>> WELCOME BACK. WE GOT OURSELVES QUITE A CROWD
HERE IN TAMPA.
A BIG ENOUGH OWD, CANDIDATES
WILL WISH THEY WEREN’T DOING
INTERVIEWS WITH ME REMOTELY,
THEY WILL WISH THEY’RE OUT HERE
CAMPAIGNING.
CAMPAIGNING. BUT WE WOULDN’T BE DOING A MEET
THE MIDTERM VOTERS TOUR OF SWING
STATES WITHOUT VISITING
AMERICA’S ETERNAL SWING STATE.
IT’S FLORIDA.
IT’S FLORIDA. IT WILL BE ON OUR TOMBSTONE.
BUT AS WE TOLD YOU EARLIER,
POLLS IN THE SUNSHINE STATE HAVE
TAKEN ON A BLUE TINT IN RECENT
DAYS.
DAYS. JOINING ME NOW FROM MIAMI IS THE
TALLAHASSEE MAYOR AND THE
NOMINEE FOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY FOR
GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA, GOT A LOT
OF FANS OUT HERE, ANDREW GILLUM.
>> HEY, EVERYBODY.
>> I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, I
DON’T THINK THEY’RE HERE TO SEE
ME.
ME. I THINK THEY’RE HOPING TO GET --
GETTING TO SEE YOU.
BUT LET ME -- I’M GOING TO START
OFF WITH --
>> I WISH I WAS THERE.
I’M ODDLY ENOUGH DOWN HERE IN
THE AREA I GREW UP IN, IN
RICHMOND HEIGHTS.
RICHMOND HEIGHTS. I USED TO PLAY FOOTBALL ON THIS
FIELD OUT HERE.
I’M SORRY I CAN’T BE WITH YOU
BUT I ENJOY BEING BACK HOME.
>> I HAVE A FEELING I LOST
FOOTBALL GAMES IN POP WARNER ON
THAT VERY FIELD.
I REMEMBER DOING THAT.
I HAVE NO DOUBT.
BUT LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT SOME
NEWS OF THE DAY HERE HAVING TO
DO WITH THIS FBI INVESTIGATION
AND THE FACT THAT THERE IS NOW
SOME TEXT MESSAGES THAT INDICATE
THIS ISSUE OF WHO PAID FOR THESE
HAMILTON TICKETS, AND DID YOU
EVER PAY FOR THESE TICKETS OR
WERE THESE FREEBIES?
CAN YOU CLEAR THIS UP ONCE AND
FOR ALL?
FOR ALL? >> WELL, YEAH.
I MEAN, SO TODAY’S NEWS WAS NO
NEWS FOR US AT ALL.
I ALWAYS KNEW THAT IF WE WERE
ABLE TO CONNECT IN NEW YORK, WE
WOULD GO SEE AND SEE "HAMILTON."
WHEN I GOT TO THE THEATER, MY
BROTHER HANDED ME THE TICKETS.
THE IDEA I ACCEPTED A GIFT NEVER
CAME TO ME.
WHAT I TRIED TO DO THROUGHOUT
THIS WHOLE PROCESS IS BE AS OPEN
AND TRANSPARENT AS I POSSIBLY
CAN BE.
CAN BE. I UNDERSTAND THAT MY OPPONENT IS
ATTEMPTING AS BEST HE CAN TO
MUDDY THE WATERS HERE.
AGAIN, I’M SORRY THAT HE DOESN’T
HAVE A PLAN FOR THE STATE OF
FLORIDA, AND, THEREFORE, HAS
WORKED EXTREMELY HARD TO
DISTRACT, BUT I THINK WHAT
FLORIDA VOTERS NEED TO DO ABOUT
ME IS AFTER 15 YEARS I SERVED
HONORABLY, RESPECTIVELY, AND
HAVE SERVED MY COMMUNITY WITHOUT
SO MUCH AS A STAIN ON MY RECORD
OR ON MY NAME UNTIL I DECIDED TO
RUN FOR GOVERNOR.
