'This Week' Transcript 2-18-24: Nikki Haley, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Charlamagne tha God
Interview
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Two things that I think are part of the story that the president's presence tells us here today. Number one, this president gives a damn, not just about the city of Philadelphia, not just about those who run toward danger, our firefighters, and those hear at Ladder 1, but he gives a damn about this community. I couldn't be more proud to have him back here in the city of Philadelphia.
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Let me say this, I have a lot of respect for Charlamagne. I appreciate the fact that he's taken note of our GSD attitude, our get stuff done attitude in Pennsylvania, whether it's repairing I-95 in 12 days with the president's help, whether it's investing historic amounts in education or infrastructure, making sure we focus on public safety, and protecting our fundamental freedoms here in Pennsylvania, whether it's the right to choose or whether it's the right to vote.
I think Charlamagne's bold and candid conversation with the American people is really important. I think it speaks to the broader issue right now that while Donald Trump and Joe Biden's names may ultimately be on the ballot and be our choices in November, this election really is about all of us and whether or not we're going to rise up and use our voices and ultimately our vote to protect our fundamental freedoms, to scream out for the kind of country that we want, to protect this 247-year experience that began right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the city of Philadelphia. And I think Charlamagne's voice is an important one in that dialogue. I think it's important that we listen to him. I think it's important that he continues to be part of that conversation.
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Well, the race is close, but understand, the campaign hasn't really even joined yet. And this is the reason why we run races. And I would say to folks who are worried about the numbers, stop worrying and start working.
And I think it's important to go back and look at the history of Pennsylvania in recent years. There have been a number of races, you cited mine where we won by a historic margin, where the pundits a year out were saying, oh, it's going to be a bad year for Democrats.
What we have seen really since Donald Trump's election here in 2016 is, every other time Pennsylvanians have had the opportunity to go to the ballot, they have voted for freedom and against extremism. They rejected Donald Trump in 2020. They voted for me by a historic margin in 2022.
Just last year, in 2023, we had a Supreme Court race that was largely focused on freedom and the right to choose, and we elected the Democrat. In 2023, we threw out all kinds of school board members who were focused on banning books, not focused on our children. In numerous special elections here in our state legislature, including one last week, we rejected extremism and focused on fighting for freedom.
So when Pennsylvanians get the opportunity to go to the polls, they vote for freedom. They reject extremism. And I'm going to do everything in my political power over the course of the next several months to make the case, to prosecute the case against Donald Trump, to make the case about how Joe Biden is the candidate standing up for our freedom. And I'm hopeful that the good people of Pennsylvania will continue with that string of voting for freedom and against extremism.
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Look, I think Ezra is right, the stakes could not be higher, but Joe Biden is going to be our nominee, and I'm proud to support him. He talks about being a bridge. And let me tell you something, he helped us repair that bridge on I-95 in 12 days. He was my partner in that, and he's been a partner to many of us across the country in moving our country forward, in saving our economy from ruin, in helping America get back up on its feet post-COVID. This is a president who delivered.
Now, we've got to go out and make that case. The president, the vice president and those of us who are privileged who support him and have a front-row seat to this, we've got to go out and do this important work now. It's back to what I said earlier about Charlamagne's voice. I think this really is going to be an election, yes, where Joe Biden and Donald Trump are the candidates but really where it is going to be a question for every single American about what kind of country do we want to build.
On the one hand, we've got an agent of total chaos, someone who wants to restrict our freedom and someone who puts himself first, and that is Donald Trump.
I mean, consider this, remember what it was like when Donald Trump was president. He was in our faces and in our living room every day, injecting chaos. Think about what will happen here in Pennsylvania if he gets his way and he does away with Obamacare, something he's pledged to do. That means 1.2 million Pennsylvanians won't have health insurance.
Think about if he gets his way with a national ban on abortion. This guy is trying to take away the freedom of millions of women across this country. We've already seen what he's tried to do when people go and vote and choose someone other than him. He tries to overthrow the government.
This is a guy who is an agent of chaos, who's trying to restrict our freedom. And every American is going to have to stand up and be counted, as to whether or not they want to continue to be a voice of freedom and democracy, that this is going to be a beacon of hope to countries around the world.
And so, in many ways, this election is less about Joe Biden and Donald Trump and more about us and the kind of country that we want to build. And I've got confidence in the American people that, just as they did in 2020, they will rise up; they will demand more; they will seek justice; and they will look to defend freedom in this nation, and they will reject Donald Trump.
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