>>> NOW TO A CBS H NEWS
EXCLUSIVE.
WE'RE SPEAKING ONE-ON-ONE WITH
THE FORMER GOVERNOR AND CURRENT
CANDIDATE FOR GO, CHARLIE
CRIST.
>> IT IS HIS FIRST INTERVIEW
SINCE ANNOUNCING HIS CANDIDACY
YESTERDAY, SO WHY DOES HE WANT
THE JOB AND WHAT DOES HE PLAN
TO DO IF IT GETS IT?
JIM DEFEDE SPOKE TO KRYS AND
HAS MORE.
>> YOU TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE
DECISIONS THAT GOFF RON
DESANTIS HAS MADE.
LET ME TALK ABOUT ONE AS IT
RELATES TO COFFLED AND SEE IF
SOME CREDIT FOR THIS.
T AND HE ADVOCATED AND SHUT
DOWN NURSING HOMES EARLY.
THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT HE DID
THAT OTHER STATES, OTHER I
DON'T HAVES, SUCH AS IN NEW
YORK AND CALIFORNIA, DID NOT
DO, AND AS A RESULT WE DID NOT
SEE THE HIGH DEATH TOLLS AMONG
FOLKS IN NURSINGHOMES THAT
OTHER STATES DID.
DOES HE NOT DESERVE CREDIT?
WAS THE GOVERNOR NOT RIGHT IN
WHAT HE DID THERE?
>> LET'S LOOK AT THE OVERALL
PICTURE, IF WE'RE GOING TO TALK
ABOUT THE COVID THING, LET'S
TALK ABOUT THE COVID THING.
HOW MANY FLORIDIANS HAVE DIED.
I THINK YOUR VIEWERS KNOW IT IS
OVER 36,000 OF OUR FELLOW
FLORIDIANS ARE DEAD BECAUSE OF
THIS PANDEMIC.
AND IT IS HORRIFIC AND IT IS
SAD AND IT IS TRAGIC.
WE HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST
RATES OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN,
YOU KNOW, INFECTED WITH THIS
DISEASE.
IT IS TERRIBLE.
AND HE GOES AROUND THE STATE
AND, JIM, I KNOW HE IS DOING
THIS.
HE IS POUNDING HIS CHEST AND
SAY CHALLENGE A GREAT THING I
HAVE DONE.
I HAVE OPENED EVERYTHING AND
EVERYTHING IS GOOD.
ASK ONE OF THE MEMBER0S OF THE
FAMILIES OF THOSE 36,000
FLORIDIANS THAT ARE NOT WITH US
ANYMORE.
WHAT IF THE GOVERNOR WOULD HAVE
LED AND SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU
NEED TO HAVE A PLAN AND BE
READY FOR THIS THING.
HE NEVER DID.
EVERY DAY IT WAS A SHIFTY MO.
HE NEVER SAID IT IS THE RIGHT
THING FOR EVERYBODY TO WEAR A
MASK.
THAT NEVER REALLY HAPPENED.
HE DIDN'T ADVOCATE SOCIAL
DISTANCING.
>> BUT DO YOU GIVE HIM CREDIT
ON HIS HANDLING OF THE NURSING
HOMES IN THE ALS?
DO YOU THINK HE WAS RIGHT ON
THAT DECISION?
>> MAYBE SO.
IT IS IS GOOD TO GET A COUPLE
OF THINGS RIGHT, BUT IT IS
BETTER TO DO MORE RIGHT.
>> HE WANTS TO FRAME THIS
RECOLLECTION AS BEING HE IS
GOING TO RUN AGAINST YOU
CLAIMING YOU WANT TO SHUT
THINGS DOWN, YOU WANT TO CLOSE
BUSINESSES, AND THAT HE IS THE
GUY WHO OPENED THEM UP AND
ALLOWED THEM TO REOPEN.
HOW DO YOU CAST THAT RACE THEN?
>> I THINK YOU HAVE TO HIT THE
SWEET SPOT ON DECISIONS LIKE
THIS.
YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT SPECIAL
RIGHT.
AND IT IS NOT, YOU KNOW,
OPENING EVERYTHING UP AND IT IS
NOT CLOSING EVERYTHING DOWN.
IT IS SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE
WITH GOOD SCIENCE GIVING YOU
THE DIRECTION, RELYING ON
PEOPLE THAT ARE HEALTH CARE
PROFESSIONALS TELLING YOU WHAT
IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
IT IS NOT BLACK OR WHITE.
IT IS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED
THAN THAT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU DECIDE
YOU ARE GOING TO E OPEN
EVERYTHING UP A OR CLOSE
EVERYTHING DOWN, I DON'T HAVE
TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND BE
GUIDED BY SCIENTISTS AND PEOPLE
WHO KNOW WHAT THEY EASTERLY
TELLING YOU TO DO AND THAT IS
PROBABLY SOMEWHERE IN THE
MIDDLE.
>> IF YOU ARE ELECTED GOVERNOR,
YOU WILL LIKELY STILL HAVE A
VERY REPUBLICAN STATE HOUSE, A
VERY REPUBLICAN STATE SENATE,
WHICH MEANS THEY WILL PASS
BILLS THAT WILL LAND ON YOUR
DESK VERY SIMILAR TO THE TYPES
OF BILLS THAT WE SAW PASSED,
YOU KNOW, IN THE CURRENT
SESSION.
SO LET ME ASK YOU, IF YOU WERE
GOVERNOR TODAY AND THE
TRANSGENDER BAN BILL HIT YOUR
DESK, WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO
SNIT.
>> VETO IT.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
THAT IS SO CRUEL TO CHILDREN, A
WHO JUST WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN
SPORTS.
I MEAN, I CAN'T BELIEVE
SOMETHING THEY THINK IS
IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO PUT THROUGH
THE FLORIDA HOUSE, THE FLORIDA
SENATE AND TO THE GOVERNOR'S
DESK, AND I GUESS HE SAID HE IS
GOING TO SIGN IT.
THAT IS UNCONSCIONABLE TO ME.