Liam Conner
The following is a transcript of an interview with Senator Gary Peters, Democrat of Michigan, that aired on May 19, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to Michigan Democratic Senator Gary Peters. Good morning to you, senator.
SEN. GARY PETERS (D-MI): Good morning to you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you just heard us analyze a bunch of these statistics with our polling data and you’re responsible for helping defend the slim Democratic majority in the Senate. Are you still confident that you can get a job in Florida? And are you optimistic that you will actually get a win in Arizona?
SEN. PETERS: I am. I’m still very, very confident. We have all the pieces in place to be successful. And basically it’s very similar to how we had success last cycle, when people thought this wouldn’t be possible in a semester with one party in power in the White House. We did it, we made history in the last cycle. We’re going to do this again. And this is mainly due to the quality of the candidate. We have excellent Democratic candidates, outstanding Democratic incumbents who have served their state against deeply flawed Republican candidates. Therefore, I am confident that we will be able to win.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. So just to put it on screen, because I don’t think we did that. The Arizona candidate I talked about, Ruben Gallego, leads Kari Lake by 13 points. This is very clear.
SEN. PETERS: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you should… are you confident?
SEN. PETERS: Yeah. And here it is… here I am… leadership is great. But I… you know, I take all research with a grain of salt. We will still have a difficult race. We will still be focused on Arizona to make sure Ruben wins. But if you look at the contrast, her service to the state of Arizona through her work in Congress, versus Kari Lake, who has been election-denying. She’s traveling across the country, not Arizona. The people of Arizona want someone who will be there fighting for them. And that’s what they have in the Congressman.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. But that’s what’s happening in the polls, but President Biden, in the state of Arizona, is down five points over Donald Trump. So what’s missing from the top of the ticket here?
SEN. PETERS: Well, I’m still confident that Joe Biden will win Arizona, too. The election will continue to happen. There will be fierce disputes. Like I said, with his leadership, you know, I always take these polls with a grain of salt, in the fact that these are competitive battleground states. By definition, they will be very close. We will win because – not just because of the candidates, but also because of our ability to run better campaigns, reach our voters, engage them, get them to the polls. This is how you win these close races. That’s what we did in the last cycle. That’s what we’re going to do again, this year during election time.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, in Florida and Arizona, we polled in both states, by almost three to one, voters say President Trump would be better for their finances than President Biden. In Arizona, Trump has a 10-point lead on the specific question of “Who cares so much about people like you?”, and the economy is again, and again, the number one issue. What can President Biden do to fix this?
SEN. PETERS: Well, President Biden has been focused on the economy, and actually, if you poll people about their individual views on themselves, the polls are pretty consistent. They feel good about what is happening in their family. And it’s about focusing on that aspect, asking people about yourself and whether you’re better. But certainly President Biden, as well as Democrats in the Senate, have sought to reduce costs. For example, prescription drugs, reducing the price of prescription drugs for families. It is a focus of the president that will continue. And, you know, you have to look back at the previous administration. People will forget that when the former president was there, we were in a pandemic and he just spectacularly mismanaged the pandemic.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, that’s why it’s…
SEN. PETRES: –it caused so many difficulties for people.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. And that’s why it’s so blatant when people say they think it’s going to improve their finances. It’s very impressive, frankly. Regarding the border issue, we know, just from the facts, that the number of migrants crossing the southern border has decreased in recent months. And the Biden administration has talked about, you know, new efforts underway here, but that’s not showing up in any kind of better review for the president’s border policy. This is essential to supporting the state of Arizona. He is losing by five points. What does he need to do at the border to help stop the bleeding?
SEN. PETERS: Well, as you said, the numbers are improving, will continue to improve. And- and President Biden, your administration has been focused on this. We too, as Democrats –
MARGARET BRENNAN: Does he need to say more about this?
SEN. PETERS: –he- absolutely. And that’s what a campaign is about, and the campaign to make sure people have that information. As you also know, Democrats worked with Republicans to get the most comprehensive border security bill passed in decades.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And it didn’t happen.
SEN. PETERS: That would have made it even better. And yet Donald Trump said, don’t vote for it, because it will be a political victory for Biden. He prefers to see problems at the border. The American people don’t want that. They want solutions. They want people who roll up their sleeves and get things done. We were about to do it. And Donald Trump sank that effort and Republicans just listened to him. They are basically hypocrites on this issue.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But he constantly talks about immigration. President Biden very, very, very rarely discusses the things you were talking about. And on immigration, we just see that these policies here, 13% of Biden’s policies – say that Biden’s policies benefit U.S. citizens over immigrants. Trump’s policies are overwhelmingly seen as more positive. I mean, there’s just a perception problem here. How do you fight it?
SEN. PETERS: Well, that’s a matter of perception. It is not a matter of fact. The facts are clearly wrong when it comes to this. President Biden has addressed this issue, the numbers show that. And that’s what a campaign is about. That’s what we do, is make sure there’s a very clear contrast in the painting. When voters enter the voting booth in November, they will know the facts, they will see that there is a clear contrast, and they will vote for the person who actually voted, which is President Biden, as well as Senate Democrats across the country, as well. This contrast will occur as campaigns take action.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. And we know that President Biden will soon be heading to his home state of Michigan. Thank you very much.
