Francis Saurez says candidates largely avoid criticizing Donald Trump, even amid legal issues, to avoid alienating Republican voters

SPECIAL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEW HAMPSHIRE INSTITUTE OF POLITICS CONVERSATION WITH THE CANDIDATE. AND NOW MAYOR OF MIAMI, FRANCIS SUAREZ. HELLO AND WELCOME TO OUR CONVERSATION WITH THE CANDIDATES SERIES. I’M ADAM SEXTON AND OUR GUEST IS REPUBLICAN MAYOR OF MIAMI, FRANCIS SUAREZ. WE’LL BE GETTING TO KNOW MAYOR SUAREZ AND WHERE HE STANDS ON KEY ISSUES AT THE START OF OUR SHOW, I’LL BE ASKING THE CANDIDATES SOME QUESTIONS. AND THEN AFTER A BREAK, WE’LL HAVE OUR STUDIO AUDIENCE ASK THEIR QUESTIONS IN A TOWN HALL FORMAT. BUT BEFORE WE BEGIN WITH THAT, LET’S TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THE CANDIDATES BIOGRAPHY. FRANCIS SUAREZ IS THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF MIAMI. HE WAS FIRST ELECTED IN 2017 AND REELECTED IN 2021 TO LEAD THE CITY OF ABOUT 450,000 RESIDENTS. SUAREZ ALSO SERVED AS A PAST PRESIDENT OF THE U.S CONFERENCE OF MAYORS. PREVIOUSLY, HE WAS A CITY OF MIAMI COMMISSIONER, A POSITION HE HELD FOR EIGHT YEARS. SUAREZ IS ALSO AN ATTORNEY SPECIALIZING IN CORPORATE AND REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS. IN ANNOUNCING HIS BID FOR PRESIDENT, HE SAID HE BELIEVES HE CAN GROW THE TENT OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, NOT FOR AN ELECTION BUT FOR A GENERATION ELSEWHERE. DES EARNED A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN FINANCE FROM FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY AND EARNED HIS LAW DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA. HE IS MARRIED TO GLORIA SUAREZ, AND TOGETHER THEY HAVE TWO CHILDREN, ANDREW AND GLORIA, FOR MAYOR. SUAREZ, THANKS FOR JOINING US ON CONVERSATION WITH THE CANDIDATE. IT’S GREAT TO BE WITH YOU, ADAM. SO HERE WE ARE IN THE WAKE OF YET ANOTHER TRUMP INDICTMENT. AND I SAW SOMEONE POINTED SOMETHING OUT. IT WAS VERY INTERESTING SAYING ESSENTIALLY IF THIS WAS ANYONE ELSE IN THE FIELD, TRUMP WOULD BE MERCILESS. HE WOULD BE AFTER THEM ABOUT IT, WHETHER HE THOUGHT IT WAS FAIR OR NOT. SO WHY DOES SO MANY REPUBLICANS GIVE HIM A PASS? WELL, I THINK, FIRST OF ALL, THAT’S PROBABLY TRUE. THE FIRST PART OF YOUR STATEMENT, I THINK THE SECOND PART OF THE STATEMENT HAS TO DO MORE WITH HIS SUPPORTERS THAN WITH HIM. RIGHT. I THINK IT’S HARD AS A CANDIDATE TO ALIENATE THE MAJORITY OF THE PARTY. RIGHT. WHO ARE SUPPORTING HIM THROUGHOUT THESE INDICTMENTS AND IN SOME CASES SUPPORTING HIM MORE AS AS THERE ARE MORE INDICTMENTS. SO I THINK THAT’S A REFLECTION FROM THE CANDIDATES OF AN UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU DON’T GET TO THE NOMINATION BY UPSETTING 50, 60% OF THE PARTY. SO I THINK THAT’S PART OF THAT’S PART OF THE EQUATION. I THINK THE OTHER PART OF THE EQUATION IS THERE’S A SENTIMENT, WHETHER PEOPLE BELIEVE IT OR NOT, OR WHETHER EVERYONE BELIEVES OR NOT OR MEMBERS OF THE PRESS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THAT IT’S A BIT UNFAIR. THAT’S PILING ON. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THIS FEDERAL CASE AND THEN YOU HAVE THE STATE CASE, WHICH SORT OF MIRRORS A LOT OF THE ALLEGATIONS IN THE FEDERAL CASE. IT JUST SEEMS VERY, VERY POLITICAL. AND AND THEN I THINK THE THIRD PART, AS A CANDIDATE, I CAN TELL YOU IT’S FRUSTRATING IS THE CONSTANT DISCUSSION ABOUT IT. A AND B, THE FACT THAT WE’RE, YOU KNOW, FOCUSING ON WHAT HAPPENED YEARS AGO AS OPPOSED TO WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN YEARS FROM NOW. RIGHT. THINK YOU KNOW, I HOPE THAT THIS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN IS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN, THE FUTURE OF OUR ECONOMY, THE FUTURE OF OUR