Transcript: North Dakota Governor Doug Burgham’s “Face the Nation” June 11, 2023
Below is a transcript of an interview with North Dakota Governor Doug Burgham that aired on “Face the Nation” on June 11, 2023.
John Dickerson: Last week, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgham was one of three more Republicans who jumped into the presidential primary. He is campaigning in New Hampshire, joining from Manchester. Good morning, Governor. Thank you for joining us. You speak to every candidate who will stand with Donald Trump, or against Donald Trump, or whatever you think about this indictment, in its details, responsibilities, obligations, and the nature of your work. We are trying to create opportunities. So is it an opportunity for you and what are you going to do with it?
GOVERNMENT DOUG BERGUM: Well, John, you’ve written eloquently many times about the job of president being the toughest job in the world. And I think some of your papers, some of them had priorities. And this is what we’ve been talking about all along. We’re on day four of the campaign, and we’re talking about it, so that people understand who we are, why we’re running for office, and what we’re going to do. And, you know, who are we?
I’m a small town kid in North Dakota. The job I grew up with, showering at the end of the day instead of at the beginning, has its roots in small towns. My father passed away when I was a freshman in high school. I have a little farmland. Mortgage it. It provided seed capital for a startup software company that grew into a billion-dollar company with small-town kids from all over North Dakota. And there were 130,000 customers and his 120 companies. This is kind of an American exclusive story. And the reason we are running for office is because, having been governor for the past six and a half years, I know when you will be in the top seat and in executive roles, how you will prioritize and what you will focus on. Because I know you put it there. , you have the opportunity to improve the lives of all citizens. Our plan is to improve the lives of all Americans and bring out the best in America, but how do we do it? We focus on three things. guess The economy affects everyone now, energy policy affects everyone now, and is totally relevant to national security. These three are interrelated. And now we feel that this is more than just a course correction, the Biden administration has gone 180 degrees wrong in the economy, energy policy and national security. And that’s what we’re going to focus on and talk about with the campaign.
John Dickerson: It’s because when you wake up every day as a chief executive with responsibilities entrusted to you by the people of North Dakota, you feel you have certain obligations and you’ve been talking to the office about it. Will you do what is alleged in this indictment against former President Trump?
Doug Bergum: Well, I’ve only made one campaign promise so far. If elected, would I be able to reach the southern border in the first two weeks instead of Biden’s two years? I can also tell you that when the President leaves office, he will follow all rules regarding the handling of classified documents.
John Dickerson: Governor, you said Sununu was just out and had a nice breakfast with you, but he said, “This is a competition.” He’s the only one in the top spot He’s in the business world You can’t win a tiny bit of market share. To get the biggest and biggest share, you need to get everything you have. And his point is that candidates like you must be clearly distinguished from frontrunners. And this is a pretty big chance, especially for someone talking about the values instilled by living in a small town, to make a moral case for an office and the attributes it requires, but you’re not.
Government Bergum: Well, when you think about how I was when I was CEO and when I was governor, when I’m in charge, when I’m in the top position, I make sure that I am and that I am. I think it’s clear that it’s important. “Not only are you doing great work for the people you serve, but when you’re in that position, you’re in that position for a period of time, so there, you know, There is dignity and discipline that comes with being an official.” He is both governor and president. And certainly we will, and we will try to keep it that way. Because it is a very important institution for the future. But yes, absolutely. That’s what we’re focused on and making sure we do it. And like I said, you write about the importance of that.
John Dickerson: Just a quick question, you said in an interview on the Fargo, Fargo forums that there is a silent majority that has been ignored. In your words, “All current engagements are on the edge.” What do you mean?
Government Bergum: Well, I don’t think it’s just silence. I, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, don’t call it a silent majority. It is the exhausted majority. But as you know, the vast majority of Americans and those who are plagued every day with inflation problems like government bureaucracy, rising gas prices, and open borders affect all Americans. . They don’t use social media. They don’t watch cable news programs. That’s the majority of Americans. So, again, in the tech world, we’ve always said, ‘When you’re building a global, world-class company from the ground up, you have to separate what’s signal and what’s noise. and there’s a lot of noise there” and a lot of that noise is in the echo chambers on the edges” and the exhausted majority in the middle is thinking about the problems that are coming and affecting them. We crave leadership that speaks for and listens to us. We know it in their everyday life and in the mere few days we’ve been walking the trails. Two days in Iowa, and yesterday here in New Hampshire, there are people who want to talk about the problems our country faces and how it affects them and their lives every day. .
John Dickerson: During the most difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic, you talked about masks and said everyone needs to have empathy for those who might wear them. You said, “Increase empathy and understanding.” Are there other issues we see in the world of domestic politics today where the same guiding principle can be applied to people?
Government Bergum: Well, when those of us who grew up in small towns talk about the best thing about America, the best thing about America is when neighbors help their neighbors. When a North Dakota farmer gets sick, it’s time for neighbors to rally. Neighbors come to plant and harvest crops in the badlands of western North Dakota each spring, during spring branding and roundup. They couldn’t get the job done if their neighbors didn’t help their neighbors. And we need to get back to that. And when we talk about China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, I think our real enemies are part of what we like when we’re fighting each other. They love that we just yell at each other. But we have to approach, and one of the hallmarks of our administration is curiosity, the curiosity to understand where the other is coming from. And with that, I also know that America has built its economy around innovation. And the Biden administration has focused entirely on regulating the industry, rather than focusing on innovation, and how innovation can be reached there through curiosity and understanding that everyone can contribute to the conversation. is to reach
John Dickerson: Okay, Governor Doug Burgham, thank you for coming. Thank you. Good luck with your campaign activities. We will return to the panel discussion in a moment.
