>> SO MUCH TO PROCESS.
GABE GUTIERREZ, BE SAFE, BUDDY.
THANK YOU FOR REPORTING.
MEANWHILE THIS MARKS A TURNING
POINT FOR SEVERAL STATES ACROSS
THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING MARYLAND.
HERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT IS
MARYLAND GOVERNOR GARY HOGAN.
ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THE
REOPENING OF YOUR STATE, YOU
HAVE A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE HERE.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE PROTEST
IN MINNEAPOLIS OVER THE DEATH OF
GEORGE FLOYD.
AS YOU HEARD IN THE NEWS
CONFERENCE, THE SEA POINTED TO
THE FREDDIE GRAY CASE IN
BALTIMORE BACK IN 2015.
HE SAID ONE OF THE REASONS THEY
ARE WITHHOLDING JUDGMENT THEY
DIDN’T WANT TO RUSH LIKE IN
BALTIMORE.
I WAS THERE WHEN YOU CALLED OUT
THE NATIONAL GUARD IN BALTIMORE.
IS THAT A FAIR CHARACTERIZATION
OF WHAT HAPPENED IN 2015?
WAS THERE A RUSH TO JUSTICE?
>> I DON’T THINK IT’S A FAIR
COMPARISON.
THE EVIDENCE HERE SEEMS
OVERWHELMING AND CLEAR TO ME.
YOU HAVE THE VIDEO OF EXACTLY
WHAT HAPPENED.
HOWEVER, THE SITUATION ON THE
GROUND IS REMINISCENT, SOMEWHAT,
OF THE ACTIONS THAT TOOK PLACE
AFTERWARDS.
I THINK BATH TO 2015, I HAD JUST
BECOME GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND.
I HAD ONLY BEEN GOVERNOR FOR 90
DAYS.
THE WORST VIOLENCE IN 47 YEARS
BROKE OUT IN OUR LARGEST CITY.
I REACHED OUT TO THE GOVERNOR
THIS MORNING TO TRY TO OFFER MY
ADVICE.
THE WAY WE HANDLED THIS
SITUATION, A TRAGIC SITUATION, I
UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION IN
THE COMMUNITY, I THINK THEY HAVE
GOT TO ACT, WE SENT IN THE
NATIONAL GUARD AND POLICE
OFFICERS TO TRY TO KEEP THE
COMMUNITY SAFE.
IN THE FIRST FEW HOURS WE HAD
400 BUSINESSES BURNED AND LOOTED
AND DESTROYED AND 137 POLICE AND
FIREFIGHTERS INJURED.
BUT THEN WE SENT IN A STRONG
FORCE OF POLICE AND NATIONAL
GUARD AND KEPT THE PEACE WHILE
ALLOWING PEOPLE TO PROTEST
LAWFULLY AND TO EXPRESS THEIR
FRUSTRATION.
I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE CITY
OF BALTIMORE, SPENT AN ENTIRE
WEEK TALKING WITH PEOPLE AND
WALKING THE STREETS AND TRYING
TO LOWER THE TEMPERATURE AND
LISTEN TO THE CONCERNS.
AFTER THE FIRST DAY WE HAD NO
VIOLENCE WHATSOEVER.
MY ADVICE IS YOU’VE GOT TO ACT,
YOU’VE GOT TO BE DECISIVE AND
YOU’VE GOT TO GET IN THERE AND
TRY.
THE VIOLENCE IS NOT HELPING THE
SITUATION AT ALL.
THERE’S LEGITIMATE CONCERNS AND
FRUSTRATIONS THAT HAVE TO BE
ADDRESSED.
BUT BURNING DOWN BUILDINGS AND
VIOLENCE AND LOOTINGS AND
BURNING POLICE STATIONS IS NOT
THE ANSWER.
>> YOU WERE ALSO, IN ADDITION TO
RESPONSIBILITIES AS GOVERNOR OF
MARYLAND, CHAIR OF REPUBLICAN
GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES TWEETING OVERNIGHT.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE I GET THIS
RIGHT.
HE CALLED THE PROTESTERS THUGS
AND WENT ON TO SAY WHEN THE
LOOTING STARTS, THE SHOOTING
STARTS.
IT WAS A TWEET LATER FLAGGED BY
TWITTER BECAUSE IT PROMOTES
VIOLENCE ACCORDING TO THE
PLATFORM.
YOU’VE GOT THE EAR NOT ONLY OF
GOVERNORS, YOU’VE GOT THE EAR OF
THE PRESIDENT AS WELL.
LANGUAGE LIKE THAT, DOES IT HELP
IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS?
>> LET ME CLARIFY, I’M THE
CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL
GOVERNORS, BOTH DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS.
I DON’T THINK IT’S HELPFUL.
