>>> AT THE END OF THE DAY, I’M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT ANY PLAN
THAT RIPS AWAY QUALITY HEALTH
CARE FROM INDIVIDUALS.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WISH LIST
ECONOMICS.
ECONOMICS. IT USED TO JUST BE REPUBLICANS
WHO WANTED TO REPEAL AND
REPLACE.
REPLACE. NOW MANY DEMOCRATS DO AS WELL.
>> JOINING US NOW, DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND CHAIR
OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNOR’S
ASSOCIATION, GOVERNOR STEVE
BULLOCK OF MONTANA.
VERY GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON THE
SHOW, GOVERNOR.
SHOW, GOVERNOR. GREAT JOB LAST NIGHT.
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY OVERALL, AND
THE CANDIDATES THAT YOU WERE
SHARING IDEAS WITH YESTERDAY IN
DEBATING.
DEBATING. IS THERE A CONCERN, DO YOU HAVE
THAT CONCERN THAT THE ISSUES
THAT YOU ALL HAVE PLATFORMS ON
WILL BE NOT APPEALING TO A BROAD
SPECTRUM OF THE AMERICAN VOTERS
WHICH OF COURSE MIGHT END UP TO
A SECOND TERM FOR DONALD TRUMP?
>> WELL, YEAH, AND THANKS FOR
HAVING ME THIS MORNING, MIKA.
AS THE ONLY ONE ACTUALLY THAT
WON A TRUMP STATE, I HAVE THE
CONCERN IF WE’RE NOT SPEAKING IN
WAYS THAT ACTUALLY CONNECT WITH
PEOPLE’S LIVES.
PEOPLE’S LIVES. AS I TALK ABOUT WISH LIST
ECONOMICS, WE SHOULDN’T HAVE TO
BE CHOOSING BETWEEN WHAT WE
DON’T WANT AND WHAT WE CAN’T
AFFORD, MEANING THAT, LOOK, WE
CAN MAKE PROGRESS ON HEALTH
CARE, WE CAN MAKE PROGRESS ON
COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY, WE CAN
MAKE PROGRESS IN SO MANY WAYS
WITHOUT JUST THESE TRILLION
DOLLAR PLANS THAT ARE MOSTLY
WRITTEN FOR PRESS RELEASES.
>> JOHN HEILEMANN.
>> HEY, GOVERNOR, I’M RUNNING
INTO YOUR GUYS, WELCOME TO THE
DEBATE STANL LASTGE LAST NIGHT.
I RAN INTO YOUR GUYS AFTERWARDS
AND THE FOLKS THAT WORK FOR YOU,
AND THERE’S A FAIR AMOUNT OF
TENSION AND DRAMA.
ARE YOU GOING TO GET TO BE BACK
ON THE DEBATE STAGE AGAIN IN
SEPTEMBER, WHICH RAISES THE
QUESTION I WANT TO ASK WHICH IS
NOT JUST ABOUT YOU BUT ABOUT A
BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN
DANGER OF BEING EXCLUDED FROM
THESE FORUMS GOING FORWARD.
I KNOW YOU HAVE RAISED SOME
COMPLAINTS ABOUT THAT IN THE
PAST BUT I REALLY AM HAVING A
HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING WHY FOR
THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFETIME
COVERING PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAS DECIDED
TO IMPOSE THESE ARBITRARY
QUALIFICATION METRICS THAT MAY
REDUCE THE FIELD TO, YOU KNOW,
SIX OR SEVEN OR EIGHT PEOPLE
EFFECTIVELY JUST A COUPLE MONTHS
FROM NOW.
FROM NOW. DO YOU THINK THAT’S THE RIGHT
THING TO DO?
>> I DON’T, JOHN.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT
WE’VE ALWAYS DONE IS ACTUALLY
THE VOTERS ARE THE ONES THAT
WINNOWED DOWN THE BIG FIELD.
I HAVE BEEN SO PLEASED.
I HAVE ONLY BEEN IN THIS FOR
EIGHT WEEKS NOW, SEVEN TRIPS TO
IOWA DURING THAT TIME, ATTORNEY
GENERAL TOM MILLER, JOHN BAUER,
OTHERS ON BOARD.
THIS REALLY NEEDS TO BE A ROBUST
DISCUSSION BECAUSE WE’VE GOT TO
BEAT DONALD TRUMP, AND WE’VE GOT
TO HAVE A CANDIDATE THAT CAN WEN
NOT JUST ON THE COAST BUT ALL
ACROSS THIS COUNTRY AND IT
SHOULDN’T BE RULES OR OTHERS
THAT WINNOW DOWN THAT FIELD, IT
SHOULD BE VOTERS.
