ADAM: WELCOME BACK TO "CLOSE-UP." CORKY MESSNER HAS THE BACKING OF PRESIDENT TRUMP, BUT HE STILL HAS TO GET THE BALL ACROSS THE PRIMARY GOAL LINE HIMSELF ON
SEPTEMBER 8.
MR. MESSNER IS LINKING UP WITH US THIS MORNING THANKS FOR JOINING US.
SENATOR MESSNER: HEY, ADAM.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
ADAM: SO YOU'VE REALLY BEEN TRYING TO FOCUS YOUR EFFORTS ON JEANNE SHAHEEN.
BUT THIS PRIMARY LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BE A CLOSE ONE.
WHAT DIFFERENCE, OTHER THAN THE TRUMP ENDORSEMENT, CAN YOU HIGHLIGHT FOR GOP VOTERS TO SHOW THE GENERAL ELECTION?
SENATOR MESSNER: YEAH, ADAM, THANKS FOR THE QUESTION.
I HAVE LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE IN THE MILITARY.
I HAVE LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
I CREATED JOBS FOR MY OWN BUSINESSES.
I'VE DONE THAT MY ENTIRE BUSINESS CAREER.
AND I KNOW HOW SMALL BUSINESS OPERATES.
AND I KNOW HOW TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSESES HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
YOU KNOW, I GREW UP IN A BLUE COLLAR FAMILY, ADAM, AND I'M ENTIRE PLY SELF-MADE AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED BY INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY
ADAM: THIS HAS BECOME A PRETTY HARD NOSED RACE AND DON BOLDUC SAYS STRAIGHT UP YOU ARE NOT TRUSTWORTHY.
THIS IS AN ARMY GENERAL WHO SERVED OUR COUNTRY IN THE WAR ON TERROR, HIS WORDS CARRY SOME WEIGHT.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND?
[NEWLINE] SENATOR MESSNER: YEAH, I THINK IT'S REALLY OUTRAGEOUS THAT MY PRIMARY OPPONENT HAS TAKEN TO THOSE KIND OF SLANDEROUS AND I THINK THAT'S BENEATH THE
VOTERS HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
THEY'RE FOCUSED ON THE ISSUES, AND I'M FOCUSED ON BEATING JEANNE SHAHEEN.
SHE'S NOT DOING ANYTHING IN WASHINGTON, D.C. FOR GRANITE SHE'S NOT WORKED HARD TO TRY TO GET MORE HELP TO THE PEOPLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
SHE'S NOT DONE ENOUGH IN WASHINGTON, D.C. TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSESES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, HELP GET THIS ECONOMY GOING.
ADAM: ONE OF THE ISSUES ON WHICH BOLDUC HAS CRITICIZED YOU IS THIS SCRUTINY ON THE SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP CHARITY YOU SET UP IN COLORADO, THE MESSNER FOUNDATION.
YOU'VE SAID THIS STORY HAS BEEN UNFAIRLY CHARACTERIZED, BUT CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY YOUR FOUNDATION ONE KID OVER A TEN YEAR PERIOD.
SENATOR MESSNER: WELL, THE ALLEGATIONS ARE I'VE BEEN MISREPRESENTED.
IN FACT, WHAT ADAM WHAT YOU JUST SAID IS NOT TRUE.
THE FOUNDATION HAS GIVEN OUT STUDENTS SINCE 2016.
AND AGAIN, I MEAN, THIS IS BENEATH THE VOTERS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
WE NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON THE ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO GETTING THIS ECONOMY GOING, HELPING SMALL BUSINESSESES, NAVIGATING SAFELY THROUGH COVID-19 AND HAVING
REPRESENTATION IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THAT WILL HELP THE GRANITE STATE.
ADAM: LET'S TURN TO THE PANDEMIC.
COVID-19 IS FAR MORE EXTENSIVE HERE THAN IT IS IN THE REST OF THE DEVELOPED WORLD, AND IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE WE'RE A BIG COUNTRY WITH LOTS OF NUMBERS.
IT'S THE RATE TOO.
WHY DOES THAT DISPARITY EXIST?
AND DO YOU THINK IF PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS ANY RESPONSIBILITY?
SENATOR MESSNER: WELL, THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY ARE THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COVID-19 SITUATION IN THE UNITED STATES.
LET'S NOT FORGET THAT.
AND ALSO, LET'S REMEMBER THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP, YOU KNOW, IN LATE JANUARY.
AND AS DR. FAUCI TESTIFIED A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT THAT DECISION SAVED MANY, MANY, MANY LIVES IN THE UNITED STATES AS WELL AS THE DECISION BY PRESIDENT TRUMP TO BAN TRAVEL FROM EUROPE AND THE
U.K. AND OTHER PLACES.
AND I MIGHT REMIND YOU THAT THE DEMOCRATS AND JEANNE SHAHEEN OPPOSED THOSE DECISIONS THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP MADE TO STOP THE TRAVEL FROM CHINA AND EUROPE.
AND THOSE DECISIONS SAVED A LOT OF LIVES.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS DONE A GOOD JOB.
YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNORS OF THESE STATES WITH THE SUPPORT AND HELP OF PRESIDENT TRUMP ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN MANAGING THE COVID SITUATION IN THEIR STATES.
AND GOVERNOR SUNUNU'S DONE A FINE JOB HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
AND PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS BROUGHT TOGETHER A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO HELP THE STATES AND SUPPORT THE STATES.
IN NEW YORK, THEY WENT IN AND BUILT THAT HOSPITAL IN THE JAVITS CENTER.
PRESIDENT TRUMP SENT IN THE HOSPITALSHIP AND PROVIDED SUPPORT TO THE STATE.
AND THE GOVERNORS MADE VARIOUS DECISIONS IN EACH OF THE STATES.
AND WE KNOW HERE GOVERNOR SUNUNU HAS DONE A VERY GOOD JOB.
IN NEW YORK STATE, GOVERNOR CUOMO HASN'T DONE CUTCH A GREAT JOB.
A VACCINE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR AND IT IS EFFECTIVE, IT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS OF HIS PRESIDENCY.
WILL YOU TAKE THAT VACCINE AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO THE SENATOR MESSNER: YEAH, ADAM.
I THINK FIRST AND FOREMOST THAT THE SPEED AT WHICH THAT VACCINE IS BEING DEVELOPED IS A REALLY GOOD THING.
I THINK AND PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS DONE A GOOD JOB, AGAIN, WITH THE PUBLIC, PRIVATE, PULL-UP AMERICA APPROACH TO ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE VACCINES.
I THEN THINK THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES OUGHT TO FULLY DISCLOSE ALL INFORMATION ABOUT WHATEVER VACCINES THEY ARE THAT THEY'VE COME UP WITH SO THAT THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE, SO THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE COULD MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ABOUT WHETHER TO TAKE THE VACCINE OR NOT.
AND FOR ME RIGHT NOW, ADAM, IT'S HARD TO SAY IF I WOULD OR WOULD NOT TAKE IT BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT IT.
INFORMATION HAS DISCLOSED ABOUT ANY VACCINE.
I WOULD TAKE IT.
BUT I THINK I WOULD WANT TO READ ADAM: FAIR ENOUGH.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ATTENTION ON THE VIOLENCE IN KENOSHA.
AFTER THE OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING THERE THAT SPURRED PROTESTS, A 17-YEAR-OLD WITH AN AR-15 SHOT AND KILLED TWO PROTESTERS.
HE WAS SUPPOSEDLY THERE TO MAINTAIN ORDER.
SHOULD HE HAVE BEEN THERE, ARMED LIKE THAT?
SENATOR MESSNER: WELL, I THINK FIRST OF ALL, ADAM, YOU KNOW THE SITUATION IN KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, IS, YOU KNOW, UNACCEPTABLE.
WE CANNOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN IN OUR CITIES.
AND PEACEFUL PROTESTS ARE A GOOD THING.
IT'S PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
BUT THIS RIDING AND VANDALISM AND, YOU KNOW, THREATENING PEOPLE CANNOT HAPPEN.
AS FAR AS THAT YOUNG MAN, YOU KNOW, BEING THERE, I DON'T THINK HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED VIGILANTE JUSTICE.
I THINK WE NEED TO SUPPORT THE POLICE.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THE POLICE HAVE PLENTY OF FUNDS TO DO THEIR JOB IN THOSE SITUATIONS.
AND WE DON'T NEED VIGILANTE JUSTICE IN THIS COUNTRY.
ADAM: I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT A MOVEMENT THAT'S BEEN GAINING SOME TRACTION OVESOME TRACTION ON THE RIGHT, QANON.
THEORY THAT A SHADY NETWORK OF HUMAN TRAFFICKERS IS TRYING TO BRING DOWN PRESIDENT TRUMP.
DO YOU REJECT QANON, OR ARE ITS ADHERENTS WELCOME IN YOUR CAMPAIGN?
SENATOR MESSNER: ADAM, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT QANON.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY STAND FOR.
AND I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT WELCOME ANYBODY INTO MY CAMPAIGN , ANY ORGANIZATION THAT I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT.
ADAM: ALL RIGHT.
SO WE'VE GOT A BIG DEBATE COMING UP THIS WEEK.
TAKE US THROUGH YOUR STRATEGY FOR THE DEBATE.
SENATOR MESSNER: ADAM, I'M FOCUSED ON SERVING THE PEOPLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
I'M FOCUSED ON MY HISTORY, MY RECORD, MY HISTORY OF BUSINESS IN THE MILITARY AND I'M FOCUSED ON EXPOSING JEANNE SHAHEEN FOR THE PROGRESSIVE SHE IS.
I MEAN, JEANNE SHAHEEN HIDES IN THE FOG OF WASHINGTON, D.C.
SHE'S LITTLE TO THE PROGRESSIVES.
SHE VOTES WITH THEM 98% OF THE TIME AND SHE'S NOT LOOKING OUT FOR GRANITE STATERS.
SHE'S NOT WORKED HARD ENOUGH TO PROTECT GRANITE STATERS AND I WANT TO EXPOSE HER FOR THE PROGRESSIVE THAT SHE IS.
ADAM: THANK YOU SO MUCH