Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, in his memoir to be released next week, says that there were members of President Trump’s own administration who urged him to make a major challenge to the president, as rumors emerged in 2019 that Hogan may be considering the move.
Fox News obtained a copy of “Still Standing”, which comes out on July 28, before publication.
Hogan, who also recounts his experience in the 2015 Baltimore riots after Freddie Gray’s death as freshman governor, his battle with cancer, and his experience leading a state during the coronavirus pandemic, says that Hogan early 2019 he started hearing rumors. he should pursue the 2020 Republican presidential nomination. The governor ultimately declined to run for president, but is now the subject of speculation that he might be looking for a Whtie House career in 2024.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan speaks at a press conference at the Maryland State House on Friday April 17, 2020 in Annapolis, Maryland (AP Photo / Brian Witte)
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“In the days and weeks that followed, the rhythm of the drum became louder and more insistent,” Hogan writes of the presidential rumors after giving a speech emphasizing the “character and competence” that elected officials must have and how not to. they must “intimidate” or “demonize” when discussing ideas.
“On cable news. On private phone calls. In conversations with fellow Republicans, donors and members of the media. Even with a couple of cabinet secretaries from the Trump administration,” Hogan said.
“I understood that the media was eager for a fight in 2020,” Hogan said later. “They were also in love with the idea of a popular Republican governor, a real Republican, with a proven record of electoral success, coming face to face with Donald Trump within the Republican Party. “
He added: “But the cabinet secretaries? Encouraging me to consider opposing their boss, the president? That surprised me.”
Hogan did not identify members of the administration who approached him. Nor did he take concrete steps toward a presidential career, such as establishing an exploratory committee.
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday. July 20, 2020 in Washington. Trump did not face a high-profile main challenger in 2020, after Maryland Governor Larry Hogan canceled rumors that he would run in early June 2019. (AP Photo / Evan Vucci)
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Hogan’s claim that members of the Trump administration approached him to challenge the president in the Republican primaries comes after intermittent speculation about whether members of the Trump administration considered removing the president using the provisions of the 25th Amendment. The amendment provides a way for cabinet secretaries and the vice president to remove a president for “failing to fulfill the powers and duties of his office.”
The Trump administration has repeatedly denied during the president’s term that such discussions have taken place. And even if they did, there are legal mechanisms within Amendment 25 that would allow the president to fight back, which could eventually lead to a House and Senate vote. Those votes would require two-thirds of the members to vote to impeach the president. Otherwise, I would take your office again.
Hogan, publicly and in his book, has not hesitated to criticize Trump at a time when almost all Republicans, even those who criticized him harshly in 2016, have been reluctant to take a position against the president. The governor has seen his profile rise in recent months as he leads his state and the National Association of Governors, which he chairs, during the coronavirus crisis. But Hogan, in an interview with Fox News this week, also said that “he has given the president and his team a lot of credit for the good things they have done and the progress they have made” on the coronavirus.
Hogan, in a handful of chapters that followed, recounted the various months in 2019 during which many believed he could run for president. This included a “charm offensive” by Vice President Pence, an event for the St. Patrick’s Society of Friendly Children in which he pranked beer for a bipartisan audience, an effort by Trump ally David Bossie to pressure Republicans from Maryland to leave early for Trump and a visit to New Hampshire for the famous “Politics and Eggs” breakfast.
Vice President Mike Pence speaks during the “National Dialogue on the Safe Reopening of America’s Schools” event, in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, July 7, 2020. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan in his Memoirs Says Pence Engaged In A “Delightful Offensive” “As rumors that Hogan might face a major challenge to President Trump swirled in early 2019. (AP Photo / Alex Brandon)
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Hogan recounts the thought that went into his decision about whether or not to run. He says that while he was intrigued by potentially running to “return common sense and courtesy to Washington,” he wanted to make sure he had at least a shot at winning if he ran, and would not be “launching a kamikaze mission.”
The governor finally decided that, considering Trump’s vast support among Republican primary voters and his extremely enthusiastic base, he would not run for president. “I just didn’t see it,” said Hogan.
Finally, on June 1, 2019, he publicly announced that he would not become a presidential candidate.