BUT THAT’S OKAY.
WE’RE GOING TO PUSH THROUGH IT
AND WE’RE GOING TO WIN THIS
RACE.
RACE. >> HOW WOULD YOU HAVE HANDLED
THIS DIFFERENTLY IN HINDSIGHT?
>> WELL, THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION.
I THINK IN HINDSIGHT, OBVIOUSLY,
YOU WOULD BE MUCH MORE
CIRCUMSPECT ABOUT ANYBODY WHO
COMES AROUND YOU.
I NEVER FRANKLY FEARED FOR
PEOPLE COMING INTO MY SPACE
BECAUSE I NEVER ASSUME PEOPLE TO
HAVE NEGATIVE OR ILL INTENTIONS
TOWARD ME.
TOWARD ME. THAT NEVER HAD BEEN THE CASE
REALLY UP TO THIS POINT.
IF I HAD TO DO IT AGAIN, I WOULD
HAVE BEEN A LOT MORE CIRCUMSPECT
ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALLOWED
TO BE AROUND ME AND COME INTO MY
SPACE.
SPACE. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU LIVE AND
YOU LEARN AND YOU MOVE ON.
I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO
GROW FROM IT, LEARN FROM IT AND
MOVE ON.
MOVE ON. >> AND IS THERE ANY OTHER --
BECAUSE I’LL TELL YOU, WE
ACTUALLY -- WE CANVASSED THE
CROWD.
CROWD. THEY CAME UP WITH A BUNCH OF
GREAT QUESTIONS BUT ONE OF THEM
WAS THIS ISSUE, THERE’S CONCERN
FROM YOUR SUPPORTERS OUT HERE
THAT THIS FBI INVESTIGATION
COULD BECOME A PROBLEM AT THE
POLLS.
POLLS. CAN YOU ASSURE THEM THERE’S
NOTHING ELSE OUT THERE?
>> YEAH, I MEAN, THERE’S
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING OUT THERE
THAT WOULD IN ANY WAY SUGGEST
THAT I HAVE DONE ANYTHING
ILLEGAL OR UNTOWARD.
MY OPPONENT WILL CONTINUE TO
SPREAD, YOU KNOW, LIES, QUITE
FRANKLY.
FRANKLY. EVERY ONE OF ITS ADS AS IT
RELATES TO ME HAVE ALL BEEN
CONSIDERED AND CALLED FALSE.
YET HE CONTINUES TO AIR THEM.
IN MY OPINION, THE ONE TEST YOU
HAVE TO PASS WITH FLORIDA VOTERS
IS YOU’VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO TELL
THE TRUTH.
THE TRUTH. AND IN MY CASE, THAT’S WHAT I
TRY TO DO AT EVERY STEP OF THE
WAY.
WAY. IN DeSANTIS’ CASE HE’S SPREAD
LIE AFTER LIE AFTER LIE, AND IN
MY OPINION, THAT DISQUALIFIES
HIM FROM THE OFFICE.
MY GRANDMOTHER ALWAYS USED TO
SAY, IF YOU TELL THE TRUTH, YOU
DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT
COVERING UP FOR LIES.
I HAVE TOLD THE TRUTH
CONSISTENTLY.
CONSISTENTLY. TODAY’S TEXT MESSAGES AND OTHER
RELEASES BY MR. COREY ONLY
SUBSTANTIATE EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE
SAID UP TO THIS POINT.
I STAND BY IT AND I WILL
CONTINUE TO STAND BY THE TRUTH
SO LONG AS I’M BREATHING.
>> LET’S MOVE ON TO SOME OTHER
QUESTIONS, SOME OTHER PARTS OF
THE CAMPAIGN.
