CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: "Interview with Gov. Steve Bullock"
Interview
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BLITZER: Our breaking news. We're following President Trump's visit to a hospital in El Paso, Texas right now -- the city where a mass shooting on Saturday has claimed 22 lives. The President is meeting right now with victims, their families, first responders, and hospital staff.
Joining us now, one of the Democrats running for president, Montana Governor Steve Bullock. Governor -- thanks so much for coming in.
GOVERNOR STEVE BULLOCK (D-MT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Wolf -- it's great to be with you.
BLITZER: Unfortunately, we have to meet at an awful time. What do you think the impact of the President's visit today in Dayton, now in El Paso will be?
BULLOCK: Well, I think on the one hand the impact that then continuing sort of the Twitter storms of division. I mean I think at the end of the day, I would love to see the impact actually doing some things, like universal background checks, things where he says he could make a difference. But we certainly haven't seen that sort of moral or policy leadership out of this president.
BLITZER: What does it say to you that on Twitter on this flight from Dayton to El Paso, he's criticizing the Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown from Ohio, the Mayor of Dayton, Mayor Whaley. He's tweeting about that on a day that -- should be so somber, meeting with families and victims of these massacres.
BULLOCK: And not just the communities are in mourning, the country is in mourning and shock. Mayor Whaley, I know her -- she and I actually we went to the President of Mexico's inauguration together. A good person that actually said decent things about he showed up at the hospital and did the right thing.
But to turn around and make this about him, politically attacking both them and Joe Biden. I mean our country expects more than this.
BLITZER: Well, if somebody attacks him he goes right back, as you know, and attacks them even -- on a bigger --
BULLOCK: You bet.
BLITZER: That is the nature of this president.
But let's talk hypothetically, God forbid -- I hope it never happens that there is a mass shooting in your state of Montana -- what would you have done if the President wanted to come to Montana and meet with survivors and families and first responders. Would you have welcomed the President? Because some of the leaders, they don't want to welcome the President.
BULLOCK: Well I think for a President that says on a Monday that, you know, we should be united in our voice against racism, bigotry, white supremacy yet for the last two and a half years he certainly hasn't walked that walk. I mean it is real problematic.
[17:24:59] But it is the President. You certainly have to welcome him. But you have hopes and expectations then that he would take that moment of moral leadership for our nation and be both a consoler, but also bring our country together on things like universal background checks.
BLITZER: Let's talk about that because you laid out -- you had a speech today laying out your vision for gun control. You're a gun owner yourself. You lost a nephew in gun violence -- very sad development indeed.
What kind of legislation realistically do you think could be passed in the House and the Senate and signed into law by the President that would affect guns, especially weapons of mass destruction here in the United States?
BULLOCK: No, I think if we could ever look at this as a public health issue, not as a political issue, we could make it a difference. Public health issue would say even gun owners want to make sure the guns aren't in the wrong hands. So Universal background checks. Yes, red flag, yes moving, taking away guns where orders of protection are in place.
Look. Walmart and Dick's -- places like that -- don't even sell assault weapons. There is no reason that we continue to sell them as well.
BLITZER: Realistically, though, you think that could change in the current environment?
BULLOCK: I think, you know -- and I think back to right after Parkland, the President had Democratic and Republican governors to the White House. And they said it is time --
BLITZER: You were there?
BULLOCK: Yes. He said it is time to take action. You as governors shouldn't be afraid of the NRA and we'll have universal background checks.
But when I was growing up, the NRA was a gun safety and hunting organization. Now it is a political organization doing nothing more than trying to divide this country.
BLITZER: Your position on guns have changed. When you were running for re-election in 2016 you were against universal -- correct me if I'm wrong -- universal background checks. What has changed?
BULLOCK: Yes. I mean I think that our nation is changing. I've lowered even since Parkland the flags seven times, a fourth of the times I've been asked to lower the flags by a president and that is for Veteran's Day and everything else for mass shootings.
It is time that we actually make a meaningful difference like on universal background checks, the vast majority of gun owners are Republicans and NRA members say it is time to do this.
BLITZER: Because when you were running in 2016, in a debate you said "In my eight years in public service our Second Amendment rights have been expanded in Montana, not limited."
BULLOCK: Yes. Yes, indeed, that is from the time of the Heller decision on. I've also vetoed 14 bills that wouldn't make sense for our communities, or for law enforcement, our keeping our kids safe.
So I think that the Second Amendment that a right but with that right comes some responsibilities.
BLITZER: Let me get in a political question, because if you don't get the Democratic presidential nomination, there is a tough fight. There's 20, 25 candidates out there, you obviously want to change the position on guns here in the United States. Would you consider running for the Senate if the presidential thing doesn't work out?
BULLOCK: Yes. And we have some great folks running for the senate in Montana that I think can be -- Steve Daines -- so that wouldn't be me. But I that think --
BLITZER: Are you ruling it out? Because you're a very popular governor over there and if you were to run against the incumbent Republican senator you'll have a good chance of winning.
BULLOCK: As others will. So it won't be me. But I think we should also not just talk about like the Senate seat in Montana or Colorado, we should also be talking about how we as Democrats are losing places like North Dakota last time or Indiana. Like if we can't make connections all across this country as Democrats, we're never going to actually get back to governing.
It is not just the White House, it is actually making sure that we have Democrats across this country, not just on the coasts.
BLITZER: You've got a beautiful state in Montana. Governor Bullock -- thanks so much for coming in. Good luck out there on the campaign trail.
BULLOCK: Thanks for having me -- Wolf.
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