This is Iowa's news leader. This is Kcci eight news close up and *** Sunday morning to you. Welcome to close up. I'm chief investigative reporter James Strep and I'm chief political reporter, Amanda Rucker. The number of potential Republican presidential candidates continues to grow the latest to pay *** visit to Iowa quality standards. Businessman Perry Johnson, the Michigan man recently sat down with us to discuss his plans. Should he win the White House? I wanna talk about who you are. You have *** whole section on your website. Uh Perry, who is what it says? And I think that's probably *** lot of questions or the one question out of *** lot of Iowan's minds, tell us who you are and, and why you decided to run for president. Well, I'm *** guy that started with nothing had *** paper route. When I was *** kid grew up in *** 900 some square foot home. I paid eviction notices on *** pretty regular basis. When I was in grad school. My parents couldn't afford to pay to college, but I made it, I got *** job at Borg Warner in the auto industry when they were in trouble. In fact, the auto industry was getting killed because the Japanese had come in with great quality and I knew how to solve the problem. And I brought quality to the auto industries and ineffectively, we saved the auto industry. And I bring, I've been bringing quality and efficiency to companies across the entire United States. And uh that's what I've done. I wrote *** book two cents to save America. Right now. We're spending too much money. All that money going into the economy is causing inflation. And I believe people don't like that. In fact, it puts the whole country at risk and I have *** plan how to stop it. Instead of spending every penny in that budget every year, we're going to cut 2% across the board every year and we're going on all discretionary spending. What you're looking at is essentially Trump without the baggage and *** guy, *** Trump that doesn't spend as much money. I know that we can solve this problem because we have one of the greatest countries. In fact, the greatest country in the world has ever known. And I wanna keep it that way. I wanna talk to you about or ask you about the 2% plan. We've seen the commercial here, uh, the Super Bowl commercial here on, on our, well, not on our air but in, in central Iowa when it ran the, the bloated politicians. Um I think was, was *** an ad that Iowans can, can remember, you talked about 2% and, and cutting that from the, from the discretionary spending is that year, over year, every year, you do it every year. In fact, right now, you know, what is that sustainable? Absolutely. You know, they just did an audit of the Pentagon And they have *** budget of about $700 billion, 220 billion of that they couldn't account for. I'm gonna ask you, are we gonna really miss 2% *** year? No, instead of spending every single penny and making sure we do that, we're gonna do just the reverse. Iowa has *** typical, uh job of winnowing. The race for president doesn't always pick *** winner, but it also has the job of, you know, maybe spring boarding, lesser known candidates. How do you catch that springboard as *** lesser known candidate rather than getting winnowed out of the race? Actually, that's what America is all about. I love campaigning in Iowa. I love the people in Iowa. They're really pretty much like the exact community where I grew up and I could relate to them and I love to get out retail politics. I believe this is something that could always be done. Keep in mind in every single race we never knew who the president was gonna be. Do we think that Donald Trump is gonna be nominated? We never even thought he was, had *** chance and you can go through all of that. But I think we ought to pardon Trump? Biden should do that so we can stop using law enforcement as *** weaponizing tool. I believe what we can do is save the American dream. I have three kids. My oldest is in college right now. I have two that are 14 and we're going in the wrong way, the wrong direction. And I think we need to save that. And because I love this country so much, I just want to give back to this country that has given me so much other than the 2% plan that, that seems to be sort of the bedrock of your campaign. Uh What other platforms or areas of platform can Iowans expect from you? Well, keep in mind the 2% to save America solves all plans, it solves the immigration problem solves everything. So it's right now, what we're gonna do is focus on cutting the budget and we, when every time we have immigrants come in across the border, we have more costs. If you get my book two cents to save America, we discuss exactly what to do. I'm the guy that's been doing this his whole life. And I laid out *** plan. What separates me from everyone else is the fact that I've spent my whole life bringing quality and efficiency to companies. I have *** plan for how to do it in this country. And I wrote *** book on how to do it two cents to save America. We're gonna cut 2% on all discretionary spending And we're gonna make sure we save that American dream. You mentioned former President Trump twice in this interview, your website says you supported him in 16 and 20 and would possibly support him again in 2024. So, which is it, are you running against him or do you, uh, support him? Well, you're looking at Trump without the baggage and *** guy that *** Trump that doesn't spend as