>> GOVERNOR, IT’S JONATHAN
LEMIRE, YOU MADE YOUR BIG PITCH
HERE THE YOU ABOUT
WIN A TRUMP STATE.
AND ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES YOU
DISAGREE WITH SOME OF YOUR
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES, WHETHER
THAT IS ON THE GREEN NEW DEAL OR
ON MEDICARE FOR ALL OR ON THE
IDEA OF SOME OF YOURTHE IMMIGRAT
POLICIES.
POLICIES. MY QUESTION IS THIS.
CONSIDERING THOSE STANCES BUT
ALSO CONSIDERING WHERE THE POLL
NUMBERS ARE, ARE YOU OUT OF STEP
RIGHT NOW WITH THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY?
PARTY? YOU’RE MAKING THE CASE TO BEAT
DONALD TRUMP, BUT DON’T YOU HAVE
TO GET THERE FIRST?
>> WELL, YOU DO, AND ONLY BEING
IN EIGHT WEEKS, BECAUSE MY
LEGISLATURE WAS STILL IN
SESSION, IT MEETS 90 DAYS EVERY
TWO YEARS, NEEDED TO GET
MEDICAID EXPANSION REAUTHORIZED,
SO SAVING HEALTH CARE FOR
100,000 PEOPLE.
100,000 PEOPLE. BUT AS I’M OUT TRAVELING, WHAT I
HEAR IS PEOPLE WANT US TO TALK
ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF FOLKS’
EVERYDAY LIVES ECONOMICALLY,
THAT THEY’RE NOT GETTING BETTER
UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION.
LOOK, WE ALL OUGHT TO BE TALKING
ABOUT, AS WE TALK ABOUT
IMMIGRATION.
IMMIGRATION. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM RIGHT NOW
WITH IMMIGRATION, IT’S ACTUALLY
DONALD TRUMP, BECAUSE HE’S
DIVIDING BOTH FAMILIES AND OUR
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. SO THERE’S WAYS TO DO THIS.
I’M A POPULIST, PRO-CHOICE,
PRO-UNION DEMOCRAT THAT’S WON
THREE TIMES IN A RED STATE.
AND I’VE DONE THAT BY NOT
COMPROMISING THE VALUES OF OUR
PARTY, BUT WE SHOULDN’T HAVE TO
BE CHOOSING, REALLY, AS I SAID,
BETWEEN WHAT WE DON’T WANT AND
WHAT WE CAN’T AFFORD.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS MOVE THIS
COUNTRY FORWARD, AND THAT’S WHAT
I HEAR FROM FOLKS WHEN I’M OUT
ON THE STUMP.
>> GOVERNOR LLOCK, I THINK
YOU’VE JUST HIT UPON SOMETHING I
THINK YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE
PEOPLE KNOW, AND THAT IS YOU
DO -- YOU HAVE A VERY
PROGRESSIVE SET OF LISTS OF
THINGS YOU WANT TO GET DONE.
I THINK SOMETIMES PEOPLE CONFUSE
SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BE
PRAGMATIC WITH SOMEONE WHO IS A
CONSERVATIVE, SMALL C.
I THINK YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO DOES
HAVE A FEW DAYS AS A
PROGRESSIVE.
PROGRESSIVE. LET’S TALK A LITTLE ABOUT THE
TRADE WAR.
TRADE WAR. YOU ARE ALSO UNIQUE, YOU AND
MAYOR PETE, IN TERMS OF COMING
TO A STATE WHERE AGRICULTURE IS
SO IMPORTANT.
SO IMPORTANT. THE FOLKS OUT IN RURAL AMERICA
HAVE SUPPORTED DONALD TRUMP IN
AN UNPRECEDENTED FASHION.
THEY ARE ALSO GETTING KICKED IN
THE GUT IN THIS TARIFF WAR.
COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE
BIT AND HOW WE CAN MAKE TRADE
FAIR BUT NOT GIVE SUCH A SHORT
SHRIFT TO THE FARMERS IN THIS
COUNTRY?
COUNTRY? >> I WAS IN RIPPEY, IOWA WHEN A
SIXTH GENERATION FARMER SAID, I
DON’T KNOW IF I WANT MY SON TO
FOLLOW ME AND BECOME THE
SEVENTH.