I JUST MENTIONED LOWERING THE
TEMPERATURE, TRYING TO STOP THE
VIOLENCE, AND TO BRING ABOUT
CALM AND RESTORE PEACE AND LAW
AND ORDER.
INFLAMMATORY RHETORIC I DON’T
THINK IS HELPFUL ON EITHER SIDE.
I DO BELIEVE YOU HAVE TO HAVE
LAW AND ORDER.
WE’VE GOT TO STOP THE BURNING
AND LOOTING.
BUT INCITING VIOLENCE WITH
TWITTER IS NOT THE WAY TO GO
ABOUT IT.
LIKE I SAID, I WALKED THE
STREETS FACE-TO-FACE AND CALMLY
TALKED WITH FOLKS.
IN KRIT
INCITING THINGS AND INFLAMMATORY
RHETORIC WON’T HELP.
>> YOU ARE CHAIRMAN OF DEMOCRATS
AND REPUBLICANS, I DIDN’T WANT
TO DEMOTE YOU THERE.
OUTDOOR POOLS, DINING, WHAT
GIVES YOU THE CONFIDENCE TO
START THIS FIRST PHASE OF
REOPENING THERE?
>> WELL, WE’VE BEEN DOING
EVERYTHING KIND OF BASED ON THE
SCIENCE AND BASED ON THE FACTS.
WE’VE HAD A REALLY SMART
CORONAVIRUS RECOVERY TEAM MADE
UP OF SOME OF THE SMARTEST
SCIENTISTS AND DOCTORS AND STATE
IN THE WORLD WHO HAVE BEEN
ADVISING US.
WE HAVE GREAT NUMBERS THAT ARE
COMING DOWN.
OUR POSITIVITY RATE IN THE STATE
IS DOWN 54% OVER ITS PEAK.
WE’VE BEEN CONSISTENTLY GOING
DOWN ON HOSPITALIZATIONS ON ICUs
AND INFECTION RATES.
WE’VE BEEN RAMPING UP OUR
TESTING CAPABILITY AND OUR SURGE
CAPACITY AND OUR CONTACT
TRACING.
SO EVERYONE FELT WE WERE IN A
POSITION TO SLOWLY, GRADUALLY,
AND SAFELY REOPEN SOME OF THE
LOWE RISK THINGS LIKE OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES.
WE’RE GOING A LITTLE MORE SLOWLY
THAN SOME STATES BUT WE NEEDED
TO GET SOME PARTS OF OUR
ECONOMY, MORE SAFE ACTIVITIES
BACK ON TRACK.
IT’S GOING PRETTY WELL SO FAR.
>> OVER MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND WE
SAW CROWDS THERE, OCEAN CITY,
MARYLAND, WILDLY POPULAR WITH
TOURISTS.
A LOT OF FOLKS ON THE BOARDWALK
THERE.
NOT A LOT OF SOCIAL DISTANCING.
QUITE FRANKLY, YOU CAN SEE IN
THIS VIDEO HERE, THE FACIAL
COVERINGS, FACE COVERINGS, NOT A
LOT OF FOLKS WEARING THOSE.
DOES THAT CONCERN YOU AT ALL?
>> IT DOES CONCERN ME.
WE’VE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS -- SOME OF THE
STUFF WE’VE TAKEN TO TRY TO
ADDRESS THAT SITUATION, FIRST OF
ALL, THE MAYOR OF OCEAN CITY
OPENED THE BEACH AND BOARDWALK,
HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH A STATE
ORDER.
WE DID NOT HAVE ANY BARS AND
RESTAURANTS OPEN FOR OUTDOOR
DINING, SO A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE
JUST JAMMED IN THERE WALKING ON
THE BOARDWALK.
WITH SOME OF THE OUTDOOR
ACTIVITY OPENINGS WE’RE DOING,
WE’RE HOPING TO SPREAD SOME OF
THOSE FOLKS OUT.
THE LOCAL LEADERS ARE ALSO
TAKING GREAT STEPS TO TRY TO
ENFORCE AND MESSAGE OUT THAT
DISTANCING IS IMPORTANT, MASKS
ARE SUGGESTED.
I THINK THEY ARE GOING TO DO A
BETTER JOB THIS WEEKEND THAN
THEY DID THAT FIRST OPENING
WEEKEND HOPEFULLY.
>> AN OUTSPOKEN ADVOCATE FOR
WEARING MASKS IN PUBLIC AS A
CANCER SURVIVOR.
REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR LARRY HOGAN
CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL
GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION.
GOVERNOR, THANK YOU.
GOOD LUCK TO YOU THIS WEEKEND AS
WELL, MY FRIEND.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> SHEINELLE.
>> A VERY GOOD INTERVIEW, CRAIG.
I DO WANT TO MENTION NEXT WEEK
YOU’RE GOING TO BE HITTING THE
ROAD FOR A VERY SPECIAL SERIES