THE CAMPAIGN. YOU ENDED UP, YOU AND GOVERNOR
SCOTT, HE’S RUNNING IN ANOTHER
RACE, BUT YOU AND HIM ENDED UP
TALKING ALMOST EVERY DAY, I TAKE
IT, DURING THE AFTERMATH OF
HURRICANE MICHAEL.
HURRICANE MICHAEL. HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS THE STATE’S
RESPONSE?
RESPONSE? WHAT HAVE YOU TAKEN AWAY FROM
IT?
IT? IF YOU’RE ELECTED GOVERNOR, ARE
THERE SOME THINGS YOU WOULD DO
SIMILARLY?
SIMILARLY? ARE THERE SOME THINGS YOU WOULD
DO DIFFERENTLY?
DO DIFFERENTLY? >> YEAH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE I
THINK HALLMARK TRADITIONS OF
PEOPLE HERE IN FLORIDA,
CERTAINLY PEOPLE WHO RUN FOR
ELECTED OFFICE STATEWIDE, IS
THAT WHEN A STORM APPROACHES AND
WHEN A STORM COMES AND WHEN OUR
PEOPLE ARE IN ANY DANGER, WE
SUSPEND WITH NEGATIVE ATTACKS
AND, QUITE FRANKLY, TRY TO WORK
MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER.
IN THIS CASE THAT’S WHAT
GOVERNOR SCOTT AND I ATTEMPTED
TO DO.
TO DO. WE DID TALK ON A DAILY BASIS IN
THE LEAD UP AND THROUGH AND THE
AFTERMATH OF THE STORM.
I APPRECIATED HIS WILLINGNESS
TO, I THINK, SUBSIDE WITH
POLITICS AS I DID.
I TOOK MY ADS OFF THE AIR, EVEN
THOUGH THEY WERE POSITIVE ADS IN
THAT PART OF THE STATE.
HE TOOK HIS ADS OFF THE AIR.
SENATOR NELSON TOOK HIS ADS OFF
THE AIR.
THE AIR. MY OPPONENT DOUBLED DOWN WITH
HIS ADS.
HIS ADS. NEGATIVE ADS, AS PEOPLE WERE
TRYING TO FLEE A FLEER CATEGORY
5 HURRICANE, HE KEPT HIS
NEGATIVE ADS UP THAT WERE
UNTRUE.
UNTRUE. QUITE FRANKLY, I THOUGHT HE HAD
A MOMENT TO SHOW LEADERSHIP AND
QUITE FRANKLY A LITTLE BIT OF
BIPARTISAN THAT IN TIMES OF
TROUBLE AND IN TIMES OF NATIONAL
DISASTER, WE COME TOGETHER.
A NUMBER OF US CHOSE TO DO THAT,
SENATOR NELSON, GOVERNOR SCOTT,
MYSELF.
MYSELF. MY OPPONENT CHOSE THE EXACT
OPPOSITE COURSE.
OPPOSITE COURSE. >> I WANT TO ASK YOU, SPEAKING
OF SOME NASTINESS OUT THERE, AND
WE’RE NOT GOING TO PLAY SOME OF
THESE BUT THERE’S PRETTY NASTY
ROBO RADIO ADS, PHONE CALLS THAT
ARE OUT, VERY, VERY RACIST IN
ITS INTENTION, SOME GROSS
STEREOTYPES.
STEREOTYPES. LOOK, RACE IS POPPING UP IN THIS
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. THE FIRST TIME YOU AND I TALKED
ON AIR ON THE DAY YOU WERE THE
NOMINEE, THE ISSUE OF RACE
POPPED UP WITH A PHRASE THAT
YOUR OPPONENT HAD USED.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE, THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS DISTANCED
ITSELF FROM THIS.
IN FACT THEY ALL DENOUNCED THIS
AD.
AD. IS THERE MORE YOU THINK THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY CAN DO TO HELP
ERADICATE THIS STYLE OF
POLITICKING?
POLITICKING? >> WELL, I HAVE TO TELL YOU,
LEADERSHIP STARTS AT THE TOP.
