>> WE’VE GOT TO GET MORE
VACCINES AND THEN WE’VE GOT TO
GET THEM IN AMERICANS’ ARMS,
MARA, THANK YOU.
I WANT TO TALK NOW ABOUT A
STATES THAT DOING IT RIGHT, AND
BRING IN THEIR GOVERNOR, JOINING
US NOW REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR JIM
JUSTICE OF WEST VIRGINIA, WHERE
MORE CORONAVIRUS VACCINATIONS
HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED PER
CAPITA THAN ANY OTHER STATE.
THAT IS AN IMPORTANT
ACHIEVEMENT, GOVERNOR.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN WEST
VIRGINIA THAT THE REST OF THE
COUNTRY SHOULD BE?
>> WELL, STEPHANIE, WE JUST TOOK
A REAL PRACTICAL APPROACH TO THE
WHOLE THING.
WHEN IT REALLY BOILS RIGHT DOWN
TO IT YOU’RE DEAD ON THE MONEY
RIGHT, 4,100 PEOPLE DIED IN THE
LAST 24 HOURS IN THE NATION,
400,000 PLUS AND EVERYTHING.
WEST VIRGINIA IS THE OLDEST OF
THE -- THE THIRD OLDEST STATE IN
THE COUNTRY WITH A LOT OF
CHRONIC ILLNESSES AND
EVERYTHING.
SO WHAT DID WE DO?
REALLY, AT THE END OF THE DAY,
WE ABSOLUTELY LOOKED AT THIS AS
A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO BE ABLE
TO JUST GET SHOTS IN ARMS.
AND WHAT WE DID IS WE RECRUITED
ALL OF OUR LOCAL PHARMACIES,
LOCAL HEALTH CLINICS AND PUT OUR
NATIONAL GUARD TO WORK, AND CAN
YOU JUST IMAGINE THIS?
FOR ABOUT A WEEK NOW, EVERY
SINGLE VACCINE THAT HAS COME
INTO THIS STATE IS IN SOMEBODY’S
ARM.
I’M TALKING ABOUT 99.6% OF THE
VACCINES ARE IN ARMS RIGHT NOW.
AND SO IF WE HAD THE VACCINES
AND YOU’VE GOT A LOT OF PLACES
WHERE VACCINES ARE SITTING ON
THE SHELF AND EVERYTHING AND
THAT’S NO GOOD.
WE’RE ALL AMERICANS.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHETHER
IT’S AN AMERICAN IN WEST
VIRGINIA OR CALIFORNIA OR
PENNSYLVANIA, IF WE CAN GET A
SHOT IN THE ARM WE’VE GOT A REAL
CHANCE OF SAVING SOMEBODY’S
LIFE.
>> SO YOU’VE DONE AN
EXTRAORDINARY JOB OF TAKING ALL
THOSE VACCINES AND GETTING THEM
TO PEOPLE.
BUT FOR THE NEXT PHASE IT’S
ABOUT HOW DO YOU GET THOSE
VACCINES, NEW YORK’S GOVERNOR
CUOMO, HE WANTS STATES TO BUY
VACCINES DIRECTLY FROM PFIZER.
THAT’S A LOT EASIER FOR HIM, NEW
YORK’S GOT A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT SOMETHING
LIKE THAT?
>> WELL, I TELL YOU THE HONEST
TRUTH, YOU KNOW, WEST VIRGINIA,
ECONOMICALLY, IS DOING
FANTASTIC.
AND -- BUT I DON’T REALLY THINK
THAT’S THE WAY TO GO AT ALL
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE’S A LOT
OF STATES THAT ARE REALLY
STRUGGLING AND EVERYTHING AND IT
WOULD BE JUST A BIDDING WAR AND
ALL THAT, IT’S NO GOOD.
I DON’T THINK THAT WILL EVER GET
OFF THE GROUND.
YOU KNOW, NEW YORK SURELY HAD A
WHOLE LOT OF CHALLENGES AND A
WHOLE LOT OF PROBLEMS AND
EVERYTHING AND I THINK WHAT
HAPPENS SO OFTEN, STEPHANIE, IS
JUST THIS, WE LOOK AT IT FROM A
BUREAUCRAT STANDPOINT.
I LOOK AT IT, YOU KNOW, FROM A
BUSINESS GUY STANDPOINT.
AND ABSOLUTELY, IN WEST
VIRGINIA, WE’RE PRACTICAL
THINKING CRAFTSMEN TYPE PEOPLE
AND EVERYTHING, THEY’RE GOOD
PEOPLE, REALLY GOOD PEOPLE THAT
ARE SMART PEOPLE, WE’VE GOT A
KIND OF A BAD RAP IN THE PAST
BUT I’M TELLING YOU THIS IS A
WONDERFUL PLACE HERE AND WE’RE
GETTING IT DONE.
>> WELL IF GETTING THINGS DONE
ARE ABOUT PRACTICALITY AND
PRAGMATISM I WANT TO ASK YOU
ABOUT THE PATH FORWARD
POLITICALLY.
YOUR STATE VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY
FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP.
YOU HAVE BEEN DUBBED WEST
VIRGINIA’S DONALD TRUMP AFTER
YOU SWITCHED PARTIES FROM
DEMOCRAT TO REPUBLICAN AT A
TRUMP RALLY.
I HAVE TO ASK, HOW DO YOU FEEL
ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP NOW, AFTER
THE WAY HE LEFT OFFICE?
>> WELL, TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST,
STEPHANIE, AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW
THIS IS MAYBE NOT A POPULAR
ANSWER WITH YOU.
HERE’S HOW I FEEL --
>> HOW DO YOU KNOW, SLOW DOWN,
SIR, HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S A
POPULAR ANSWER WITH ME?
WE’VE NEVER EVEN MET.
>> WELL, BLESS YOUR HEART, OKAY,
I’LL GO WITH THIS AND
EVERYTHING.
BUT HERE’S HOW I FEEL.
YOU KNOW, I RAN AS A DEMOCRAT IN
THE PAST.
THEN I BECAME -- THEN I BECAME
VERY PROUDLY REPUBLICAN, AND MY
FAMILY GREW UP REPUBLICANS.
BUT I DON’T CARE.
I DON’T CARE IF YOU’RE A DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN.
DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN.
I REALLY DON’T CARE.
I THINK WE SHOULD RESPECT THE
PRESIDENCY OF THE UNITED STATES.
THERE WAS LOTS OF WONDERFUL
STUFF PRESIDENT TRUMP DID.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME HE PROBABLY
GOT OUT OVER HIS SKIS, AND
DONALD TRUMP HAS A WAY OF DOING
THAT, AND I’M A GREAT FRIEND AND
EVERYTHING, BUT FOR GOD’S SAKES
WE DON’T NEED TO CHASE THE MAN
AND BEAT THE MAN TO HIS GRAVE.
I MEAN, WE NOW HAVE A NEW
PRESIDENT.
WE NEED TO RESPECT THIS NEW
PRESIDENT, AND WE’RE EXCITED
ABOUT THIS NEW PRESIDENT.
AND LET’S GO.
LET’S GET ON WITH WHAT WE’RE
DOING IN LIFE AND EVERYTHING.
THAT’S HOW I FEEL
WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
I SPOKE YESTERDAY TO JEFF
ZIANCE, THE NEW CORONAVIRUS
CZAR, HE WAS REALLY UPBEAT, REAL
EXCITED AND EVERYTHING,
ABSOLUTELY, LET’S GO, COME ON.