CNN "The Lead With Jake Tapper" - Transcript "Interview with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine"

Interview

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I'm joined now by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. He's a Republican who was with President Trump today during his visit to Dayton.

Governor DeWine, thanks so much for joining us.

So, what did you have to say to President Trump when you were with him earlier?

[16:30:03]

GOV. MIKE DEWINE (R-OH): Well, this trip was really focused on the victims.

And my wife, Fran, and I went with the president and the first lady. And he was -- spent a lot of time with the victims, went from room to room at the hospital, also wanted to meet the first-responders, and also wanted to really thank the hospital employees, the people who had worked in the emergency room that night, that early morning.

So, it was really a trip focused on those people.

TAPPER: Did you talk at all with him about potential ways through legislation to try to curtail this -- these alarming mass shootings in this country?

DEWINE: Well, we talked mostly about -- he wanted to know what I had what I had proposed yesterday. And I explained to him some of the things that we wanted to do and we believe that we can do in Ohio.

I mean, we talked about the fact that we do have a huge mental health crisis among young people today. And so we have -- the budget that we have that the General Assembly has approved puts a lot of significant money into our schools to help identify kids who are having problems and trying to get them help as early as we can.

We also talked about the problem when we have when there are people in communities who either have a mental health problem, or an addiction problem, or alcohol problem, and they're dangerous to themselves, dangerous to others, and they have guns.

And I told him what we were planning on doing in Ohio, and that we thought that this was constitutional. We felt it respected the Second Amendment because it has due process, but also that it's going to make a difference.

TAPPER: The proposals that you outlined yesterday include mandatory background checks and also safety protection orders, which could mean the removal of guns from potentially dangerous individuals.

But your proposals do not mention banning or restricting any specific firearms.

I want to ask you. The shooter in Dayton was able to fire 41 rounds in 30 seconds. He had a double drum magazine -- I know you have seen it -- capable of firing 100 rounds. Thank God for the Dayton police that stopped him.

But why...

DEWINE: They did a phenomenal job.

TAPPER: But why is that gun with those -- that capacity for ammunition, why is that something that anyone in Ohio should be able to buy?

DEWINE: Look, this is something that is going to have to be dealt with on the national level.

When I was in Congress, we had different votes on that. But this is something that's going to have to be dealt with nationally.

To try to do it in the state, I don't think makes a whole lot of sense, frankly. What I am presenting are things that I know we can get done, I believe that we can get the legislature to pass, and that we can make a difference as quickly as we can get these things passed.

TAPPER: Your fellow Ohio Republican Congressman Mike Turner, who represents the Dayton area, and his daughter was across the street -- thank God she's OK -- he has -- he has changed his mind and said he is open to trying to ban some of these semiautomatic guns that can shoot lots of bullets in a short amount of time.

Is your mind opening at all on that subject?

DEWINE: Look, I think this is something that is going to be part of the national debate. It's already part of the national debate.

Congress is going to -- going to have to look at a number of different things.

TAPPER: Yes, but what do you think?

DEWINE: Look, I -- I think you could do that, again, if we -- if the votes are there in Congress. Congress certainly could do that. Again, you have to pass something, though that does -- it is, in fact,

constitutional. And that's when we get back to what some people call this red flag law. We prefer a different name. We were very careful to work that out so, in fact, that it is constitutional, that constitutional rights are protected.

So, again, that's going to be the question that Congress has to face is, how do you do this and still protect people's -- people's rights to have guns and to own guns and to use guns?

TAPPER: Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, thank you for your time, sir. We appreciate it.

DEWINE: Thank you.

TAPPER: President Trump just landed in El Paso, Texas.

We're going to talk to one member of Congress who turned down a meeting with the president there.

Stay with us.

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