CITIES. WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT TODAY’S THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR MY KIDS AND I’M HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, THE FIRST TIME I MISSED THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR THEM, I THINK ABOUT HOW PRECIOUS IT IS THAT I’M WE’RE TRYING TO BUILD A KIND OF COUNTRY WHERE THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL. THAT’S WHAT THE CONVERSATION SHOULD BE ABOUT. IT REALLY SHOULDN’T BE ABOUT THE CURRENT PRESIDENT, THE FORMER PRESIDENT, THEIR LEGAL TROUBLES. YOU KNOW, AND I THINK VOTERS GOT TO ASK THEMSELVES A THRESHOLD QUESTION, DO THEY WANT THE 2024 ELECTION TO BE THE SAME ELECTION AS A 2020 ELECTION WITH THE SAME CANDIDATES? THAT’S WHERE WE’RE HEADING. IF WE DON’T IF WE DON’T CHANGE ANYTHING, IF NOTHING CHANGES, IF NO CANDIDATE BREAKS OUT, WE’RE HEADING TOWARDS A REPEAT OF THE 2020 ELECTION. SO I THINK VOTERS NEED TO ASK THEMSELVES THAT QUESTION. IF THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS NO, THEN I THINK THE SECOND QUESTION THEY HAVE TO ASK THEMSELVES IS WHAT DO WE WANT? WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES AND THE CHARACTERISTICS IN THE PERSON THAT WE BELIEVE HAS THE ABILITY TO LEAD OUR COUNTRY INTO THE FUTURE? I BELIEVE I’M THAT PERSON. I WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH AMERICA WHERE I ARTICULATE THE REASONS WHY, WHERE I TALK ABOUT MY BACKGROUND, WHERE I’M FROM, WHAT I’VE ACCOMPLISHED, WHAT MY VISION IS FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTRY. I THINK THAT’S A HEALTHY CONVERSATION. I WANT TO FOCUS ON THE 80% OF THE THINGS THAT WE AGREE ON, NOT THE 20% OF THINGS THAT WE DISAGREE ON, WHICH IS WHAT I THINK MODERN DAY POLITICS HAS DEVOLVED INTO THIS SORT OF DIVISIVE, DESTRUCTIVE PROCESS, WHICH IS REALLY NOT DEMOCRATIC. AND I THINK WHAT YOU SEE AND WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING AROUND THE WORLD IS DEMOCRACIES CANNOT SOLVE BIG PROBLEMS. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BIG PROBLEMS OF THIS COUNTRY, INFLATION, HIGH INTEREST RATES, YOU KNOW, THE BORDER AND SORT OF IMMIGRATION GENERALLY SPEAKING, AND THE THREATS OF CHINA AND THE SORT OF DISRUPTIVE NEW ECONOMY THAT WE’RE IN AND HOW WE’RE GOING TO POSITION OUR COUNTRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. THOSE ARE BIG ISSUES. AND WE NEED BOLD LEADERSHIP TO CONFRONT THOSE ISSUES AND TO SOLVE THEM AND STOP BLAMING OTHER PEOPLE FOR IT. YOU MENTIONED FLORIDA SCHOOLS. I’M CURIOUS FOR YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THIS CURRICULUM THAT’S GOTTEN SO MANY HEADLINES AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT GOVERNOR DESANTIS SUPPORTS THAT IN THE SOCIAL STUDIES PORTION TEACHING ABOUT AMERICAN SLAVERY, IT SAYS THAT SLAVES GAINED SOME SKILLS AND MAY HAVE BENEFITED FROM THAT. WHAT’S YOUR WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? IT’S SAD. IT’S SAD THAT, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR HAS DECIDED TO EXTOLL THE VIRTUES OF SLAVERY. I THINK HE’S BEEN CONDEMNED BY BOTH PARTIES, CERTAINLY BY REPUBLICANS, AS MANY OF THEM HAVE COME OUT AND SAID THIS WAS A MISTAKE. AND I THINK WHAT HE SHOULD HAVE DONE IS TAKEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD. LEADERSHIP IS NOT ALWAYS YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT’S ABOUT ADMITTING YOU MADE A MISTAKE. I MEAN, AS LEADERS WERE HUMAN BEINGS, WE ARE FALLIBLE, RIGHT? WE MAKE MISTAKES. AND SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO OWN IT AND SAY, LOOK, WE’RE NOT GOING TO DO THIS. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? WE’RE NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, AS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE AT SOME SOMEONE BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS WELL INTENTIONED. IT’S NOT AND IT’S WRONG. AND WE NEED TO CALL IT. WE SAY IT, YOU KNOW, LIKE IT IS. AND IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD AND SAY, LOOK, WE’RE NOT GOING TO DO THIS. I THINK HE LOST THAT OPPORTUNITY. I THINK IT’S PART OF SORT OF HIS NEVER BACKED DOWN PHILOSOPHY. THAT’S THE PAC THAT SUPPORTS HIM. AND I DON’T THINK THAT’S RIGHT. I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, YOU HAVE TO OWN IT. YOU’VE GOT TO WE ALL DO IT. AND ACTUALLY THINK PEOPLE RESPECT YOU MORE FOR BECAUSE THEY REALIZE, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY, LOOK, HE TOOK OWNERSHIP OF THIS, YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD FOR HIM TO DO THAT. HE DIDN’T DO IT. AND I THINK THAT’S PART OF THE REASON WHY I THINK HE’S LOSING A LOT OF SUPPORT. IT’S THERE’S SOMETHING MISSING THERE IN MIAMI. YOU’RE NOT TOO FAR FROM PARKLAND AND MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL, THE SCENE OF A TERRIBLE MASS SHOOTING IN 2018. HOW, IF AT ALL, DID WHAT HAPPENED THERE INFORM YOUR VIEWS ON GUN POLICY? YOU KNOW, WE’RE VERY, VERY BLESSED IN MIAMI. I THINK BECAUSE OF GOOD POLICY. WE’VE SEEN DRAMATIC REDUCTIONS IN CRIME. SO JUST TO GIVE IT SOME CONTEXT, LAST YEAR WE HAD THE LOWEST PER CAPITA HOMICIDE RATE SINCE 1964. I WANT TO KNOCK ON WOOD HERE BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVEN’T HAD A MASS SHOOTING. AND AND I DON’T EVEN WANT TO SAY IT BECAUSE AS A MAYOR, NO ONE CAN UNDERSTAND THIS OTHER THAN MAYORS. RIGHT. YOU’RE DREADING THAT CALL. AND ANY GIVEN DAY, TODAY’S THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. SO YOU DREAD THAT CALL. SO THAT’S NUMBER ONE. THIS YEAR, WE ARE 37% BELOW LAST YEAR’S RECORD LOW FROM 1964. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN CONTEXTUALLY? WELL, IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER MIAMI IN THE 1980S, IT WAS NOT ALWAYS LIKE THAT. THOSE WERE THE MIAMI VICE DAYS, RIGHT. I LIKE TO SAY TODAY WE’RE LIKE THE MIAMI NICE DAYS. SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD 300 PLUS HOMICIDES IN A YEAR IN THE 1980S WAS OUR RECORD HIGH THIS YEAR, AT THE END OF AUGUST, WE’RE AT 17. SO I THINK THAT NOT DEFUNDING POLICE, INCREASING FUNDING FOR POLICE, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE NOT GETTING INTO THIS. NO CASH BAIL THING THAT WE’RE SEEING CREATE LAWLESSNESS THROUGHOUT URBAN CITIES IN AMERICA, YOU KNOW, AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A STRONG ECONOMY. WE HAVE THE LOWEST UNEMPLOYMENT IN AMERICA. THE HIGHEST WAGE GROWTH. WE GREW 14%, WHICH IS FOUR TIMES GREATER THAN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, SIX TIMES GREATER THAN THE UNITED STATES HAVING A PROSPERITY AGENDA COMBINED WITH SAFETY IS WHAT IS WHAT REDUCES VIOLENT CRIME. WE ALSO ARE FOCUSING ON HOMELESSNESS. RIGHT? WE HAD 608 HOMELESS IN A CITY OUR SIZE, AND WE’RE THE FIRST MAJOR CITY IN AMERICA. I BELIEVE, THAT HAS COMMITTED TO HAVING ZERO HOMELESS. WE CALL IT FUNCTIONAL ZERO. IT’S MY FUNCTIONAL ZERO PLAN. WE WANT TO BE AT ZERO. WE BELIEVE THAT TO BE A COMPASSIONATE CITY, YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THE LEAST. THE LAST AND THE LOST IN YOUR COMMUNITY. AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE DOING. WE BELIEVE THAT BUILDING A HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM IS A STEPPING STONE TO BUILDING A HEALTHY COUNTRY. AND THAT’S WHAT’S WHAT WANT TO DO AS PRESIDENT. ALL RIGHT. MAYOR SUAREZ, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME HERE. LET’S GET TO THAT TOWN HALL. APPRECIATE IT. COMING UP AFTER THE BREAK, WE’LL BRING OUR STUDIO AUDIENCE INTO THIS CONVERSATION. STAY WIT