Larry Hogan (R-MD), one of Donald Trump’s harshest (and only) critics in the GOP, is retracting his comments last year about supporting the Republican nominee, no matter who it is. At a recent Axios event, Hogan revealed that he won’t be voting for Trump this year – but he won’t be voting for Joe Biden, either. Here’s everything he said!
Who Is Larry Hogan?
Larry Hogan is a moderate Republican who served as the 62nd governor of Maryland between 2015 and 2023. He became Maryland’s first two-term Republican governor since Theodore McKeldin in the 1950s.
He also served as Vice Chair (2018-19) and Chair (2019-20) of the National Governors Association, but was term-limited and couldn’t run for re-election in the 2022 gubernatorial election. He was succeeded by Democrat Wes Moore, and is now running for the Senate.
Hogan Seeking Out Third-Party Candidate
While speaking at an Axios event on Thursday (March 7), Hogan told reporter Sophia Cai that he doesn’t plan on voting Republican or Democrat in November’s presidential election – a race that will likely feature a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
“Look, I’m like 70 percent of the rest of the people in America who do not want Joe Biden or Donald Trump to be president, and I’m hoping that there potentially is another alternative,” said Hogan – adding that he, unfortunately, doesn’t know who that alternative might be.
Stark Difference From His Comments Last Year
In February 2023, while appearing on a radio talk show with host Hugh Hewitt, Hogan was a little more hesitant when discussing the 2024 general election. “Yeah, I just don’t think [Trump will] be the nominee, but I’ll support the nominee,” he said.
Hogan later clarified that he meant he would vote Republican, but only if it were someone other than Trump. “To be clear, my position on Trump hasn’t changed. Trump won’t commit to supporting the Republican nominee, and I won’t commit to supporting him,” he said.
Hogan Went On To Support Nikki Haley
Hogan appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” in January – one day before the start of the Republican primary – and shared his endorsement of former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, who was Trump’s No. 1 opposition at the time.
“I think Nikki Haley’s got all the momentum, and what this race is really all about is to try to nominate the strongest possible nominee for November,” he said. Unfortunately, his high praise wasn’t enough to overcome the MAGA army.
Haley Dropped Out Of The Race This Week
On Wednesday (March 6), Nikki Haley officially suspended her presidential bid as Trump took a commanding lead thanks to a dominant Super Tuesday the day prior. As of right now, Trump has 1,062 of the 1,215 needed to win – and he’s now the last man standing.
“I am filled with the gratitude for the outpouring of support we’ve received from all across our great country,” Haley said on Wednesday. “But the time has now come to suspend my campaign.”
No Labels Tried To Convince Hogan To Run
There was a time when Hogan was rumored to be a potential third-party candidate opposing both Trump and Biden. No Labels-a centrist political group that Hogan used to Chair-tried recruiting him, but he ‘made the decision not to do it.’
“I just didn’t want to be a spoiler, and I didn’t know if you could really get to 270,” he said at the Axios event on Thursday. “I do believe that there’s more of a demand for this than ever before, but I don’t know if it’s enough to win the election.”
Hogan Decides To Run For Senate Instead
On Feb. 8, nearly one year after his run as governor ended, Hogan announced his bid to replace Ben Cardin (D-MD) as one of Maryland’s two senators. He took a moderate tone in his video announcement – sticking to what made him one of the most popular governors in the US.
“We desperately need leaders willing to stand up to both parties – leaders that appreciate that no one of us has all the answers or all the power,” he said in the video.
The Border Bill And George Bush Convinced Him
There were many reasons why Hogan decided to run for the Senate, but two stood out more than anything-George Bush and the recent border bill that was struck down by Republicans.
Despite vowing never to become a senator, he felt the time was right when he saw Republicans vote against a bill that they openly believed in – just because Trump told them to. He also felt motivated by George Bush, who called him and said the Republican party needed him.
Trump Doesn’t Plan On Attacking Hogan
While Trump and Hogan don’t have the friendliest relationship – in fact, there’s quite a bit of bad blood between them – the former President doesn’t plan on attacking one of his biggest rivals in the GOP. Of course, that all depends on whether or not Hogan attacks him.
It’ll make for an interesting campaign trail – especially since it’ll be the first time they’re on the ballot together. Hogan’s two gubernatorial wins came in 2014 and 2018, while Trump was on the ballot in 2016 and 2020.
Hogan Won’t Be Shy About Criticizing Trump
On Thursday, Hogan took a similar stance against Trump – basically saying that he doesn’t plan on digging into Trump, but won’t be shy about criticizing the former President if and when necessary.
“I don’t spend time trying to just attack people for no reason, but I also don’t mind standing up when I disagree,” Hogan said. Of course, the campaign trail can change things – and Trump has a history of changing his plan of attack.
Criticizes Trump Over Rhetoric Towards Immigrants
With that said, Hogan didn’t waste any amount of time taking aim at Trump on Thursday – primarily criticizing him over his comments about immigrants ‘poisoning the blood of our country.’ Hogan called the rhetoric ‘terrible’ and ‘outrageous.’
“Trump’s rhetoric is terrible for the people in our state, and that’s why he lost by more than 30 points twice and why I won by, you know, a lot more,” Hogan said – touting the fact that Maryland is the most diverse state in the United States.
Hogan’s Views On Codifying Roe v. Wade
Hogan also discussed his views on a federal abortion ban – something he heavily opposed – but stopped short of saying whether he supports codifying Roe v. Wade. In fact, he was honest in saying that he wasn’t giving a ‘yes or no answer’ on that right now.
What he did say was that they were ‘going to have to take a look at that as we move forward’ – adding that it would all come down to whether or not it’s needed.
Hogan’s Views On In-Vitro Fertilization
As far as his views on in-vitro fertilization (IVF), Hogan didn’t even know it was an issue at first. He described it as a ‘wonderful opportunity for so many people that are unable to have families.’
With that said, he declined to give a clear answer when asked if he would support legislation protecting access to IVF – especially with so many people calling for a ban on IVF.