much money. I believe we need to stop this inflation problem. And the only way we're gonna do that is by cutting expenses. Everybody knows that when you go out there and you have spent $4.50 for *** dozen eggs or $3 for *** gallon of gas, it's because we had too much money thrown into that economy and we have to cut that. Let's change it. Let's face it. Do you honestly believe that the government does everything in their power to cut expenses? I mean, the reality of life is that they're over, the budget, $1.5 million dollars was one targeted. And so the necessary expense because they were studying the effect of treadmills on blue gills and they wanna make sure they're fit. Now, do you think that's *** good use of money? I say we could cut that and what we're gonna do is do exactly what companies have been doing across the United States and what I've been doing across the United States Cut 2% on all discretionary spending. And let's save America. Final question I have for you. The GP is considering *** loyalty pledge for whoever the nominee may be. Do you support that loyalty pledge? Yes, I came up with it. I ask all candidates to support whoever gets nominated because we must win this election. I'm gonna ask you *** simple question. Do you honestly think that Biden is doing *** good job? I'm not, I'm the interviewer. Not the interviewee. Here. There is no way on earth. We can say that and we have *** great country and it's going in the wrong direction. There's so many areas that we need to change, but it all boils down to that two cent plan two cents to save America and keep that in mind. When you look at me, you're gonna think of the guy that is gonna say two cents no matter where he goes because it's two cents to save America presidential candidate Perry Johnson. There is still to come on close up. Former vice president, Mike Pence also paid another visit to Iowa when he plans to announce whether or not he'll make *** run for president, someone who is not running for president, former Maryland, Governor Larry Hogan, but he has some thoughts on the challenges the next president will face. Welcome back to close up, former Vice President, Mike Pence has made several trips to the Hawkeye State this year. He says he'll make an announcement about whether he's going to run for president later this spring. But at *** foreign policy forum here in Des Moines last week, Pence laid out his ideas about China. The war in Ukraine and border security, national security begins with border security. And we need leadership in this country that will secure the southern border of the United States of America as *** priority. And uh as I've seen on many visits, my son is actually stationed in Arizona. Uh but we traveled down there repeatedly. I traveled with former governor Doug do to the border. When you have people wearing the green shirts, courageous border patrol. They will tell you that the cartels are in operational control of our border. It's *** jarring thing to hear. But our crisis at the southern border is 100 as you know, senator, the crisis at our southern border is 100% man made Under the Trump pence administration. We not only built hundreds of miles of wall provided our border personnel what we needed, but we, we negotiated that remain in Mexico agreement with Mexico. We literally reduced illegal immigration and asylum abuse by 90 and we can do it all again. But it takes the right policies, the right negotiation with Mexico demanding that Mexico secure their southern border and do *** part to secure ours. Let's talk about America's role in leadership in Ukraine where you think that should be, what do we do moving forward? It's not our war, but freedom is our fight. And I must tell you two other things. Number one, my wife and I traveled into Ukraine one month after the Russian invasion. I know Senator. You're familiarity with it. We had gone over to meet with some Christian relief workers in Poland that were helping to deliver supplies to the hundreds of thousands. Now, millions of women and Children that were fleeing from an unprovoked, um, brutal Russian invasion. When we arrived, the organization that was hosting *** Samaritan's purse run by our friend Franklin Graham said, we just got word from the Ukrainians that you could go in to *** relief center just across the border if you want to. And so Karen and I made the decision to go. We had *** small convoy and we drove across the border roughly 10 miles in and I saw sites I never thought I never thought I would see in my lifetime. I mean, I knew that that, That Ukraine had sent the word out that men ages 18-60 had to stay in the country to fight. Uh But when you saw these throngs of women of every age, Children of every age, people carrying all that remained of their earthly possessions on their backs. Haggard looks on their face, many of them having traveled all the way across the country to reach that relief center. It just broke our hearts and, uh, and, and I, and I left with *** determination that America was in the right spot, giving them what they need to repel this Russian aggression. We make no mistake about it. I also believe this is in America's broader strategic interests and that is that I've met Vladimir Putin. Um I've stood closer to him than I am to you right now. Anybody that thinks Vladimir Putin is going to stop if he takes Ukraine has what we say in this part of the country. Another thing