As the U.S. barrels toward the presidential election this November, with daily reminders Americans are still struggling with COVID-19 and demanding social justice reforms, Maryland Governor, Larry Hogan is focused on getting his constituents through. But in his soon-to-be-released book, he says there were some DC insiders who wanted him to consider a higher office.
In Still Standing: Surviving Cancer, Riots, and the Toxic Politics That Divide America, set to be released July 28, Hogan reveals that high-ranking members of the Trump administration approached him about a potential presidential run.
"I had a number of people encourage me to do so, but I didn't really think that there was much of a chance of a Republican challenge in a primary this year," he said.
While a run for the White House is off the table for the Maryland governor — at least for 2020 — he thinks the GOP needs serious reform in order to maintain political relevance, particularly in the height of social and racial awakenings across the U.S.
"I think we're doing a poor job of communicating and reaching out and trying to appeal to a broader base," Hogan explained. "We can't keep shrinking the Republican party's base and expect to continue to win national elections."
Often outspoken about President Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, Hogan said the administration "fell short, particularly early on" and those afraid to be frank with the president continue to damage the Republican party.
"We'll talk about those things but they may not be willing to come up and say those things publicly and take the wrath of a tweet, or potentially getting primaried or being attacked," he said.
When it comes to voting in the November election, nothing is off the table for Governor Hogan — including support for former Vice President Joe Biden.
“We’ll have plenty of time between now and November to figure it out,” Hogan said. “It’s possible. I may just decide to write somebody in.”
Meanwhile, for Maryland’s residents, Hogan is working to ensure that even amid the pandemic, each person can cast a vote by providing absentee ballots.
But with the election more than 100 days away, Hogan’s primary concern is to continue battling COVID-19 as cases rise, particularly in Maryland.
“It’s about robust testing and contact tracing and making sure we’re doing all the things we’ve been talking about for months, which is masking and social distancing,” he said.
While the governor is one of the rare Republicans to speak out against President Trump, he admits that in order for the country to successfully beat coronavirus, regardless of political affiliation, it has to be done together.
Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama says his new Cabinet will include an artificial intelligence “minister” in charge of fighting corruption. The AI, named Diella, will oversee public funding projects and combat corruption in public tenders. Diella was launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the government's public service platform. Corruption has been a persistent issue in Albania since 1990. Rama's Socialist Party won a fourth consecutive term in May. It aims to deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, but the opposition Democratic Party remains skeptical.
The Trump administration has asked an appeals court to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors by Monday, before the central bank’s next vote on interest rates. Trump sought to fire Cook Aug. 25, but a federal judge ruled late Tuesday that the removal was illegal and reinstated her to the Fed’s board.
President Donald Trump's administration is appealing a ruling blocking him from immediately firing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook as he seeks more control over the traditionally independent board. The notice of appeal was filed Wednesday, hours after U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb handed down the ruling. The White House insists the Republican president had the right to fire Cook over mortgage fraud allegations involving properties in Michigan and Georgia from before she joined the Fed. Cook's lawsuit denies the allegations and says the firing was unlawful. The case could soon reach the Supreme Court, which has allowed Trump to fire members of other independent agencies but suggested that power has limitations at the Fed.
Chief Justice John Roberts has let President Donald Trump remove a member of the Federal Trade Commission, the latest in a string of high-profile firings allowed for now by the Supreme Court.
President Donald Trump has fired one of two Democratic members of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to break a 2-2 tie ahead of the board considering the largest railroad merger ever proposed.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
