Governor Hogan appeared on Firing Line with Margaret Hoover to discuss his Senate campaign, underscoring his long-standing commitment to putting people over politics and his vision for breaking through the divisive and toxic politics in Washington. During the interview, Hogan highlighted his record of advancing bipartisan leadership and standing up to party-line politics, and his strong support for Israel.
On Running for Senate: “I got in this because I’m so concerned about the direction of the country. I’m trying to put country over party and go do the right thing, and I’m hoping that voters will do the same thing. … Sometimes, one person can make a difference. And I’m not going there to be one of 100 people and just arguing all day and getting nothing done. I’m a guy who likes to get things done. I’m only running because I think I can be that key voice in the middle to try to accomplish bipartisan common sense solutions. … I really believe that we’ve gotta stop the divisive, angry, toxic politics and the rhetoric that’s tearing the country apart. And I think that I can be a voice for helping us get back on track. Successful politics is about addition and multiplication. It’s not about subtraction and division.”
On Standing Up to the Republican Party: “I’ve proven over and over again that I had the courage to stand up to the former president and to my party numerous times when I think they’re wrong. I’m going to work together, whoever’s elected president, whoever’s in the majority in the Congress, I’m going to work with people when I think they’re right, and I’m going to stand up to them when I think they’re wrong. And that’s what I’ve done in my entire career.”
On Standing With Israel: “The world is a tinderbox right now, and we’ve got to be really careful what we do. But one thing that we can’t be unequivocal in, we’ve got to support our greatest ally, Israel, as they try to fight back and protect their right to exist and the right to defend themselves. And so I think sometimes we’re getting mixed signals out of the Biden administration. I do think it was great that they helped combat the 180 missiles that were just fired into Israel. Biden administration, I give them credit for that. But their messaging hasn’t been that strong. The guy I’m hoping to replace, Ben Cardin, we didn’t agree on everything. He’s in a different party, but he was a champion for Israel, and I’ll continue to be that same type of champion.”
On the October 7th Anti-Israel Event at the University of Maryland: “It was an outrageous decision that the University of Maryland originally granted the permit for pro-Hamas demonstrators to celebrate the terrorism of October 7th and the horrific atrocities. It was mislabeled as a vigil, like we were somehow honoring the folks that lost their lives, but it wasn’t. It was just the opposite of that, and it was going to make Jewish students feel unsafe. So I was the first, I think, and one of the only ones to stand up. And some of us speaking out, fortunately made the University of Maryland reverse their decision and take away the permit, but now it’s been overturned by the courts. But this is happening across the country.”
On Opposing Efforts to Abolish The Filibuster: “We have to try to get down there and win some votes and find some bipartisanship. … I think the last thing we need is more partisanship and jamming things through on a partisan vote because they got to be careful what they wish for. If they jam through something on a 51st vote, the next time the Republicans are going to jam things through. And what we really need are people coming together and working in a bipartisan way.”
On Getting Back to Decency and Common Sense: “I was instilled at an early age about putting country over party and putting people over politics and that no man was above the law, not even the President of the United States. And I think maybe some of those other folks got exposed to politics early on and maybe had some similar kinds of experiences. But I think the politics today are broken. And it’s nothing but divisiveness and dysfunction. It’s nothing but name calling and finger pointing. And we have to get back to, you know, it’s all about red versus blue. And I care more about the red, white and blue.”
On the Future of the Republican Party: “I’m hoping I can be a voice of reason and sanity that will help us get the Republican Party back on track to a more traditional Republican Party that appeals to more voters, that has a hopeful, positive vision for America. I think that’s critically important that we have a healthy and competitive two-party system.”
