Gov. Larry Hogan is counterprogramming President Trump with a daily coronavirus media blitz that offers a low-key alternative to the newsworthy but provocative briefings the commander in chief leads from the White House.
The Maryland Republican is advocating for federal pandemic assistance to the states that is opposed by Trump, rebuffing the president’s sharp criticism of governors and bluntly correcting perceived misstatements. Hogan, a Trump critic who last year mulled a 2020 primary challenge, is driving this message through a coordinated operation that leans on proximity to the Washington press corps, his chairmanship of the National Governors Association, and a political nonprofit organization formed to promote his agenda.
“He’s just tried to pursue a strategy of being honest about the facts and what the governors require, but without picking unnecessary fights or taking political shots,” said David Weinman, a spokesman for An America United, Hogan’s aligned 501(c)(4) group. “He’s the only person who could unify both sides in this crisis.”
Some Republican insiders see ulterior motives. Hogan has often questioned Trump’s agenda, rhetoric, and conduct, and in 2019, he was the leading choice of Never Trump Republicans as they sought a GOP challenger to the president. Other Republicans say the governor’s actions are less political and only appear so because, however typical they are for crisis leadership, they stand in stark relief to Trump’s grandiose approach.
“He’s trying to fill a void left by Trump,” said Terry Sullivan, a veteran Republican strategist. “He’s serving as a calm, sensible leader who’s providing real information the public needs to hear.”
The White House rejects this assessment of Trump’s leadership.
“Millions and millions of Americans tune in each day to hear directly from President @realDonaldTrump and appreciate his leadership, unprecedented coronavirus response, and confident outlook for America’s future!” press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted.
Trump briefs the public on progress against the coronavirus almost daily from the White House. The news conferences, featuring key officials from across the administration, offer a mixture of substantive updates on action the federal government is taking to manage the pandemic and abrasive comments directed toward the media and the Democratic Party that are reminiscent of the president’s raucous campaign rallies.
Hogan attracts fewer eyeballs than Trump — and commands less media attention. But with Annapolis, the Maryland state capital, just 32 miles east of Washington, the governor is easily accessible to major cable and broadcast television networks and other national media outlets, all of which have robust D.C. bureaus. On an average day, Hogan might appear on, and speak to, more than a half-dozen networks, newspapers, or websites with national and even international reach.
The governor’s message is highlighted by An America United and amplified on social media platforms by aides with Washington connections. On Monday, Hogan spokesman Mike Ricci, a former congressional staffer, posted a series of tweets echoing the governor’s position that state governments deserve more federal aid to offset the costs of fighting the coronavirus. Trump argues some states should not be rescued from financial missteps made pre-pandemic.
Hogan’s leadership of the bipartisan National Governors Association is central to his elevated public profile amid the spread of the coronavirus. As NGA chairman, he was one of the first governors to consult on the pandemic with Vice President Mike Pence in the Situation Room.
Hogan and Pence have a good relationship that dates back to when Hogan was a first-time candidate in 2014, and Pence, then Indiana governor, was involved in the Republican Governors Association, a political group that boosts GOP gubernatorial hopefuls. The two talk an average of twice weekly, separate from the conference calls that Pence convenes with the governors in his role as leader of Trump’s coronavirus task force.
That connection, Hogan advisers emphasize, enables the governor to send clear messages to the president that Trump takes issue with, without jeopardizing his effectiveness as an advocate for Maryland or chief executives in other states.
“With Pence as the go-between, it really does help,” Ricci told the Washington Examiner.
The vice president’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