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Below is a transcript of an interview with North Dakota Governor Doug Burgham that aired on “Face the Nation” on June 11, 2023. John Dickerson: Last week, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgham was one of three more Republicans who jumped into the presidential primary. He is campaigning in New Hampshire, joining from Manchester. Good morning, Governor. Thank you for joining us. You speak to every candidate who will stand with Donald Trump, or against Donald Trump, or whatever you think about this indictment, in its details, responsibilities, obligations, and the nature of your work. We are trying to create opportunities. So is it an opportunity for you and what are you going to do with it?GOVERNMENT DOUG BERGUM: Well, John, you’ve written eloquently many times about the job of president being the toughest job in the world. And I think some of your papers, some of them had priorities. And this is what we’ve been talking about all along. We’re on day four of the campaign, and we’re talking about it, so that people understand who we are, why we’re running for office, and what we’re going to do. And, you know, who are we?
I’m a small town kid in North Dakota. The job I grew up with, showering at the end of the day instead of at the beginning, has its roots in small towns. My father passed away when I was a freshman in high school. I have a little farmland. Mortgage it. It provided seed capital for a startup software company that grew into a billion-dollar company with small-town kids from all over North Dakota. And there were 130,000 customers and his 120 companies. This is kind of an American exclusive story. And the reason we are running for office is because, having been governor for the past six and a half years, I know when you will be in the top seat and in executive roles, how you will prioritize and what you will focus on. Because I know you put it there. , you have the opportunity to improve the lives of all citizens. Our plan is to improve the lives of all Americans and bring out the best in America, but how do we do it? We focus on three things. guess The economy affects everyone now, energy policy affects everyone now, and is totally relevant to national security. These three are interrelated. And now we feel that this is more than just a course correction, the Biden administration has gone 180 degrees wrong in the economy, energy policy and national security. And that’s what we’re going to focus on and talk about with the campaign.John Dickerson: It’s because when you wake up every day as a chief executive with responsibilities entrusted to you by the people of North Dakota, you feel you have certain obligations and you’ve been talking to the office about it. Will you do what is alleged in this indictment against former President Trump?
Doug Bergum: Well, I’ve only made one campaign promise so far. If elected, would I be able to reach the southern border in the first two weeks instead of Biden’s two years? I can also tell you that when the President leaves office, he will follow all rules regarding the handling of classified documents.John Dickerson: Governor, you said Sununu was just out and had a nice breakfast with you, but he said, “This is a competition.” He’s the only one in the top spot He’s in the business world You can’t win a tiny bit of market share. To get the biggest and biggest share, you need to get everything you have. And his point is that candidates like you must be clearly distinguished from frontrunners. And this is a pretty big chance, especially for someone talking about the values instilled by living in a small town, to make a moral case for an office and the attributes it requires, but you’re not.Government Bergum: Well, when you think about how I was when I was CEO and when I was governor, when I’m in charge, when I’m in the top position, I make sure that I am and that I am. I think it’s clear that it’s important. “Not only are you doing great work for the people you serve, but when you’re in that position, you’re in that position for a period of time, so there, you know, There is dignity and discipline that comes with being an official.” He is both governor and president. And certainly we will, and we will try to keep it that way. Because it is a very important institution for the future. But yes, absolutely. That’s what we’re focused on and making sure we do it. And like I said, you write about the importance of that.John Dickerson: Just a quick question, you said in an interview on the Fargo, Fargo forums that there is a silent majority that has been ignored. In your words, “All current engagements are on the edge.” What do you mean?
Government Bergum: Well, I don’t think it’s just silence. I, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, don’t call it a silent majority. It is the exhausted majority. But as you know, the vast majority of Americans and those who are plagued every day with inflation problems like government bureaucracy, rising gas prices, and open borders affect all Americans. . They don’t use social media. They don’t watch cable news programs. That’s the majority of Americans. So, again, in the tech world, we’ve always said, ‘When you’re building a global, world-class company from the ground up, you have to separate what’s signal and what’s noise. and there’s a lot of noise there” and a lot of that noise is in the echo chambers on the edges” and the exhausted majority in the middle is thinking about the problems that are coming and affecting them. We crave leadership that speaks for and listens to us. We know it in their everyday life and in the mere few days we’ve been walking the trails. Two days in Iowa, and yesterday here in New Hampshire, there are people who want to talk about the problems our country faces and how it affects them and their lives every day. .John Dickerson: During the most difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic, you talked about masks and said everyone needs to have empathy for those who might wear them. You said, “Increase empathy and understanding.” Are there other issues we see in the world of domestic politics today where the same guiding principle can be applied to people?Government Bergum: Well, when those of us who grew up in small towns talk about the best thing about America, the best thing about America is when neighbors help their neighbors. When a North Dakota farmer gets sick, it’s time for neighbors to rally. Neighbors come to plant and harvest crops in the badlands of western North Dakota each spring, during spring branding and roundup. They couldn’t get the job done if their neighbors didn’t help their neighbors. And we need to get back to that. And when we talk about China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, I think our real enemies are part of what we like when we’re fighting each other. They love that we just yell at each other. But we have to approach, and one of the hallmarks of our administration is curiosity, the curiosity to understand where the other is coming from. And with that, I also know that America has built its economy around innovation. And the Biden administration has focused entirely on regulating the industry, rather than focusing on innovation, and how innovation can be reached there through curiosity and understanding that everyone can contribute to the conversation. is to reachJohn Dickerson: Okay, Governor Doug Burgham, thank you for coming. Thank you. Good luck with your campaign activities. We will return to the panel discussion in a moment.
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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doug-burgum-north-dakota-governor-face-the-nation-transcript-06-11-2023/ Transcript: North Dakota Governor Doug Burgham’s “Face the Nation” June 11, 2023