coming. And the second piece is as we think about our largest and most significant strategic challenge, which is China, the best way to send *** message to China about its military ambitions is to see the free world stand strongly for the sovereignty of the people of Ukraine. I really do believe that no more, no clearer message that China would be than to see the Ukrainian military with broad based support from America and the West push back Russian Aggression. So what should we be doing about foreign ownership of land here in the United States? How do we tackle this? You always want to welcome foreign investment? I didn't, I wasn't too bothered 20 years ago when the Chinese bought the Rockefeller Center in New York. But I I'm very troubled about this, the, the emerging story of land acquisition uh by Communist China in this country. And, and, and particularly news in recent days that some of the crane apparatus that have have been purchased from China in many of our major harbors is, is now *** source of concern about espionage. Look, we, we know the Chinese engage in intellectual property theft at ***, at an extraordinary level uh literally through, through hacking and through um uh direct intellectual theft of corporate resources. Uh uh the Chinese by some estimations uh steal tens of billions of dollars of American assets uh every year. And uh and, and so the, the notion that uh that companies in China, that all of which answer to the Chinese Communist Party um uh owning an increasing amount of land in the United States. I I think it's something that we need to look at very carefully. I think we need to update our laws in the country and implement so that we are, we're reviewing that and ensuring that there's no compromise in our national security and our ability to defend the nation relative to China. Uh It shouldn't have taken *** balloon uh to get this administration to begin to focus on security threats from China. Land acquisitions that we've seen in recent years are problematic. Still to come on. Close up. Republican, Larry Hogan won two terms in blue state Maryland. Why he took his name out of the race for president? When many thought he may run. Welcome back to close up Republican Larry Hogan won the governorship of Maryland in 2014. Hogan's term ended earlier this year. He recently also ruled out *** run for president saying he cares more about ensuring *** future for the Republican Party than securing his own spot in the White House. But he did spell out the issues he says the next president will face during *** visit to des Moines last week. What market should the Biden administration be focusing on? Where should they be stepping up? Who do you see as those strong trade partners? Well, you know, you mentioned earlier that Iowa's top two trade partners are Canada and Mexico. That's the same thing for our state. I think they are for the country as well. But you know, the eu the UK Germany, I mentioned earlier, South Korea and Japan, I think we trade partners that are also good strategic allies that are important for the, the, you know, keeping us strong and not, not allowing us to show weakness to the world. But um you know, I, I think uh we've got to have *** clear and consistent trade policy and we've got, we, we don't want to penalize people that are helping us. Like I'll give you an exam recent example in Korea, there was uh you know, the as we were there, we were talking to all the Korean automakers and you know, they were being, they were investing, you know, billions of dollars into the United States to create jobs in multiple places and build, you know, autos here in America. And yet they felt the trade policy was gonna stop them from being able to do much of that because uh of the uh the policy that passed, that was penalizing them on their electric battery, battery uh production. So it's like we have to take, if you take some, we gotta take the politics. Uh you know, sometimes we, we make decisions for political reasons rather than strategic and economic reasons. So maybe talk *** little bit about the fentaNYL crisis, how you've seen it impact the United States, some of the causes and, and of course, some of the solutions. Yeah, this is uh *** terrible uh problem that we have not been able to solve and that we have to because it's killing people and tearing apart communities across the country and it's been happening for *** long time. Um I, you know, I, I just finished my eight years as Governor of Maryland and I, and when I was running in 2 2014, we pulled off the biggest surprise upset in America, in the Blues State when I was traveling around our state in commu every kind of community, you know, we would be in urban areas in Baltimore City or affluent uh community, you know, suburban neighborhoods outside of DC or very rural communities, you know, farm communities. Uh everywhere I went, I would sit down with *** small group of community folks and maybe local Leaders. And I would say, what's the number one problem facing your community? And every single this 2014 before there were, most people weren't talking about opioids and fentaNYL. Uh but they said the number one uh problem we're faced with is opioids. And it kind of surprised me, you know, I, I knew it was somewhat of *** problem in urban areas, but I didn't know it was in every single community. And so I kept hearing it and hearing it as soon as I was elected governor, I