REPUBLICAN U.S. GLENN GROTHMAN
DID NOT VOTE TO REJECT THE
ELECTORS.
HE JOINS US FROM FOND DU LAC.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> GLAD TO BE BACK IN WISCONSIN.
>> I IMAGINE.
SO AS TO THE DEADLY VIOLENCE AT
THE U.S. CAPITOL IN A STATEMENT
YOU CONDEMNED THE RIOTERS AND
PUT BLAME ON RUDY GIULIANI AND
DONALD TRUMP JR. FOR ENCOURAGING
THE BEHAVIOR.
WHAT ABOUT THE PRESIDENT
HIMSELF?
WHAT BLAME DO YOU GIVE HIM?
>> WELL, I HAVEN'T HEARD HIS
STATEMENTS, YOU KNOW.
FIRST OF ALL, WHEN THE KIND OF
INSURRECTION, WHATEVER WE CALL
IT, TOOK PLACE, I WAS IN MY
OFFICE.
SO I FOLLOWED THINGS ON TV
RATHER THAN LIVE.
AND ON TV THEY KEPT REPEATING
RUDY GIULIANI AND DONALD TRUMP
JR.'S STATEMENTS.
SO THAT'S WHY THEY WERE INCLUDED
IN MY PRESS RELEASE.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE RALLY BEFORE
THAT?
WHAT ABOUT THE RALLY THAT THE
PRESIDENT FRONTED BEFORE THEY
MARCHED DOWN PENNSYLVANIA
AVENUE?
>> RIGHT.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT HE SAID.
I WILL SAY THIS.
I THINK THERE WERE IRRESPONSIBLE
PEOPLE WHO DESCRIBED THIS DAY AS
BEING MORE THAN IT WOULD BE.
NORMALLY THIS IS A VERY
PERFUNCTORY VOTE.
IT'S SOMETHING YOU BARELY
REMEMBERED WHEN IT WAS DONE WHEN
DONALD TRUMP WAS SWORN IN.
AND I THINK LED BY SOME I'LL
CALL THEM IRRESPONSIBLE
CONGRESSMEN, THE POWER WAS
ALLOWED TO BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS
GOING TO BE A MUCH MORE
SIGNIFICANT VOTE THAN IT WAS.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU HAD TENS OF
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THERE, MANY
OF THEM VERY WONDERFUL PEOPLE
FROM WISCONSIN.
>> MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE
WONDERFUL PEOPLE IS WHAT YOU'RE
SAYING NOW?
>> WELL, THERE WERE TENS OF
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WEST OF THE
CAPITOL THAT YOU DIDN'T SEE ON
TV.
AND A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE
VERY NICE PEOPLE.
THEY WERE TYPICAL PEOPLE THAT
YOU'D SEE AT ANY RALLY AND I
DON'T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE
AWARE THAT THEY WERE AROUND HERE
AS WELL.
>> I WANT TO ASK YOUR REACTION
TO EFFORTS TO REMOVE THE
PRESIDENT BEFORE HIS TERM ENDS
IN 12 DAYS.
>> I THINK IT'S A SILLY MEDIA
CIRCUS.
HE'S GOING TO END IN 12 DAYS.
WHY YOU WOULD TRY TO RUSH
SOMETHING THROUGH AND HAVE MIKE
PENCE BE PRESIDENT FOR ONE OR
TWO DAYS SEEMS SILLY.
>> DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE
PRESIDENT AFTER THIS RIOT AT THE
CAPITOL REPRESENTS A NATIONAL
SECURITY RISK IN HIS REMAINING
DAYS?
>> NO, I DON'T THINK SO.
HE'S SAID HE'S GOING TO GO ALONG
WITH THE TRANSITION.
I EXPECT THE NEXT 12 DAYS TO BE
AS BORING AS THE LAST 12 DAYS OF
BARACK OBAMA'S PRESIDENCY.
>> YOU SAY NOW THAT THE U.S.