SEVENTH. RIGHT NOW WE’RE IN THIS PLACE
WHERE, WHAT DONALD TRUMP HAS
DONE, HE THINKS THAT THE TARIFFS
WILL JUST BE THE CURE-ALL FOR
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. I DON’T THINK AMERICA FIRST
BECOMES AMERICA ALONE.
WHAT WE’RE SEEING BOTH IN IOWA,
WHAT I’M SEEING IN MONTANA, IS
IT’S GOT TO BE MORE THAN A BLUNT
INSTRUMENT OF TARIFFS, BECAUSE
RIGHT NOW FOLKS ARE LOSING MONEY
WHEN THEY’RE PLANTING CROPS.
ANY PAYMENTS FROM WASHINGTON,
D.C., FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT
OF AGRICULTURE, ISN’T GOING TO
MAKE UP FOR THAT LOSS OF MARKET
SHARES.
SHARES. YOU CAN ALWAYS -- WE NEED TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE OPEN ENOUGH
MARKETS TO HAVE FAIR AND
COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITIES, BUT
YOU CAN’T DO THIS ALONE.
>> GOVERNOR, WE LIVER IN A NATIO
WHERE MASS SHOOTINGS NEVER MAKE
THE FRONT PAGE UNLESS THE
SHOOTER RACKS UP 10, 12 OR
ABOVE.
ABOVE. WHAT’S YOUR POSITION ON A
FLAT-OUT BAN OF THE MANUFACTURE
AND SALE OF ASSAULT WEAPONS FOR
CIVILIANS?
CIVILIANS? >> YEAH, AND IT IS.
I’M TIRED OF LOWERING THE FLAGS.
A FOURTH OF THE TIME I’VE BEEN
ASKED TO LOWER THE FLAGS UNDER
THIS PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENT
OBAMA WERE FOR MASS SHOOTINGS.
I’M TIRED OF THE FACT THAT MY
SIXTH GRADER’S FIRST WEEK OF
SCHOOL HAD TO LEARN WHERE TO GO
IN CASE OF A MASS SHOOTING.
CHAINS LIKE WALMART AND DICK’S,
THEY’VE ALREADY STOPPED SELLING
ASSAULT WEAPONS, AND I THINK AS
A COUNTRY, WE SHOULD AS WELL.
THEY’RE NOT USED FOR HUNTING,
THEY’RE NOT USED FOR
SELF-DEFENSE.
SELF-DEFENSE. >> SO MANUFACTURE AND SALE OF
ASSAULT WEAPONS FOR CIVILIANS,
YOU’RE FOR THAT?
TO BAN IT.
TO BAN THE MANUFACTURE --
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> -- AND SALE OF AN ASSAULT
WEAPON TO CIVILIANS.
YOU’RE FOR IT.
>> I AM.
>> I AM. AND I’M NOT UNIQUE IN THIS.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF
THE MAJOR SPORTING GOOD CHAINS
THAT SAY, WE’RE NO LONGER EVEN
GOING TO SELL THESE THINGS, IF
WE COULD EVER JUST LOOK AT THIS,
AS I NOTED, AS A PUBLIC HEALTH
ISSUE AND NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE.
AS A GUN OWNER AS I AM, I THINK
THAT THERE ARE REASONABLE STEPS
THAT WE CAN TAKE TO KEEP OUR
COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES SAFE,
BUT WHAT YOU HAVE -- WHEN I WAS
GROWING UP, THE NRA WAS A GUN
SAFETY AND HUNTING ORGANIZATION.
NOW IT’S NOTHING MORE THAN A
DARK MONEY, FOREIGN MONEY
ORGANIZATION THAT’S USED TO TRY
TO DIVIDE OUR COUNTRY.
WE’VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE
STEPS TO KEEP OUR KIDS AND OUR
FAMILIES SAFER, AND GUN OWNERS
AND NON-GUN OWNERS ALIKE AGREE
ON THAT.
ON THAT. >> ALL RIGHT.
GOVERNOR STEVE BULLOCK, THANK
YOU VERY MUCH.
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TO HAVE YOU
BACK BECAUSE THIS CONVERSATION
NEEDS MORE TIME.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMING ON THE
SHOW THIS MORNING.
CONGRATULATIONS FOR LAST NIGHT.
WE STILL HAVE TWO MORE
CANDIDATES TO TALK TO THIS
MORNING, CONGRESSMAN TIM RYAN
AND SENATOR AMY KLOBUCHAR JOIN
THE CONVERSATION.
THE CONVERSATION. >>> PLUS, WE’LL CONTINUE TO LOOK
AHEAD TO TONIGHT’S DEBATE AS THE
CANDIDATES SEARCH FOR A BREAKOUT