The following is a transcript of an interview with Larry Hogan, former Governor of Maryland, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” airing September 29, 2024.
ROBERT COSTA: We now turn to former Republican Governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan. Governor Hogan, thank you for being here–
FORMER GOVERNOR LARRY HOGAN: Thank you for having me
ROBERT COSTA: In one of the most important Senate races in the country. You are not running next to former President Donald Trump in your race, but he is ahead. How can you distance yourself, if at all, in such a contentious, heated political environment?
HOGAN: You know, I think I’ve been one of the leading voices of opposition in my party for quite some time, and I continue to do so. In our state, we’re actually 20 or 30 points ahead of Donald Trump. And you know, I think I have a completely separate identity after being governor for two terms in the bluest state or one of the bluest states in America. You know, we have a separate, you know, identity. We… I probably stand up to him more than anyone else, and I’ll continue to do so.
ROBERT COSTA: He’s endorsed you, but it’s not like you’ve welcomed that endorsement. But when you go into that voting booth, I know it’s private, but who are you going to vote for?
HOGAN: Well, look, I said neither candidate earned my vote, and the voters of the country will be able to make that decision. I-
ROBERT COSTA: So there’s no chance you’ll vote for Trump?
HOGAN: I’m not going to do that. I didn’t vote for him in 2016 and 2020 and I’ve made that pretty clear. But look, I’m not just running for the Republican Party, otherwise they would… you know, it’s not just about red versus blue, which is what my opponent wants it to be about. I worry about red, white and blue, and I’m willing to put country before party. And I hope voters will be willing to do the same.
ROBERT COSTA: I asked retired General McChrystal this about former President Donald Trump, who has attacked Vice President Harris during his campaign in recent days. He says she has mental problems. He has said thing after thing questioning her intelligence and competence. Do you believe former President Donald Trump is qualified for this position or not?
HOGAN: Well, I think this is all outrageous and unacceptable. And I already called him out when he had that one interview where he questioned her racial identity, and now he’s questioning her mental abilities. And I think this is insulting not only to the vice president, but to people who actually have intellectual disabilities. And you know, I’ve been saying for years that Trump’s divisive rhetoric is something we can do without. I think he’s his own worst enemy. And I think I’m very concerned about the toxic and divisive politics that seem to be going back and forth all the time. It’s what people are so fed up with. That’s why they want to change Washington, and that’s why I’m running for office.
ROBERT COSTA: When you were governor, you’ve often said that you didn’t try to oppose abortion rights in any significant way. But the U.S. Senate is a very different place than being governor. As you know, if elected to the United States Senate in November, would you support eliminating the filibuster to secure abortion rights?
HOGAN: Well, I’m going to support the compromise bill on day one to secure Roe and protect abortion rights across the country so that no one, no one ever comes between a woman and her doctor. I disagree with both my opponent and Donald Trump on the effort to abolish the filibuster…
ROBERT COSTA: Why not?
HOGAN: So we can move things forward on a partisan basis, with one vote, so we can swing the pendulum back and forth and create more division. I think we need to find bipartisan buy-in and cooperation just like I did and in a state with a 70% Democratic legislature, but we’ve done things like lower taxes and lower the cost of health care and the passage of a criminal justice reform law. . We have to find a way to get people in Washington to stop swearing and stop trying to push things left or right. And the filibuster makes this possible, it requires bipartisan cooperation and consensus, which is exactly what I think we desperately need in Washington.
ROBERT COSTA: But what do you say to that blue, that Democratic voter in Maryland, who says I liked you as governor, I’m a Democrat, but I voted for you, but I want you to go further on abortion rights than to say I won’t touch the filibuster? They want you to break the filibuster.
HOGAN: Well, I’m not sure there are too many. Look, I’m a big believer in women’s right to make those decisions. Don’t come between woman or doctor. I’m going to support a bill to protect Roe. I’m going to sponsor a bill on IVF. I ran for governor and promised that I would not change that, that I would do nothing to restrict access to abortion. I kept that promise for eight years, and I promise them again that I will fight for it when I serve in the United States Senate.
ROBERT COSTA: If you were in the United States Senate, what kind of Republican Party would you be a part of? You have always presented yourself as a traditional Republican in our conversations over the years. You have praised former President Ronald Reagan. It’s Trump’s party.
HOGAN: Well, you know, that’s one of the reasons why I’m running. You know, I think we need to get the country back on track. I’m coming. I will stand up to the current president, the former president, or the next president when I think they are wrong. I will work with them if I think they are right. I’m standing up to the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. That’s what I’ve done my entire career. I have been a leading voice in America to try to do something about this very divided country, where we just fight each other and nothing ever gets done. I’m a guy who likes to get things done. I love, you know, I’ll work across the aisle in a bipartisan way, as I have for the last eight years, and I think that’s what we really need in Washington. I think this is what most people want.
ROBERT COSTA: But is it possible? And looking at your own record, what you were thinking about was, in the past year, you flirted with a possible No Labels of Independent candidate for president, and former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, for example from Wyoming, a Republican, has broken with Trump. She recently suggested, as I’m sure you’ve heard, that it might be time for another party. Do you believe that’s right? Maybe it’s time for the traditional Republicans, the non-Trump Republicans, to say, ‘Enough? Time for something new’?
HOGAN: Well, I’m not ready to give up. You know, I really believe that a healthy and competitive two-party system is important for our country. I’m very concerned that I believe that my, both parties are far removed from what they, their, their kind of basic core values were. I think the Democratic Party is moving too far to the left. I think the Republican Party, as you said, has become more of a Trump party, but I’m not ready to give up. That’s why I run. That is also the reason I took the step. You know, I entered this race when the bipartisan agreement to secure the border and provide support and funding to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan failed, and people voted against it because they didn’t want to get a bipartisan victory. My whole emphasis has been on how we find consensus, how we find common ground for the common good. And that’s what I’ve based my entire career on. And so I hope that voters actually want that kind of leadership in Washington. If they go for another partisan, you know, a rubber stamp politician, and they just want to vote based on red or blue. I’m not going to serve in the Senate, but if they want to change Washington, I think I’m exactly the kind of person who can make a difference.
ROBERT COSTA: If former President Donald Trump calls you in the next few weeks and says, “Larry, I’d like to go to an Orioles game with you, maybe there could be a campaign rally.” Would you show up in Maryland with Trump?
HOGAN: No, I don’t think so. I don’t think he’ll spend much time in Maryland as he’s down about 30 points. And you know, he’s not really going to campaign in Maryland, but he should watch a game. Of course.
ROBERT COSTA: No, you have no interest in appearing with him at all?
HOGAN: No.
ROBERT COSTA: And you’ve served with… finally, we’re all looking forward to seeing Margaret have the vice presidential debate with Norah on Tuesday night on CBS. You know Governor Tim Walz. You were governors together.
HOGAN: Yeah
ROBERT COSTA: Is he a strong debater? Are you looking forward to seeing what he does? And do you like him?
HOGAN: You know, I’ve never seen him debate, but look, I think everyone will be interested in listening. I am hopeful that in this debate we can have a really healthy debate about the issues that concern people. You know, people are worried about the economy, inflation and affordability. They worry about crime and the border. Hopefully those candidates will talk about it, instead of just typical politics.
ROBERT COSTA: Governor Larry Hogan, thank you for being here and running for Senate in Maryland. We’ll be right back. Thank you.
