MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Friday morning, former Montana Governor Steve Bullock became the latest Democratic Presidential Candidate in the “Politics and Eggs” series, using the opportunity to explain why he is the best choice to defeat President Donald Trump in 2020.
Bullock shared tales of his bi-partisan bonafides, noting that around a quarter of the votes he drew in the 2016 Montana gubernatorial election also voted for Trump and sharing accomplishments he achieved during his time working with a Republican-led legislature.
For Bullock, that ability to persuade voters beyond the Democratic base will be crucial in defeating Trump.
“The path for victory does not just run through the coasts and the urban areas, we have to win back the places that we have lost,” he said. “I know that you can fit 14 and a half New Hampshires into Montana, so I did not have the luxury of just campaigning in those bright blue places, right? I had to go all across that state and get people to engage and give them reasons that government can work.”
Bullock also stressed his frustration with politics in Washington compared to the collaboration occurring in Montana, stating a belief that U.S. Senators should not be allowed to fundraise for the first three years of their terms, instead using the time they would have spent on fundraising working on legislation and reaching out to constituents.
Throughout the event, Bullock touched up healthcare costs, the economy and the impact of dark money on American politics. He also stated that the primary issue in 2020 will be defeating Trump and ensuring the future of democracy itself, citing that he did not support the idea of impeaching Trump until recent revelations came to light regarding Trump’s attempts to withhold foreign aid to Ukraine in exchange for incriminating evidence that could be used for Trump’s re-election campaign.
Several times, Bullock decried Trump’s behavior, saying that instead of facing him directly, Trump should be treated comparably to how one would deal with a six-year-old.
“I don’t think the answer is to out-Trump Trump. You wrestle with a pig, you both get muddy and the pig likes it,” he said. “There are ways to do this by calling out the behavior without continuing the dialogue.”
Co-hosted by the Saint Anselm New Hampshire Institute of Politics and the New England Council, Bullock marks the 14th candidate to speak at Politics and Eggs since the beginning of 2019.
More information on Politics and Eggs is available on the New England Council website.
