A LONG WAYS
TOWARDS PROTECTING OUR ECONOMY
AND THE HEALTH OF OUR PEOPLE.
>> GOVERNOR, MIKE BARNICLE IS
WITH US AND HAS A QUESTION FOR
YOU.
MIKE
>> YEAH, GOVERNOR, ON THAT
POINT, THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES SEEMS TO HAVE TWO
THEMES THAT HE STICKS TO IN
CAMPAIGNING FOR RE-ELECTION.
ONE, OF COURSE, IS RADICAL
VIOLENCE IN AMERICAN STREETS AND
CITIES, AND THE OTHER IS RIGGED
ELECTIONS.
BUT TO YOUR POINT THAT YOU JUST
RAISED, THE LAST FEDERAL
ASSISTANCE CHECK THAT MANY, MANY
FAMILIES GOT WAS JULY 1st.
THERE HAS BEEN NO COVID RELIEF
BILL PASSED SINCE THEN TO GIVE
FAMILIES A BOOST WHO NEED A
BOOST.
AND WE ARE ON THE EDGE OF AN
ECONOMIC CATASTROPHE FOR
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS.
WHAT IS THE STATUS MUCHOF THAT
CATASTROPHE AMONG MICHIGAN
WORKERS?
>> WELL, IT’S THE STARK REALITY.
DINNER TABLE ISSUES -- AT LEAST
HERE IN MICHIGAN
THAT’S WHY I’VE BEEN ENCOURAGING
THE BIDEN/HARRIS CAMPAIGN TO
KEEP DOING WHAT THEY’RE DOING --
FOCUS ON ADDRESSING THE HEALTH
CARE CRISIS SO THAT WE CAN GET
PEOPLE BACK TO WORK AND KEEP
THEM AT WORK AND BUILD OUR
ECONOMY BACK BETTER.
THE DINNER TABLE ISSUES ARE THAT
THERE’S A LOT OF AMERICANS THAT
ARE OUT OF WORK RIGHT NOW,
FEARFUL, WHETHER OR NOT THEY’RE
GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS
UPCOMING FALL SEASON AND WINTER
SEASON, AND THAT’S WHY THE
INACTION IN WASHINGTON, D.C. --
EVERY STATE IN THE NATION IS
WAITING FOR D.C. TO GET THE
SUPPLEMENTAL DONE.
IT’S ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND
PUBLIC EDUCATION AND PUBLIC
HEALTH, ARGUABLY THE THREE MOST
IMPORTANT THINGS WE NEED TO DO
AS A NATION RIGHT NOW IN THE
MIDST OF THIS PANDEMIC
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DIDN’T
CREATE COVID-19, BUT THEY ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TERRIBLE
RESPONSE WITH A LACK OF A
NATIONAL STRATEGY.
AND THAT’S WHY RIGHT NOW, MORE
THAN EVER, THEY’VE GOT TO GET
THIS FLOOR SUPPLEMENTAL DONE SO
THAT WE CAN HELP AMERICAN
FAMILIES STAY IN THEIR HOMES
WHILE THEY’RE FEARFUL OF JUST
PAYING THE RENT.
>> GOVERNOR WHITMER, IT’S WILLIE
GEIST.
GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING
ONE OF THE WAYS PRESIDENT TRUMP
IS TRYING TO WIN VOTES IN YOUR
STATE IS BY ENCOURAGING MICHIGAN
AND MICHIGAN STATE TO PLAY
FOOTBALL ALONG WITH THE OTHER
TEAMS IN THE BIG TEN
DO YOU BELIEVE MICHIGAN AND
MICHIGAN STATE SHOULD BE PLAYING
FOOTBALL GAMES THIS FALL
>> YOU KNOW, I LOVE FOOTBALL
I WANTED TO BE A SPORTS
BROADCASTER.
THAT WAS MY ORIGINAL PLAN.
I’M A STATE KBRAD AND I’VE GOT A
KID AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
MICHIGAN
THE FACT OF THE MATTER, IS THE
BIG TEN MADE A DECISION BASED ON
THE BEST EPIDEMIOLOGY, THEIR
RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, LEARNING
FROM THE BEST AND MAKING
DECISIONS, AND I THINK WE’VE GOT
TO RESPECT THE DECISION THAT
THEY MADE TO KEEP THEIR STUDENT
ATHLETES SAFE AND FAMILIES SAFE,
AND I THINK THAT MAKING THIS A
POLITICAL QUESTION REALLY
UNDERMINES THE SERIOUSNESS OF
THIS ISSUE AND HOW CRITICAL IT
IS THAT WE FOLLOW SCIENCE AND WE
DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO PROTECT
PEOPLE
WE CAN PLAY FOOTBALL AGAIN
THERE’S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT
BUT WE’VE GOT TO BE SAFE RIGHT
HERE AND RIGHT NOW, AND WE’RE
STILL IN THE MIDST --
>> SO YOU AGREE WITH THE BIG
TEN’S DECISION THEN?
>> I DO.
AND IF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
HAD HAD A NATIONAL STRATEGY AND
TAKEN THIS SERIOUSLY, WE MIGHT
BE ABLE TO SAFELY PLAY FOOTBALL
NOW, BUT THAT’S NOT THE CASE,
AND THAT’S WHY WE’VE GOT TO BE
SMART RIGHT NOW WITH THE
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE’RE DEALING