North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who is also a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, told Newsmax Friday that the United States has “got to win the cold war with China.”
“The only promise I'm running on is that we're going to turn around Joe Biden’s awful economy,” Burgum said during an appearance on Newsmax’s “National Report.” “We've got to start selling energy to our friends and allies instead of buying it from our adversaries.”
“I was the only candidate on the [Milwaukee debate] stage that actually said we're in a cold war with China, and we're in a proxy war with Russia,” he added.
Burgum said that he started from nothing in a small town, and his father passed away during his freshman year of high school. He ultimately launched a startup with 10 other people and built a company that “ended up being on the 100 best places to work [list],” employed thousands of people, and had customers in 132 countries.
“That's an only-in-America story,” he said. “That's the best America. That's what happens here, and that was in an industry that didn't have regulation. Part of what's choking America is not just Biden inflation. It's all the red tape.”
When asked if he would pardon former President Donald Trump, if convicted of charges stemming from any of the four indictments against him, Burgum said, “I think that's a hypothetical question.”
“As governor, we actually have the ability to do pardons,” he said. “This is like saying, Would you pardon someone who hasn't even had one day in court yet? No evidence has been provided. I live in a world where I hope Americans understand, and I hope that this two-tiered system of justice we're facing understands, that people are innocent until they're proven guilty and only at that point in time, down the road, do you decide whether or not that's appropriate.”
Burgum also pointed out that focusing on Trump’s indictments, instead of policy or the failings of the current administration, is a surefire way to make the 46th president happy.
“And of course, you know who loves it when we're talking about these indictments?” he asked. “Joe Biden, because Joe Biden does not have to talk about his horrible record.”
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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