CNN "State of the Union with Jake Tapper" - Transcript: Interview with Governors Tom Wolf, Gretchen Whitmer, and Tony Evers

Interview

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[09:32:02]

TAPPER: Welcome back to STATE OF THE UNION. I'm Jake Tapper.

We haven't heard this much about Scranton, Pennsylvania, since "The Office" went off the air.

But from Scranton to Motown to Milwaukee, the battle for the White House, as evidenced by the candidates' campaign stops, is focusing quite a bit on three states that President Trump won by less than a percentage point in 2016 and that Biden is trying to win back on Tuesday.

Joining me now for an exclusive joint interview, the Democratic governors of each of these states, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Tom Wolf from the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and Tony Evers of Wisconsin. Apologize for my pro-Pennsylvania bias in those introductions.

All three of your states, Governors, flipped from President Obama in 2012 to President Trump in 2016. Joe Biden's trying to rebuild this blue wall.

Governor Evers, where do you have the race in Wisconsin right now?

GOV. TONY EVERS (D-WI): Oh,we feel very good about Joe's -- Joe's chances.

The state -- the state party has done a great job of getting out organizers. And we have teams all across the state making calls. And I think we're in real good shape. We take nothing for granted, but Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the right candidates at the right time.

They're empathetic. They care about people. And Joe was here in 2018, helped me get elected. So, he's -- they're known quantities. And I think that people of Wisconsin are going to respond, respond in a good way.

TAPPER: Governor Wolf, President Trump gathered quite a crowd in Pennsylvania last night.

Your lieutenant governor tweeted yesterday: "The president is popular in Pennsylvania. I don't care what the polls say."

What do you think? How close is it going to be? Could Trump win Pennsylvania?

GOV. TOM WOLF (D-PA): Anything's possible, but I think Joe Biden's going to win.

Things are different now. They just feel different than they did back in 2016. There were -- and, actually, your former -- your schoolmate Attorney General Shapiro actually said the same thing, that there are a lot of Biden signs all over places that there never were Hillary signs back in 2016.

So, I think Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are going to do quite well in Pennsylvania.

TAPPER: Governor Whitmer, yes or no, is the blue wall back? Is Biden going to win Michigan?

GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): Well, I know this, Jake.

My predecessor, a Republican governor, has endorsed Joe Biden in Michigan. I think it's because we all know that the Trump administration inability to get their arms around COVID has cost us our livelihoods and too many people their lives.

And so this is a moment where we really need a leader who can bring us together as a nation, to unify us, to get our arms around COVID, and get us back to work.

And I think that's why Joe Biden not just appeals to Democrats, but to independents and to some Republicans.

TAPPER: Governor Whitmer, Michigan officials cannot start processing all the early ballots until on or just before Election Day itself, depending on the part of the state, which could make the early Election Day votes skew far more in favor of Trump.

[09:35:09]

Are you concerned at all that President Trump might prematurely declare victory based on that? And when do you think we will know who won Michigan?

WHITMER: Well, I think that's a very real possibility.

And that's why we are trying to make sure that everyone in the press understands the volume of votes that are coming in is like nothing we have ever seen before. And it is going to take time to count.

And it's more important that we get a count that is accurate than account that is fast and might not be accurate. And that's why we will continue to keep you posted. We will be very transparent and give you regular updates. But we want to get this count right.

TAPPER: Governor Evers, President Trump is holding a rally in your home state of Wisconsin later tonight.

Hospitalizations in Wisconsin are on the rise. You saw a record high new coronavirus cases this week.

I want you to take a listen to what President Trump said on Friday, when he was in Wisconsin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I mean, you guys are already in a lockdown, so you -- you might not notice it as much.

Hey, Governor, you got to open up your state here. You got to open it up.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Governor Evers, what's your response to the president?

EVERS: Well, my response is, we are in the middle of a pandemic. We have hot spots all across the state. People are dying at high numbers.

And then Trump is up in Green Bay at the same time talking about the fact that the doctors are trying -- they're playing a game on this, or they're identifying people as COVID-19 deaths, when they're not, just so they can make money.

Honest to God, it's just breathtaking. We're in a very difficult situation here. We should be pulling together, instead of pushing apart. And that's, frankly, why I believe Joe Biden is going to win.