WHEN MR. DeSANTIS BECAME HIS
PARTY’S NOMINEE, HE WENT ON FOX
NEWS AND TOLD PEOPLE NOT TO
MONKEY UP THE STATE BY ELECTING
ME, A PHRASE THAT’S NOT COMMONLY
USED SO AS FAR AS I KNOW.
SO FAR AMONGST THE CIRCLES THAT
I’M IN.
I’M IN. QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK PEOPLE
HAVE TAKEN THEIR Q CUES THERE.
WHAT I THINK THEY OUGHT TO DO
QUITE FRANKLY IS STOP THE DOG
WHISTLES, STOP THE BULL HORNS.
THE ATTACKS ON ME RUNNING ARE
ALL INTENDED QUITE FRANKLY TO
FURTHER A STEREOTYPE ABOUT
PLAQUE MEN, ILLEGAL, UNETHICAL,
TAKE THINGS FOR FREE, MONKEY IT
UP, JUNGLE ANIMALS.
THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
IT’S NOT HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHY
NEO-NAZIS WOULD TAKE AN
EXTENSION OF THAT AND TAKE IT TO
THE NEXT LEVEL OF EXTREMITY.
BUT WHAT I THINK THEY’RE DOING
IS GROSSLY UNDERESTIMATING THE
PEOPLE OF THIS STATE.
THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA ARE GOING
TO DISMISS, THEY’RE GOING TO IN
FACT REJECT THAT BRAND OF
DIVISIVE, DESTRUCTIVE RHETORIC.
WE’RE ONE OF THE MOST RICHLY
DIVERSE STATES IN ALL OF
AMERICA.
AMERICA. WE’RE GOING TO SHOW THEM ON
NOVEMBER 6th THAT THEY HAVE
PLAYED THEIR HAND THE WRONG WAY.
VOTERS WILL WANT TO HEAR WHAT
WE’RE GOING TO DO.
>> DO YOU THINK THAT’S WHY WE
HAD TWO POLLS IN A ROW THAT HAVE
SHOWN YOU UP SUBSTANTIALLY,
FRANKLY, A LEAD THAT I DON’T
BELIEVE.
BELIEVE. IT’S A SURPRISING LEAD.
DO YOU THINK YOU’RE THAT FAR
AHEAD?
AHEAD? >> LISTEN, YOU DON’T WANT TO ASK
ME ABOUT POLLS.
THERE WASN’T A SINGLE POLL
SHOWING ME WINNING THE
DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION AT ALL.
EVEN THE DAY BEFORE THE
ELECTION, I THINK THE POLL HAD
ME SEVEN POINTS BEHIND MY
CLOSEST OPPONENT.
CLOSEST OPPONENT. AS I TOLD A LOT OF SUPPORTERS,
FORGET THE POLLS.
THE ONLY POLL THAT MATTERS IS
ELECTION DAY NOVEMBER 6th.
EARLY VOTING ALREADY STARTED IN
THIS STATE AND I’M ENCOURAGING
EVERYBODY TO GET OUT THERE AND
VOTE.
VOTE. WHEN WE VOTE, WE WIN.
WHEN OUR VOTERS ORGANIZE AND GET
OUT THERE AND VOTE, WE WIN.
AND SO FORGET THE POLLS.
I DON’T CARE ABOUT THEM.
I WANT PEOPLE TO GET OUT THERE
AND LET THEIR VOICES BE HEARD AT
THE BALLOT BOX.
THAT’S HOW WE’RE GOING TO WIN
THIS RACE.
THIS RACE. >> ANDREW GILLUM, MAYOR OF
TALLAHASSEE, THANK YOU FOR
COMING ON AND SHARING YOUR
VIEWS.
VIEWS. THEY’RE EVEN SAYING BRING IT
HOME.
HOME. YOUR MESSAGE HAS GOTTEN THROUGH