LISTEN: Governor Hogan Joins WBAL's "C4 and Bryan Nehman' to Discuss Efforts to Address Violent Crime
Statement
Governor Larry Hogan today joined WBAL's "C4 and Bryan Nehman' to discuss a number of topics, including violent crime in Baltimore City, the Supreme Court's gun ruling, and the future of the Republican Party.
(Listen)
On Violent Crime:
"They fought me for eight years trying to put penalties on people who continually shoot people in the streets--repeat violent offenders. They refused to prosecute the smaller crimes that sometimes lead to bigger crimes like this situation. We've been trying to get them to do something about the squeegee kids for years and the community's been crying out about it, and they just continue to let it go on. The mayor calls them "entrepreneurs' or they talk about trying to find jobs, and I'm all for finding opportunities for some of these folks where they are not out in the middle of the street. We have had so many instances of people just being harassed, people don't want to come to the city anymore. They are getting their windshield broken, you know, tearing off their windshield wipers. They're yelling at women in the car by themselves and punching people, and now shooting and killing someone. It's just outrageous."
On Impact of Supreme Court's Gun Ruling in Baltimore City:
"I think it is probably one of the most absurd things I have ever heard from the mayor and the police commissioner they are refusing to take action on the hundreds of murders that are being committed with illegal guns, and yet they don't want law abiding citizens to be able to go through a process, and go through training, and go through background checks to purchase a gun legally. That is not the problem on the streets of Baltimore. It's the gang members and the drug dealers and the ones who are doing the shooting that don't follow gun laws. It's really for law abiding citizens. The Attorney General of Maryland and all of our lawyers have said this is what we have to do--this is the way we have to enforce the law."
On the Future of the Republican Party:
"The latest polls that nationally have come out say that 34% of the Republican primary voters would like to see Donald Trump run again, but 58% do not want him to. It has diminished dramatically since his peak in November of "20, and I think it is going to go down even further. There is no question that he is the 800-pound gorilla in the Republican Party, but his support is rapidly dwindling and will continue to do so over the next two years in my opinion."
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