The Republicans at the state level, they have pushed back on everything that I have tried to do. And we have a president that believes that the doctors are at fault, they're -- they're messing with the numbers. And he believes that it's over.

It ain't over, 2,000 deaths. We have hospitalizations going through the roof. We had to open up an alternative care facility.

So, whether it's local Republicans or leadership at the top, they helped create this, and we need their help. We absolutely need somebody that understands that this is an issue, it's a thing, people are dying. We need to have that conversation right from the top.

TAPPER: Governor Evers, are you considering imposing another lockdown?

EVERS: No.

And our lockdowns were -- were pretty minor. And the Republicans took whatever -- when we did Safer at Home, the Republicans couldn't wait to get to our conservative Supreme Court to knock them down.

So, no, I'm not considering a lockdown. We just -- we need to do the basic things in Wisconsin. And, frankly, some people aren't doing them because they're listening to Donald Trump, wear a mask, stay socially distant, all the stuff that we know works.

And now we -- we're in this middle of a mess here. We just have to have consistent language. People aren't going to go spend money if they're afraid, if they don't have confidence in their health. That is -- that is the basic issue here. It's not whether doctors are making more money or not. That is just -- that is a such a stupid thing to say.

TAPPER: Governor Wolf, we know that we might not know the winner of Pennsylvania until Wednesday or Thursday because of all of those mail- in ballots. And, by law, you can't start counting until Election Day morning.

"The Washington Post" says that the Trump campaign asked for sensitive Pennsylvania ballot information, such as the names of officials who transport ballots and locations where ballots are stored.

Why were they requesting that information?

WOLF: I think it's part of a general strategy of trying to game the system.

Listen, this is a democracy. And all of us in public service have two roles. We have to promote our policies and preferred legislation and ideas, and that's important. But all of us, Republicans and Democrats, independents, we're all stewards of the grand democratic tradition, and we got to make this system work.

The miracle of our democracy is that we can disagree, we can oppose each other for office, but that we do this in a rational manner. And that's what we have got to remember. That's what this election is about. And that's why it's important.

TAPPER: Governor Wolf, ballots that are postmarked by November 3 and arrive within three days after Election Day are going to be kept separate from all the other ballots, pending likely litigation over whether or not they should be counted.

How likely do you think it is that Pennsylvania will come down to those ballots that arrive after Election Day?

WOLF: Well, look, first of all, Jake, let me -- let me correct something.

You said we can't start counting until the morning of Election Day. Actually, we can't start counting election results in Pennsylvania until the polls close at 8:00 p.m.

[09:40:05]

TAPPER: Oh, I apologize.

WOLF: We can start pre-canvassing the mail-in ballots on -- 7:00 a.m.

But the -- I think the effort to -- we are going to segregate ballots that come in after -- between election night and November 5, Friday. But -- or is that the 6th?

But we're going to really do what the Supreme Court -- there's a lot of noise out there. Pennsylvania has always taken a week, for example, to count military ballots to come in. I'm not sure what the Supreme Court is going to say about that.

If they say we have to have all the ballots counted that came in by the night of the election, then that's going to disenfranchise all those folks who are serving us overseas and have military absentee ballots.

And I don't -- I don't see how you can do that. So, we are segregating them. The Supreme Court has given Pennsylvania three days to allow ballots to come in after Election Day.

But the message to Pennsylvanians is, if you're voting by mail, if you're voting with an absentee ballot, get it in by election night.

TAPPER: Yes, hand-deliver to an election center. Don't mail it.

(CROSSTALK)

TAPPER: Governor Whitmer, you're co-chair of Joe Biden's campaign.

Joe Biden has made 10 trips to Pennsylvania since the convention, compared to just four visits to Michigan. Do you think the former vice president should have spent more time in Michigan?

WHITMER: You know what? I applaud the kind of campaign that Joe Biden has been running. It is one that is centered around the science, taking COVID-19 seriously, but also showing up.

And I think that's what the American people want. They want leadership that does what they're encouraging others to do, that is consistent and accurate about medical information, that shows that we care about all Americans.