CONSTITUTION IS VERY CLEAR THAT
STATES DETERMINE THEIR OWN
ELECTORS, CALLING VOTES TO
REJECT RESULTS IN CONGRESS THIS
WEEK, YOU SAID BOTH ABSURD AND
DANGEROUS.
BUT YOU ALSO SAY THAT YOU ALMOST
DID THAT YOURSELF.
WHAT STOPPED YOU IN THE 11TH
HOUR?
WAS IT A POLITICAL CALCULATION?
>> NO.
POLITICALLY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
EASIER TO VOTE THE OTHER WAY.
LIKE I SAID, IT WAS A VERY CLOSE
DECISION, AND I THINK THE PEOPLE
WHO MADE THE POINT, THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE ELECTORAL
COLLEGE, THE BAD PRECEDENCE
YOU'RE SETTING FOR THE FUTURE IS
THE REASON WHY I DECIDED TO
UPHOLD THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE.
THE OTHER REASON WOULD BE THERE
ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO FELT
THIS ELECTION WAS -- THERE WAS
CHEATING GOING ON AND I THINK
THEY NEED A VOICE AS WELL AND I
SYMPATHIZE WITH THE CONGRESSMEN
WHO VOTED THE OTHER WAY.
>> YOU DESCRIBE IT AS A VERY
CLOSE CALL FOR YOURSELF AND YET
ON THE OTHER HAND YOU TALK ABOUT
THIS BEING DANGEROUS AND ABSURD.
BUT I JUST WANT TO MOVE ON.
YOU THINK THAT WE DO NEED TO
INVESTIGATE ELECTION FRAUD,
BECAUSE, YOU SAY, TRUMP
SUPPORTERS BELIEVE THE ELECTION
WAS STOLEN.
BUT HASN'T THIS BEEN KIND OF
ASKED AND ANSWERED IN THE
COURTS?
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE FOR
ELECTION-TIPPING FRAUD.
CAN'T YOU JUST TELL YOUR TRUMP
SUPPORTERS THAT?
>> WELL, LET'S GO THROUGH THINGS
THAT ARE INCONTROVERTIBLE.
HERE IN WISCONSIN WE HAD OVER
200,000, I BELIEVE, VOTERS WHO
CLAIMED TO BE INDEFINITELY
CONFINED WHO PROBABLY WEREN'T.
WE PUT UP WITH THAT ALL THE
TIME, BUT I THINK THAT'S --
PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT
MORE ABOUT THAT.
IN OTHER STATES, WE HAD A JUDGE
IN ARIZONA, WHERE THEY DON'T
HAVE SAME-DAY REGISTRATION,
EXTEND THE TIME TO VOTE, WHICH
EVENTUALLY WAS UNDONE BY THE 9TH
CIRCUIT.
NOW, I HAVE A FEELING THAT
PRESIDENT BIDEN'S SUPPORTERS
WILL COME OUT OF THERE BECAUSE
PEOPLE WILL REALIZE THAT NOT
THAT MANY NEW PEOPLE VOTED.
BUT IT'S THE TYPE OF THING THAT
CONCERNS PEOPLE.
>> WELL, IT MAY CONCERN PEOPLE
BUT YOU KNOW AS WELL AS OTHERS
THAT THE JUDGES IN THESE CASES
ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND HERE IN
WISCONSIN, MANY OF THEM TRUMP
JUDGES, SO-CALLED, RULED THERE
WAS NO EVIDENCE TO MOVE THESE
CASES FORWARD.
>> WELL, LET'S TAKE THE EXAMPLE
IN ARIZONA.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT, SIR?
ACTUALLY, ACTUALLY, I'M OUT OF
TOWN AND I'M SORRY.
I'M SORRY TO CUT YOU OFF.
>> I'M SORRY.
>> WITH THE ARIZONA EXAMPLE.
BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING
WITH YOU AGAIN.
>>