The following is a transcript of an interview with Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on September 22, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We now go to the Democratic governor of Colorado Jared Polis, who joined us this morning from Boulder, Colorado. Governor, welcome to Face The Nation. I know you support –
GOV. JARED POLIS: Nice to be here.
MARGARET BRENNAN: –endorsing the Vice President’s bid for president. He’s ahead by four points, as you’ll hear in the latest polls, but it’s very tight. What areas are you most concerned about, in terms of vulnerability here?
GOV. POLICE: Well, well, here we go. And you know, I’m- I’m reflecting this morning. You know, the next president we elect will be president during our 250th anniversary as a country, the semi-quincentennial, a term we’re going to hear a lot more about. We know that Donald Trump is not the person who can unite us and bring us together in this exciting time to celebrate our country’s past, present and future. Let’s give Kamala Harris a chance to show that she is, I think she’s ready to unite. It’s neck-and-neck, and we just need to get out the vote in the states that matter to be able to make sure we move forward rather than backward as a country.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask about some of his economic plans. But first about immigration. You heard Senator Rubio on this program talk about the lack of attention paid to immigration and the border crisis, but I know you, the governor, have been dealing with it firsthand. In Aurora, Colorado – which has received a lot of attention from the Trump team, mainly because members of a Venezuelan prison gang who migrated here to the US and apparently participated in the shooting in Aurora. During the debate, Donald Trump used Aurora as the worst example of the migrant crisis. Here’s what he said yesterday:
DONALD TRUMP SOT: On the border of czar Harris, a Venezuelan gang has taken over an entire apartment building in Aurora, Colorado. The government- the governor is petrified in Colorado. He’s a liberal governor, he doesn’t know what to do. The man is terrified of this man, and maybe you can’t blame him.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor, I understand local officials have created a special task force. But how do you respond to this personal attack here?
GOV. POLICEMAN: Well, I know, I went shopping in Aurora yesterday. I- what Americans need to know is that Aurora is over 400,000 people. It is the third largest city in Colorado. Violent crime is down two years in a row. Car thefts are down for two years in a row. It’s a beautiful city. I was always there. It’s a really big city, it’s diverse, and it’s growing fast. It will be the number one or number two city in Colorado within the next decade or two. So it’s a big city. It’s safer than that- than it has been. And it appears, like any city: Chicago, LA, mid-sized cities, Denver, there’s always been a problem with gangs in Aurora for decades, and I think it’s finally stopped. I mean, it’s the difference between electing a president who breaks the law and one who makes a career of enforcing the law. I mean, Kamala Harris is someone who — who looks criminal enterprises in the face of putting criminals behind bars as a district attorney, and she’s going to take that same attitude to the White House to make America safer.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However, Aurora’s mayor has acknowledged a special task force was set up and said while they’re working with the federal government, it’s a regional issue. What the Harris campaign needs to do is talk about some real issues and acknowledge them in a way that will help the campaign, given his response to the failed border bill in Congress. That’s usually what the Harris campaign is talking about. Should he admit more to the real issue?
GOV. POLICE: Well, first of all, I think it’s a legitimate and important issue to talk about. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress have a real bill before making the necessary investments for border security. Look, I’m down to the limit. I’m already at the border crossing. We need better border security. Kamala Harris will give it, because it’s not an easy proposition. It requires investment, high-tech investment, fencing, scanning, more Border Patrol agents, which the bill would fund more Border Patrol agents. So look, I believe that Kamala Harris is the person who will solve the border problem, instead of perpetuating it for political reasons and dividing us. We need people who will unite us, and that certainly includes securing our borders.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Should he say more?
GOV. POLICE: Well, I see, I mean, I think he talked about it as one of the problems. I mean, it’s- we need to make America safer. We need to secure the border. He had a plan to do it. It was blocked by Donald Trump and the Republicans. So it appears, I think it’s a big problem for people- to open and talk about, and that’s one thing the Democrats have a huge advantage in, because the Republicans have failed time and again to secure our borders.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask about the economic plan here. Vice President Harris has a proposal to tackle housing affordability, and he wants to give a $25,000 down payment credit to first-time home buyers in addition to a $10,000 tax credit. I know you see this first hand, what the crisis is like in Colorado. Are you worried that this will drive up housing demand and only increase prices rather than solving the supply problem?
GOV. POLICE: So it wasn’t the whole plan, was it? It is one plank of the plan. His plan focuses on creating more than 3 million new homes, reducing bureaucracy and red tape, making it easier to build affordable homes. Yes, as part of that, we want people when they can, to be owners instead of renters, so they can build value. This is the opportunity economy we are talking about, right? Renting a house, a place to live, is important. Owning a home, building equity and wealth over time, is what Kamala Harris believes in. So, of course, 3 million new homes, reducing bureaucracy and paperwork, making it easier to build is part of that, helping to turn tenants into owners is key. the things we need to do to help America be more successful.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So that’s how you’re going to choose to do it in your country as well. You think this will fix the problem?
GOV. POLICE: Well, again, yes, you’re talking about one place. We are involved in the same reform here. Now we have allowed people to build accessory housing units, mother apartments, properly. We’re doing additional permitting for multifamily housing, which is more affordable near transit, the hardest type of housing to build, not just in Colorado, but in most communities across the country is the $200,000 – $300,000 starter home. career may be to make a down payment and afford. The median home price in the Denver Metro area is currently $600,000 and that’s great for those who can afford it, but we need more homes available for purchase in the $200,000 – $300,000 range. That’s what we focus on in Colorado. We need to help nationally. Anyone who sees – you know, it takes the mayor, the governor, the president, all working in the same direction to make housing more affordable, and that’s exactly what Kamala Harris’ plan is going to do.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor, thank you for your time this morning. We’ll be back in a moment.