We are -- it's been four years of a presidency that is a president for whomever agrees with him. We need a president who's going to be a president for all Americans, not look at states based on the color coding of a map, but understand that they are the leader for everyone in this country.

I'm grateful that Joe Biden and Barack Obama were here yesterday. I had the opportunity to spend some time with them. People are excited. But it's also important for us to remind people, going to a rally, whether it was a Black Lives march event, or it was an immigration rally, or it was a women's march, that's one way of being active.

But another thing that is so important is, it has to translate into votes. And that's why we want to encourage Michiganders to show up today or tomorrow or Tuesday, if you need to. But get your vote in. Every vote matters. And these elections could get decided on small margins.

TAPPER: Governor Evers, one of the main reasons Trump won in 2016 was his appeal among white working-class voters.

Has Biden done a better job reaching out to those voters in Wisconsin than Hillary Clinton did?

EVERS: Well, he's certainly done a good job.

The -- and it's around issues, some basic issues, making sure that we have good health care, making sure that the infrastructure of this country, and, in particular, Wisconsin is strong. So, yes, I think he's made a great -- a great effort.

And people in Wisconsin are pretty pragmatic. They just -- they just want to make sure things, health care, infrastructure, education, is all -- is all in a good place. And Joe Biden focuses on that and focuses on it in a way that he -- people understand that he's uniting people, rather than dividing people.

So, no, I think he's done a great job. He's been to -- he's been to Wisconsin. And we have got -- the party, the local party, the state party has really picked up too. This is a different -- this is a different election, and I think we're going to be successful.

TAPPER: Governor Wolf, President Trump recently accused you of trying to make it more difficult for him to have a rally venue in Pennsylvania.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: And I will remember it, Tom. I'm going to remember it, Tom.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: Hello, Mr. President, this is Governor Wolf. I need help. I need help.

You know what? These people are bad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: The most amazing thing about that clip is Pennsylvanians cheering the idea of the president of the United States threatening to withhold federal or any other assistance to Pennsylvanians because he wouldn't help his reelection campaign.

What's your reaction to that?

WOLF: Well, two things.

First of all, I'm grateful that he called me Tom, rather than a nickname.

(LAUGHTER)

WOLF: But the second thing is the point you just made.

And that is that this is not about me. This is not about Donald Trump. If Pennsylvania is in trouble, and whoever the governor is asks for help, and the president of the United States decides, because of personal pique, that he's not going to give it, that hurts 13 million Pennsylvanians. That's a bad thing.

[09:45:00]

TAPPER: Governor Evers, a lot of cities right now are preparing for unrest, given whatever happens with the election. Here in Washington, D.C., a bunch of storefronts are being boarded up.

Are you expecting unrest in Wisconsin, and who from? Is it from people upset who are on the left, people upset who are on the right? Why are these preparations being taken?

EVERS: Well, certainly, the tension is high all across the country.

But I will say that, in Wisconsin, I don't -- I think this is going to be a very safe and thoughtful election. I -- are we prepared for any possible unrest? Absolutely. We have done our homework. We have done -- we have things in place.

I think Election Day is going to go well. The weather is going to be good here in Wisconsin. People are -- people have voted at historic numbers already. And they will have -- we will have a good turnout on Election Day.

As Gretchen Whitmer said, and Tom Wolf also, it's going to take a while to count these ballots. So, people need to be -- relax, and it may take a day or so longer than it usually does.

But, at the end of the day, I think it's going to be a good election, and people will remember this as one that we fought hard, we had a good win.

TAPPER: Governor Whitmer, we know, obviously, about the recent alleged plot to kidnap you.

A Michigan court recently struck down an order that banned open carry of firearms at polling places on Election Day. How worried are you about the potential for violence on or around Election Day? And, if so, who are you worried about?

WHITMER: Well, I think, as Governor Evers just said, it is all of our jobs to take very seriously the efforts to make sure that people can go in and cast their votes, that it's convenient, and that they feel safe and secure in doing that.

And we have plenty of laws on the books that make it illegal to intimidate a voter as they go into cast this most important part of acting in our democracy. And we take it very seriously. And we're going to make sure that we keep people safe.

TAPPER: All right, Governors Evers, Wolf, Whitmer, thank you so much. Really nice to have you.

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