-Welcome to the show. -Well, thank you, Seth.
-I want to tick off some things that are impressive about you.
You're one of the most popular governors in America,
you are a Republican in a blue state,
and you have been vocally critical
of the president.
Why are there not more of you?
-Wow. Well, that's a good question.
You know, I'm kind of one in a million, Seth.
I mean, you know...
I think that there probably are some other folks out there
that are like me, but they don't get a lot of attention.
So, look, like most people in America,
I'm completely fed up with all this divisive, angry politics,
and I think that -- [ Cheers and applause ]
And, so, I'm in a state that has 26% Republican.
Just got overwhelmingly re-elected as a Republican.
70% of my legislature is Democrats.
Because I've worked toward the middle
and tried to find that common ground,
where we can all stand together.
And I just happen to believe that there's a whole lot more
that unites us than divides us,
and we should do away with all the angry politics.
-You are -- [ Cheers and applause ]
You just became chair of the National Governors Association.
This is a bipartisan group of all our governors.
-I'm pretty sure that's the first time
they've ever mentioned the National Governors Association
on late-night television.
-Yeah. It has not come up, yeah.
You maybe noticed the slow way I said it
to make sure I got it right.
You are a part of a group called the...National --
-National Governors Association. -Yeah.
Tell me, though -- This does not look like you're dancing with --
That's -- Is that Marie Osmond?
-That is Marie. Yeah, it was last --
-So, here, everybody thought,
"Oh, National Governors Association --
that sounds super-boring,"
but there you are rockin' it out.
-Well, so, last Friday, I just became the chairman,
and they had a little event afterwards.
Donnie and Marie put on a show,
and she dragged me up on the stage and embarrassed me.
And, look, I'm hoping I can get a Nutrisystem gig out of it.
-Yeah, I was going to say.
You are a Republican who believes in climate change.
You believe that's a very serious issue.
You also -- Which is great.
You also believe in infrastructure.
Do you feel as though infrastructure can lead to
helping eradicate climate change?
I know, for example, you have -- in your state,
you have moved more money towards highway infrastructure,
as opposed to public transportation.
That seems maybe counterintuitive
to somebody who believes climate change is such a big deal.
-Not really true, but thanks for saying that.
-Which -- Well, there was a --
I mean, I don't want to get into transportation.
-So, we've invested $14 billion in transit,
about $9 billion in roads.
We've just moved forward.
We're under construction with the largest
public-private transit project in North America.
And I pushed through tougher clean-air standards
than 48 other states and twice as strong as the Paris Accords
as a Republican governor in Maryland.
-And do you feel as though you are --
And I genuinely think that's great news.
Do you feel as though you're making progress
with the other governors?
Because it seems to me -- You basically wrote an op-ed saying
that, yes, federally, right now, Donald Trump is moving away
from the Paris Climate Accords,
but you believe, state by state, this can be addressed.
-Look, so we have a group called RGGI,
which is the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
We had nine states.
We now have 13 states on the East Coast
that are all together.
And I think we are making a difference.
Some states are taking it more seriously than others,
but my new role as chairman of
the National Governors Association --
I'm representing Democratic and Republican governors,
and I can tell you that people are focused on the issue
and taking it seriously.
And one of the great things about this organization is --
it's a really bipartisan, nonpartisan group
on infrastructure, which I just launched
my initiative last week.
There's disagreement among Republicans and Democrats
about how to solve these problems,
but we're actually getting things done in the states,
unlike Washington, where it seems like we have
nothing but divisiveness, and dysfunction and gridlock.
You know, we're getting things done.
That's what people want.
-Which is great, and I'm really glad.
And, again, I think it is the issue of this generation,
so I'm really happy that you are taking it seriously.