CNN "Newsroom" - Interview with Michael DeWine

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

HILL: I'm joined now by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. Governor, good to have you with us today. We're hearing a lot about what's been happening behind the scenes, in terms of these conversations about reopening the economy. We know it's very important to the president. He said it's the most important decision he will make.

That being said, he can't really make the decision and say, here's my order. The entire country must reopen. Governors have a really important role to play in this. So, as you look at that decision for your state, how do you make that decision?

GOV. MIKE DEWINE (R), OHIO: Well, you know, I think we first have to start off with the fact that even if we open tomorrow, which we're not going to do, the economy's not going to roar back until, you know, people have more confidence. If people are scared to death, literally, they're not going to go out.

So, what we have to do is to, as we look to the future -- and we were working on this, frankly, today with my team. But how do we get people confidence? And I think we're going to have to have a lot more testing. Very, very significant testing. We're going to have to have -- you know, trying to separate the individuals who -- find out who has already had this -- had it. Some of the people who have had it maybe not know they had it.

So, that's the type of work that's going to have to occur as we move forward. And I think the reopening is going to have to be, you know, one step at a time. One stage at a time. And so, we're going to continue to look at this. Continue to evaluate it.

Everyone wants to get back. Everyone -- you know, it's a beautiful day here in southwest Ohio, and people want to get out and do what they want to do. But we don't want to be premature. But we also, you know, want to assure people that we're planning for this.

HILL: And what are you hearing from folks in Ohio? Right, because a lot of this does depend on the community that you live in and how hard that community or even your family has been hit. Are you feeling pressure to move forward and move away from some of these measures that you put in place very early because of what you're hearing from some folks in Ohio? DEWINE: Well, we have had some success because of what the people in

the state of Ohio have done. They have heeded the call to distance themselves, to stay home. By and large, they've done it very, very, very well. And so, we've seen that projection, which you talked about, which was going up like that.

You know, that projection, now, is a lot, lot better. Our first concern was that we were going to totally overwhelm our healthcare system. And, you know, it doesn't look like that's going to happen. But we're still cautious, as we move forward.

But, sure, there's a real desire for people to get back. And for life to, you know, go back to normal. But I think the message is, it's not going to go back to normal overnight, no matter what the state does or doesn't do. People have to have confidence that they can go out. They can go to a ball game. They can go to a restaurant. And so, we have to help them get that confidence. And that's part of the -- part of the rollout of what we do as we slowly reopen.

HILL: If the president were to put in place some sort of a national order, which, again, would be more of a recommendation just based, again, we know, on the way that the country works and the Constitution. But even still, if that went into effect, saying open up in May, how would you handle that?

DEWINE: Well, you know, I think that the president is doing what a president should do and that's be aspirational. When he talks about, you know, I want to open up -- he talked about by Easter. We all wanted to open up by Easter. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that. We all want to be optimistic.

But, ultimately, every state is different. And we're at a different stage in every state. As I talk to my fellow governors, they're -- each one is a different stage. So, ultimately, we're going to have to make that decision in Ohio and what's best, you know, for our state, based on the facts that are unique to Ohio.

HILL: As we look at what's happening across the country, we hear different things from different cities. And I know it depends on the day how certain hospitals are doing. The president was asked, specifically, about whether those on the front lines have what they need yesterday at the task force briefing. Here's that moment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You and some of the officials paint a rosy picture of what is happening around the country. If you look at some of these questions, do we have enough masks? No. Do we have enough tests? No. Do we have enough PPE? No.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Why would you say no? The answer is yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do we have enough medical equipment?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think the answer is yes. I think the answer is yes. Who said no to that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm saying, this is --

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, no, you're saying no. But who said no?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We hear -- we hear from --

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But you asked me, do we have enough masks?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We hear from doctors. We hear from --

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, no, you didn't say that. You said, do we have enough masks?

[17:20:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does the country?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: The president went on to say that he does feel everybody has enough of what they need. What is the situation today in Ohio, and how are your healthcare workers feeling about their needs?

DEWINE: Well, we want to protect not only the healthcare workers, frankly, we would hope to protect the people, you know, who are working at nursing homes. Not just the people in hospitals but the people in nursing homes. Our first responders. We've also got people, you know, in grocery stores who need to be protected.

So, we're looking at it, kind of, from a wholistic point of view. If you ask me where we are, we're a lot better than we were a week ago. And a whole lot better than we were two weeks ago. I mean, we were working on this last night. My staff stayed up until 3:00 a.m., securing, you know, five million of the masks, the high-grade masks. They're coming out of L.A. And, you know, we're happy to have those.

So, you know, this -- these are important. It's important for us to be able to tell our health workers, we got your back. And we're going to do everything that we can to make sure that you have the equipment that you need.

HILL: And it sounds like it is -- it is an equation, as we hear from many officials, that is changing sometimes by the hour.

Quickly, before we let you go.

DEWINE: Yes.

HILL: Your neighbor next door, Governor, the governor in Kentucky, is concerned about a handful. He said, maybe six churches that are planning to hold Easter services tomorrow. And has put out word that they will take down license plate information. They will make sure they know who those folks are who are going to services saying what is really an act of faith, in his view, is sacrificing a little bit too protect your neighbor. Are you concerned at all about Easter gatherings tomorrow in Ohio?

DEWINE: Well, here's what I've told, and most of our churches are doing this online. They're doing -- they're great. You know, they're pulling people together, but separating them physically.

But what I said at a press conference this week, and I talked directly to the ministers who might be thinking about doing this. I said, look, there's no religion, that I'm aware of, where endangering someone else is considered to be a good thing. So, you know, please be very, very careful.

And the vast, vast majority of our rabbis, our ministers, our priests in Ohio are doing a great job. They've either cancelled services or they're working it out so people can listen on the radio or they can listen on the Internet. So, they're -- people get it.

HILL: Governor Mike DeWine, appreciate your time this afternoon, sir. Thank you.

DEWINE: Thank you.

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