appointed my lieutenant governor to head up *** task force. I, I was the first governor in America to declare *** state of emergency, actual state of emergency on the opioid crisis. Uh And my lieutenant governor head up *** task force. We did, you know, events like this around the state to get input from, you know, families that were impacted from community service organizations, from people that were facing addiction. Uh And we came up with *** list of, I think 64 recommendations, all of which we got our legislature to enact. We, we put ***, it was an all out war on opioids, the fentaNYL. It made it so much more difficult because even more deadly and even more potent and cheaper and easier to get. And um it was at first it was coming through the mail mostly and they stopped that from China. Uh and then it started coming over the southern border and has exploded across the country. But um we were, we finally, after huge investments of money and time and energy, we started to bend the curve downward which most people were not doing. But then COVID hit and it spiked back up again. We, we have had more issues with alcoholism, with drug abuse, with mental health problems. And so now we're back to square one, but this is something, there's no easy answer, but it's gonna take the federal state, local government communities, you know, faith based organizations, you know, families is this has got to be all hands on deck to stop this thing that's, you know, killing far too many of the people in America. So if you could talk *** little bit about foreign ownership of land and, and where you think the United States should be on that. Well, this is *** serious problem that we need to keep an eye on. And it's, look, China is, you know, our biggest threat and they're very strategically planning out different ways to position themselves to, uh to, to, you know, win the, the, you know, global domination. You know, they're economically, they're trying everything they can. Uh This is one of those ways. Look, we're so uh yeah, we have to take *** hard look at how, how we uh keep an eye on these things that are happening with, you know, foreign, you know, there's some foreign investment. That's good. We were talking earlier about investing in the state creating jobs but, you know, communist China acquiring land around important military installations is something we ought to be watching for. And so the US is spending billions of dollars to support Ukraine. And from your standpoint, why is it important that the United States maintain support in Ukraine? What else can we do to discourage Russia? Just give us your overall thoughts there? Well, you know, I think the, the origin of this was the kind of disastrous pullout from Afghanistan, which emboldened Russia to, to think that we were weak and that we weren't going to do anything to stand up to them. Uh, and we were weak at the beginning of this instead of being strong and providing them more assistance and taking action more quickly. Uh, the Biden administration was like nickel and diming. Well, first we're gonna draw this line, we're gonna give you this little tariff, maybe we'll give them, you know, *** couple of piece shooters or, you know, and then, and, and now it's dragged on forever, but I'm, I'll tell you what, I, I, I'm very proud of the brave people of Ukraine who have stood up and fought for freedom in their country. And, um, you know, it's, it's of critical importance to us, you know, geopolitically economically and everything to allow this aggression from Putin to go into *** peaceful neighbor. Imagine if, you know, Iran gets the nuclear power and they're working with Saudi Arabia and China. China teams up with Russia, they move into Ukraine and somewhere else, Taiwan gets invaded. We don't have any supply of, of chips. Our whole economy shuts down. You know, it's people, it does impact every single person in the room they might not think about. Well, what does that, what does that have to do with me? Well, it, it, it has *** lot to do with you. It's about the, the future and the security of the free world. Still to come on. Close up. Hogan speaks out on Donald Trump, why he thinks the New York grand jury investigation could spell trouble for the former president's re election campaign during *** stop in Des Moines. I asked Larry Hogan about the grand jury investigating Donald Trump. Maryland's former governor says if Trump is indicted, it may give some of his supporters pause before backing him yet again. I've been saying for *** long time, I think President Trump would be better if he would just stop tweeting. You think that's going to impact? I think, I think it's going to be very interesting and, you know, we're going to have to see how it turns out and *** potential indictment, you know, does that impact? I mean, we're talking about that, but he said, I don't know if he's going to be indicted or not, but if he is, he's already said he's not going to pull out of the race. So we just have to wait to see how it plays out. I mean, *** lot of people are still supportive of the President's policies and I think more and more people are starting to say maybe it's time to move on. There's too much drama and we got plenty of other leaders and voices out there. Well, thank you so much for joining us on K C C I Eight news. Close up. We'll see you back here next Sunday morning. Have *** great rest of your weekend.