The next is a transcript of an interview with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Sept. 8, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we go now to the Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina, a battleground state. He joins us from rally, good morning to you, Governor.
GOV. ROY COOPER: Margaret, good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Vice President Harris will probably be in your state, Thursday. We all know it is a consequential week. Debates will be catastrophic. They are often inconsequential. Do you anticipate the common North Carolinian is open to persuasion and even watching what occurs on that debate stage this week?
GOV. ROY COOPER: There isn’t any query about it. It is shut right here in North Carolina. It at all times is. This was Biden Harris’s closest loss in 2020 just one.3%. So the truth that Kamala Harris, as Vice President of the USA, has been to North Carolina 17 instances exhibits that she cares about our state. She is aware of that we’re in play. And he or she is aware of that if she wins North Carolina, she is the following President of the USA as a result of Trump has no different pathway.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Is it successful or is it simply lowering the quantity by which they lose rural voters? You’ve got a really giant rural inhabitants in your state
GOV. ROY COOPER: And you understand, issues that the Biden Harris administration has finished has helped our rural inhabitants. I have been capable of broaden Medicaid right here in North Carolina that is helped working rural North Carolinians. We’re getting excessive velocity web all throughout our state. That is one thing that persons are starting to search out out about. And he or she’s acquired a plan. She’s acquired a plan to decrease prices for North Carolinians, notably on this childcare enviornment, drug pricing. We’re excited in regards to the financial plan that she has,
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah–
GOV. ROY COOPER: –and I feel North Carolinians will reply to it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, I wish to ask you extra about a few of that, as a result of our newest CBS polling exhibits it’s a very, very tight race, and it’s the situation of financial system and inflation that’s weighing essentially the most on voters. So we’ll discuss that in a couple of minutes, once we take this break and we’ll come again to complete it with you, Governor. Stick with us.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome again to Face The Nation. We proceed our dialog with the Democratic governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper. Governor, our CBS polling exhibits that is nonetheless a aggressive race for Donald Trump, largely due to these voters who simply do not suppose they’re higher off financially proper now. Their incomes are usually not maintaining with inflation. That is very true amongst non-college and white and dealing class voters. How do Democrats change this notion?
GOV. ROY COOPER: Effectively, I feel that very same ballot, Margaret, mentioned that individuals had extra belief in Kamala Harris to assist the center class, and as she spends time getting out her financial plan of shifting the tax burden right here, we have to ensure that billionaires and companies pay their justifiable share and that on a regular basis folks and small companies get The tax advantages. As she talks about her childcare plan and offering childcare tax credit, you have acquired Donald Trump, who clearly does not perceive the issue. You bought JD Vance, who’s saying, properly, it’s best to get your grandparents or your aunts or uncles to take care of kids. Utterly clueless. After we proceed to get this info out to the American public, and to folks right here in North Carolina, that Kamala Harris has an financial plan that is going to assist decrease the price for on a regular basis folks, that is going to assist households thrive, that’s going to guard ladies’s reproductive freedom. I feel on the finish of the day, that is going to be what works right here.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively you bought a brief time period to do this, sir, on this election. One of many issues that we did hear about from the Vice President this previous week was her endorsement of a much less dramatic improve within the capital good points tax price than what Joe Biden had proposed. This can be a tax on belongings owned for greater than a 12 months, on households bringing in over one million {dollars} in earnings. Now, the Vice President hasn’t mentioned whether or not she helps Biden’s proposal to tax unrealized good points. That is getting plenty of focus from Republicans. I am simply questioning, although, is that this announcement and positioning actually simply an try to look extra reasonable? To seem extra professional enterprise? Is it only a political ploy?
GOV. ROY COOPER: I feel what Kamala Harris discovered within the time period, the three and a half plus years that she’s been Vice President, that you must obtain consensus to get issues finished. And that is precisely what she’s been capable of do. Total, what she desires to do is to shift the burden right here. Clearly, the billionaires are usually not paying their justifiable share. And we have got to determine a strategy to ensure that we are able to get them to do this whereas easing the burden on the center class. And the way in which you do that’s to attempt to discover consensus. As a result of, as you understand, it’s extremely robust to get laws by means of each the Home and the Senate. And that can proceed to be a problem, however she’s proven that she’s acquired the power to assist do this. Tim Walz was within the, was within the Congress, so he is acquired the power to assist push laws that helps shift this stability. So I am excited in regards to the potential for them being president and vp of the USA.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively and having to work with Congress. I wish to ask you about weapons. We noticed this horrific taking pictures in Georgia this previous week, and the daddy of that shooter is going through second diploma homicide and different costs as a result of he gave his son that AR-15 fashion weapon that was used. You are a former State Lawyer Basic, and I’m wondering what you consider this, this precedent of prosecuting dad and mom? Do you suppose it is efficient in dissuading gun violence?
GOV. ROY COOPER: I feel now we have to do every thing we are able to to scale back gun violence, notably gun violence in our colleges. And I feel that that’s acceptable, however we additionally know that these army fashion assault weapons are being utilized by plenty of folks. They will kill a number of folks. We needn’t have them on the streets. Look, you may’t be robust on crime when you’re weak on gun legal guidelines. Vice President Harris and I right here in North Carolina, as a gun proprietor, because the supporter of the Second Modification, help stronger background checks, crimson flag legal guidelines and banning these army fashion assault weapons. We should not even have them obtainable for folks to make use of in these mass murders which might be occurring. I am bored with seeing texts from kids in a college telling their dad and mom that they are afraid and that they love them. We can’t normalize this. JD Vance says that is only a truth of life. No it isn’t–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Effectively no he mentioned, he mentioned he regrets that it is turn out to be a truth of life. However, however you do agree then with prosecuting dad and mom, is what I perceive from what you simply mentioned there.
GOV. ROY COOPER: Look, if the if, if the proof is there, sure, okay, we have to ensure that persons are accountable. When you’re giving a 14 12 months outdated. And I do not know what the entire proof is right here, clearly you bought to attend till the courtroom. However when you’re giving a 14 12 months outdated, notably one who mentioned that they’re concerned or like mass shootings, and also you’re giving that 14 12 months outdated an AR-15 as a birthday current. That could be a downside.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Would you serve, maybe as Lawyer Basic in a future Harris administration?
GOV. ROY COOPER: Look, I am gonna, I am gonna be concerned in some form of public service. I am working by means of the tape as governor. It is lots for me to do. Gonna work to ensure that we elect Kamala Harris as president. Elect Democrats in North Carolina, then we’ll see.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Alright, Governor, thanks in your time. We’ll be proper again.
