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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan told reporters in New Hampshire on Tuesday that President Donald Trump faces a difficult re-election race next year because of the number of voters who have rejected his brand of politics. Hogan also said his reading of the special counsel鈥檚 report on the 2016 election made it clear that Trump 鈥渁ttempted to鈥� obstruct justice in the Russia investigation.
The Republican governor said he will spend the next several months traveling the country talking to people as he contemplates a 2020 race for president, though he has no precise timetable for making a decision.
Hogan was the featured speaker at the 鈥淧olitics & Eggs鈥� breakfast, an event frequented by presidential candidates, and then took questions from members of the audience and a large press contingent that included reporters from New Hampshire, home of the nation鈥檚 first primary, nearby Boston, one of the nation鈥檚 largest media markets and a smattering of national writers.
The event is sponsored by the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College in Manchester.
In even more vigorous terms than he has before, Hogan slammed the Republican National Committee for trying to protect the president from a robust primary challenge. He said the RNC’s alignment with the Trump campaign was 鈥渨orse鈥� than what the Democratic National Committee did to boost Hillary Clinton鈥檚 campaign in the last election.
鈥淚 think it goes way beyond what the DNC did back in 2016,鈥� Hogan said. 鈥淚 think they鈥檝e taken way more steps to try to stack the deck in favor of the president. I think it was wrong what the DNC did, but this is much worse.鈥�
Hogan acknowledged that Trump remains strong with GOP base voters, but in his remarks he faulted the party for failing to reach beyond the 鈥渕ostly white men鈥� at the party鈥檚 core.
He made it clear that if he runs, he will court middle-of-the-road voters, including those outside his party, who take issue with the president鈥檚 policies, conduct or both, though he conceded the party鈥檚 actions might hamper him.
鈥淭here are, I think, 23 states that have open primaries,鈥� Hogan told a press scrum after his remarks. 鈥淪o independents and/or Democrats can cross over and vote. If they [the RNC] don鈥檛 change all the rules 鈥� and in some cases they鈥檙e trying to do away with primaries altogether, in some states they鈥檙e trying to change primaries into caucuses, that kind of stuff is going to make it very difficult.鈥�
In his most extensive public remarks about the just-released report by special counsel Robert Mueller, Hogan said 鈥渢here was certainly evidence鈥� that Trump attempted to obstruct justice.
He also said he found White House aides鈥� descriptions of the president鈥檚 conduct to be troubling.
鈥淚t certainly did not completely exonerate the president, as he said. There was some very disturbing stuff that they found in the report. And just because aides did not follow his orders, it鈥檚 the only reason we don鈥檛 have obstruction of justice.鈥�
鈥淭here was some really unsavory stuff in the report that did not make me proud of the president,鈥� Hogan added. 鈥淎nd there was certainly nothing to crow about and nothing to celebrate in that at all.鈥�
Hogan said congressional efforts to pursue impeachment would amount to 鈥淒emocratic overreach.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think [impeachment hearings] would be productive,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think most people in America are sick and tired of this whole two-year investigation. 鈥� But I also don鈥檛 think there should be a cover up from the administration. And I don鈥檛 think you should be whitewashing the thing.鈥�
Hogan said he has met with many GOP leaders and has encouraged those, like former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld, who have decided to take Trump on. By his count, he has been to 10 states and has plans to visit 16 more, mostly tied to his role as incoming chair of the National Governors Association.
The governor blasted members of his own party who grumble about Trump鈥檚 conduct among one another but refuse to take him on publicly.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very frustrating,鈥� he told reporters. 鈥淚 know there are a number of my colleagues 鈥� both governors and senators and members of the House 鈥� who will say privately they鈥檙e very concerned but they won鈥檛 say anything publicly. And I think it鈥檚 because they鈥檙e afraid. There鈥檚 no profiles in courage here. They鈥檙e afraid of being primaried. They鈥檙e afraid of being tweeted about. And very few of us are willing to say what we really think.鈥�
