"Hold on to the Best Traditions": Lt. Gov. Candidate John Reid's Interview with The Cadet

Since its founding in 1871, The Cadet has served as an independent forum for ideas and perspectives within the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) community. In preparing this election series, our editorial staff sought to uphold that tradition by extending equal opportunities to all candidates for Virginia's state-wide executive offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General. On August 7, 2025, The Cadet sent invitations to each major candidate, including both candidates for Lieutenant Governor—Senator Ghazala Hashmi (D) and Mr. John Reid (R). This process ensured fairness and transparency. The Cadet invited each campaign to submit important topics, receive a standardized set of questions during the live interviews, and choose the format of their interview (in-person or by video call). Despite multiple follow-ups, Senator Hashmi ultimately declined to participate. Mr. Reid, by contrast, accepted the invitation and visited VMI on September 23, 2025, for an unscripted interview, conducted without prior knowledge of the questions to be asked. During his visit, he also met with cadets and toured the Institute. The Cadet held its publication deadline open until September 30 to allow Senator Hashmi every opportunity to engage; however, her campaign ceased responding and did not arrange an interview. Accordingly, The Cadet now publishes Mr. Reid's interview responses in full and unedited. This decision reflects not only our commitment to impartial coverage but also our responsibility to provide cadets, alumni, and students across Virginia with direct access to those seeking to lead the Commonwealth. It remains The Cadet's intent to present both sides of these critical issues so readers can form their own opinions. However, we cannot limit one voice if the other refuses to engage. Any absence of voices in this series reflects the candidate's choice, not The Cadet's preference. For those who prefer to watch the full one-hour in-depth interview with The Cadet's it is embedded in this article. The Campaign guide for all candidates for state-wide office and one to two-minute summary videos of Mr. Reid's responses by Topic are available at: https://cadetnewspaper.org/home/va-general-election-2025/ Cody Bartmann: We have a few questions for you, and we wanted to start discussing the Virginia Military Institute as it pertains to you. What is your history of engagement with VMI? John Reid: Well, I'm one of the few people running for state-wide offices and a native Virginian. So VMI is a part of Virginia lore; if you've grown up in the state, you certainly know about VMI. And I'm fortunate my grandfather attended, matriculated, and graduated from VMI. And so the family history and story is significant. I was given a provisional appointment at VMI, which I did not pursue, I guess it's debatable whether that would have been a good plan or not but over the years as a television reporter, I covered several stories here in Lexington and when I was on radio at WRVA in Richmond, of course I was engaged in a lot of conversation about some of the turmoil that surrounded the Institute in recent years. And I found myself at odds with the Governor at the time, the Democrat governor, Ralph Northam, a graduate of VMI, ironically enough, and a number of the officials here. And I've tried to stress when I was engaged in that unpleasant conversation that my intent was to preserve VMI, protect VMI, make sure that the school would not be damaged both with its public reputation and the experience that the cadets would have here. And I am hopeful that going forward, if I'm elected as Lieutenant Governor, I can continue that in an affirming way, in a positive way. I think that you've got a number of people who are a part of the State of Virginia and governance of the state who have contempt for all things that are old in Virginia. They see nefarious motives in keeping those institutions alive, and that influences the way they deal with conflict. They're trying to do damage, and I assure everybody, I'm not trying to do harm. I'm trying to, of course, modernize where it's appropriate, but hold on to the best traditions and the core foundational principles of what I think has been an important part of Virginia history for a long, long time. Cody Bartmann: With other candidates focusing on larger universities like UVA or ignoring campus visits, why did you personally take the time to come to such a small school as VMI, attending the BOV [Board of Visitors] meeting this week, and what would you say to your opponent in response to her not agreeing to an interview with The Cadet? John Reid: Well, I didn't know that she's... It doesn't surprise me, unfortunately, that Senator Hashmi has declined an interview. She's declined almost every interview, and she's declined a public debate, which is also a part of Virginia tradition, an American tradition, is that candidates seeking significant positions, whether they're city council or mayor or lieutenant Governor or Governor, there's an expectation, I think, that the voters want to see the person engage and explain themselves and be challenged and see how they respond to those challenges. Unfortunately, Senator Hashmi does not share that basic American tradition. I think that's just one example of where she's out of alignment with where most Virginians are. I came here not only because of my family connection, but as I mentioned, because I think VMI is an important part of the history of Virginia. There are many, many generations of families in the Commonwealth and across the country who have a connection to this school, and this school is important. It has been discussed by some of the more radical members of the General Assembly that it's possible that the school would be closed or fundamentally changed away from its military mission. John Reid: I think that would be a terrible mistake, and as lieutenant governor, I would fight any effort to fundamentally change the school in that way. If there are reforms that are needed to protect the students and the academic integrity of the institution, then that, I think, should be thoroughly discussed. But I have not been persuaded that the articles that the Washington Post ran several years ago are anything other than anecdotal evidence, not even of a crisis on campus, but at worst, inappropriate, perhaps, or uncomfortable situations. And I have news for everyone, whether you go to VMI or whether you go to the University of Virginia, you will be confronted with people who don't care for you and ideas that are distressing, perhaps, especially if you feel very strongly in a different way. And it's troubling to me that VMI not only had its reputation besmirched five or six years ago, but that so many that I thought would have protected the school, not covered up for the school, but protected the school, went right along with those smears. And I have seen nothing that indicates that the ugliness of five years ago was warranted. Cody Bartmann: Thank you. Do you support removing the DEI-based Inclusive Excellence structures at VMI in line with President Trump's and other federal directives? If so, how would you see ensuring the fair and equal treatment of all cadets in a meritocracy-based system? John Reid: DEI is a fundamentally flawed concept, and the name Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion lulls many people into thinking that it's a benign and good-spirited collection of rules and ideas, and curricula. I don't think that's the case. In fact, I think it's much more nefarious than that, and I think DEI has been used to legitimize a certain type of reverse racism, and that is troubling to me, especially at any institution, but especially at a school like VMI, where hypothetically you all arrive on day one with a certain level of equality, and you are then instructed to prove yourself physically, mentally, academically, athletically, and anything that is in direct conflict with that type of meritocracy I think is a problem anywhere, but especially at VMI. And I think the President is correct that the way this has been implemented, and it's taken a while for some people to wake up to it, has been really damaging to these institutions, and I think in a practical sense if we as a people made the decision during the Civil Rights Movement that we were not going to judge people based on skin color, later we decided we would not judge people based on gender, we're still going through some sort of conflict about sexual orientation, we decided that we would not judge people based on their religion, that it is a mistake to implement something like DEI that in a practical sense does just that. It prioritizes certain people's advancement and hampers other people, regardless of whether or not they are exceptional individuals. I think that's a mistake, and I'm glad to see at least some thought being given to the downside and the instructions from the federal government, and I hope from the state government, to turn that around and strip it out. Richie O'Connell: I'm going to ask some questions based on higher education. First, what is the biggest challenge facing higher education in Virginia? And how will you address it compared to your opponent's plan? John Reid: Across the country, higher education is being challenged because I think there's been a loss in grounding in what we're trying to achieve in higher education. After the 40s and 50s, there was this general consensus that anyone who was going to be, quote unquote, "successful" had to attend a four-year school and receive at least a bachelor's degree. I don't think that is necessarily the case today. And because so many of these schools started to be repositories of huge amounts of tax money, I think they grew and grew, and the bureaucracy that surrounded them perpetuated the idea that this was a necessity if you wanted to be successful. So now to have even a basic job, there is this box that you have to check on your resume that says that you graduated from college. That is recalibrating now because the debt burden on the average working family and individual who matriculates is so crushing that I think the average person says, "Do I want to be in my early 20s and already be $100,000 in debt and have no clear way to dig out of that, no guarantee that there will be a job?" I think that the bureaucrats and the self-proclaimed academics have also lost sight of the fundamentals of a Western civilization-centered curriculum. So now you have a lot of people, and I don't think this is the case at VMI, perhaps I'm wrong, but I don't think this is the case at VMI, but it certainly is at other schools, that you have people who go through a four-year degree program and they graduate with something that is not very practical, that does not ground the person in a full understanding of their own heritage and the heritage of Western civilization. In fact, I would argue that many of these schools have turned into indoctrination centers where, instead of producing strong, articulate, educated, and thoughtful citizens who are able to take their place in government and in business and in civic life, they create malcontents and people who actually hate their own society. That's counterproductive for all of us. And I think that the universities and colleges do need a wake-up call that that is no longer acceptable, certainly not from schools that are receiving taxpayer money. I cannot control what other institutions do except to hope that they will be rejected by young people and their families and that they will not want to pay to be indoctrinated. But as a state leader and hopefully as a formal state leader, as Lieutenant Governor, you can bet that I will be monitoring that at all of these schools because I don't think that what we're producing is... That the programs that we're offering, in some cases, I need to be careful about this, in some cases, the end product serves our society well. And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that everybody has to agree with me at all. You don't have to accept my version of the world or my perception of how people need to interact with each other. There's no mandate from me. But I can objectively look and say, are we producing masses of people who are as successful as previous generations and want to build the society? Or are we creating people who are very angry and upset and feel like they are the heirs to something that deserves to be thrown away? One thing I think is very helpful and offers hope for the future and prosperity for the individuals in their own time, and the other is really damaging. Richie O'Connell: My next question is [that] the assassination of Charlie Kirk provoked a strong and often divided response from across the political spectrum, including some of your own supporters. Where do you personally stand on this tragedy? How do you believe leaders should respond to political violence of this nature? And how does your stance differ from that of your opponents? John Reid: Yeah, well, anyone who cannot say that it's wrong to assassinate someone who is sitting in a chair and speaking and engaging in open dialogue shouldn't be in public life. I find it atrocious that there are people who seem morally confused about what's acceptable. I, as a television reporter, as a staffer in the United States Senate, as a communications director at the United States Chamber of Commerce, as a business executive overseas, and as a talk show host in my last job, engaged on a regular basis with people that I did not agree with. Sometimes, with real intensity, they did not agree with me, and I did not agree with them. The concept in modern America that there's a large percentage of the population that thinks it's okay to put a bullet in the face, head, or neck of someone that they disagree with should alarm all civilized people in this society. And this has been a wake-up call, I think, that this could happen to a 31-year-old young man with no political power who is simply going to college campuses and engaging with students, and that the vitriol and the nasty negativity that occurred after it has been placated and approved by so many people. That's hard for me to comprehend, that anyone, from a moral perspective, from an intellectual perspective, from a political perspective, could condone or do anything that would indicate that that is acceptable. So I think it has the potential to wake up a number of people who do not see what I have seen in the roles that I've played in society and assume that everything is the same as it was. It is not the same as it was even 20, 30, 40 years ago. I'm 54 years old now, so I'm beginning to reach that age where I can offer some perspective generationally. And I think we have a problem that we've got to fix, and this is one of those moments that is very revealing. I can say that it has been affirming that there have been many, many people, and I hope it's the majority of people, who have denounced the killing and have gravitated to Charlie Kirk and his message. I think more people went and did their own research. Now that we have the internet, you don't have to depend on a reporter like me to tell you. They have gone and engaged with the material that he provided. I think most of those people felt like he was doing something that was minimally enlightening, and even if they weren't fans with his conclusions, they wouldn't find it to be in any way offensive if they did their own research. Richie O'Connell: You've been outspoken for protecting Virginia's military traditions at VMI and limiting political or ideological interference in its operations. In your view, whose authority should ultimately prevail in matters of governance and curriculum at VMI: the General Assembly, the Governor as commander, or the Department of Defense? And how do you reconcile those overlapping claims of authority in practice? John Reid: I think in this unique situation, the Governor of Virginia, whoever that is, is the person who gets to make these decisions. That is not the same arrangement that you have at the University of Virginia or the College of William & Mary. VMI is a very unique arrangement, and I would defer to the Governor. I was very frustrated by Ralph Northam, the Democratic governor, who I think made a number of bad mistakes, and I was outspoken about that. I don't actually think that Governor Northam was acting on his own. I think he was bullied and abused by members of his own political party, if I'm being honest, which I am a little shocked by, as someone who has known a number of VMI men and women. His reaction to the conflicts was very surprising to me. All schools have an obligation to take direction from the General Assembly. The General Assembly does confirm the Governor's appointments to the boards, and I think that's a significant point to note. I will also say to you that from back in the time 25 years ago, maybe even 30 years ago, when my father was a member of the House of Delegates, he served for 18 years and rose up the ranks to significant leadership in the House of Delegates, he was very frustrated that the presidents of the universities, not singling out VMI, all of the universities felt like they were above the Governor, above the General Assembly, that they didn't have to answer. And in a practical sense, I've talked to a number of members of different boards of these colleges and universities, who feel like they are ignored, and they are supposed to be the directors of the schools, and then the President of the school is supposed to implement the policies that the board creates. And I think that arrangement has been off-kilter for a while. So if I am fortunate enough to be Lieutenant Governor, I won't have any direct power over that, but I will exercise whatever influence that I personally am able to use to try to bring back some normalcy, and I think a proper arrangement there. And I will check in public any leader of any institution in Virginia who steps out of line. We didn't hire someone to be the President of one of these schools to act like they're the Governor of Virginia. They are not. Cody Bartmann: Our next line of questioning pertains to the Board of Visitors at VMI and some of the larger state governance as well. What is your position on the Virginia Senate Privileges and Elections Committee's actions in disapproving VMI BOV member nominations, not serving until approved by the General Assembly, instructions to boards not to appoint presidents, such as at UVA, until after the election, or their directions to boards not to follow the Trump administration mandates, or face removal for misfeasance? Why is this important to the VMI family and especially cadets? John Reid: The State Senate is out of control. The State Senate is abusing its authority. It is abusing the people of Virginia. Virginia has a part-time legislature. What does that mean? That means the legislature arrives in Richmond and convenes in January, and they leave by the end of February. This is a very deliberate decision that we don't have a full-time legislature similar to the Congress in Washington. It forces members of the legislature, many of whom I am very familiar with, to make difficult decisions about what their priorities are. They can't drag legislation out for an entire year or for a two-year period while they're in office. They have to prioritize the biggest issues that they personally want to address, that their political caucus and allies want to address. I think that forces discipline in the state. The fact that Senator Rouse and his committee have been so bold as to take action outside of the time period of the normal session, I think, is an outrageous abuse of the Senate's authority. And I'm surprised that more people who have been observers of state government, who want state government to function and want these institutions to be able to function, have not spoken out against Senator Rouse and that abuse. He is new to Virginia state leadership. He is new to the state Senate. So one might forgive him for his ignorance, but I don't think it's ignorance. I think it's a very deliberate decision on the part of Democratic leaders to try to usurp authority from the Governor. I'm disappointed, quite frankly, that the Governor has not made a larger issue of it because Governor Youngkin will be gone in a few months, and whoever is Governor going forward will have to deal with an emboldened and inappropriate precedent in this General Assembly. I think that should be stopped. And I say that whether it's a Democratic governor or a Republican governor. It doesn't have to be a governor of my party. Whoever the Governor of Virginia is should be able to make these appointments, and then, at the appropriate time, the Senate determines whether or not they will confirm these individuals. But the key phrase there is "at the appropriate time." The General Assembly is not in session throughout the year, and I find it outrageous that they are being as aggressive as they can be. That should be met with condemnation from state leaders, and I'm prepared to do that. Cody Bartmann: In addition, the Senate Democratic leadership said that after President Trump was inaugurated, and this pertains to the refusal to approve BOV members as well as statements that they would replace and completely rewrite the board appointment process, it was stated, "...the law does not apply, the rules do not apply, the Constitution does not apply." What is your reaction, and how would you respond to your opponent since she serves on that committee as well as her party on that issue? John Reid: I think the Democratic party is trying to flex muscles that they don't have, and I think that Republicans are going to have to try to find common ground and walk this back with them, or they'll have to be hyper-aggressive in the courts and adjudicate this. Notice that I never advocate a physical conflict in the streets or at the Capitol. I think these things have to be negotiated and navigated. But it stands out to me that the leaders of the Senate, who have been in office for many years, in some cases decades, they know they are abusing the system here. And I would say to anyone who's in elected office, if your hatred for one person, whether it's Donald Trump or whether it's Joe Biden or whether it's Ralph Northam, who I did not care for, I'll be honest with you, or Glenn Youngkin, who I did vote for and do support, if your hatred for any individual prompts you to make unique decisions that are outside of the decisions you've made in the past, you should check yourself. You should check yourself. And that is not happening at the Capitol right now. There are a lot of people who feel very emboldened, and I think it is almost a borderline inappropriate mental zealousness, if not a mental illness, that they've lost objectivity. And I intend to be someone who will force that back into the discussion. I think some of these things, by the nature of what's being said in public, it reveals that these are not honest decisions grounded in objectivity, and they need to be. Richie O'Connell: This next line of questions will deal with resistance and demonstrations. Your opponent appeared at at least one rally with a Palestinian flag and supports the Palestinian movement. What is your stance on Israel-Palestine and her support for Palestine? And why is it important to the voters? John Reid: I don't know why anyone cares what Senator Hashmi thinks about foreign affairs. Senator Hashmi is a state senator, and she should focus on Virginia. And I would, as someone who has traveled extensively and done business around the world, I've been in 113 countries around the world, I have navigated the Middle East in particular when I was director of international development for major government relations and public relations firm based in Washington, I would admonish anyone at the Virginia State Capitol not to bring the most traumatic and turbulent conflicts on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean onto the soil of Virginia. We all have strong feelings about a variety of issues. And fortunately, if you're an elected official in Virginia, you have a very robust menu of items that you need to address and you are responsible for. Senator Hashmi is not responsible for anything in Israel or in Gaza. She is not responsible for the war. I have no reason to believe that she would even be able to navigate any of that. I think she is out of line for using her office to promote one side or the other. I think she betrayed the Jewish students in this state who were clearly being abused, bullied, and in some cases physically mistreated on our campuses. And as the chairwoman of the education committee, when she held a hearing to discuss that issue, she neglected, and I think it was deliberate, to include Jews in the conversation. And then, when her Republican colleagues, who have just as much standing as she does to offer comment on these issues, objected, she shut them down and refused to let them speak. I've rarely seen such callous, arrogant behavior from a state leader in Virginia. And I have no problem calling it out. The people of Virginia should remember that. That is her true attitude. She is not bipartisan. She is not interested in being fair. And unfortunately for her, she has revealed an ugly, nasty side that I think if you are a Jewish citizen in Virginia, and certainly if you are a Jewish student in Virginia, you should be very worried about her being in any leadership position. I do not think that she will treat these people fairly. By contrast, you have someone like me who is a Christian, who speaks frequently about my Christian faith, who lived in the Middle East, and who during this campaign has reached out to Jewish leaders and to Muslim leaders, spending time in the mosques in Northern Virginia, sitting down for hours in conversation with people who I know do not agree with me on many issues, the Imams, the leaders of those mosques. I don't think that you will find that Senator Hashmi has demonstrated in her role as a senator or in her efforts to campaign for this next position that she can claim that she will be a fair arbiter of the conflicts that do wind up here. But my goal will be for us to live a peaceful, prosperous, and successful life in the Commonwealth of Virginia and not import conflict from overseas. With what happened on October 7, two years ago, for her to continue to stand with or advocate for individuals who have constantly thrown their lot with Hamas, this terrorist organization, I think, is despicable. And I hope that anyone who's actually paid attention to foreign affairs would say: A) this is not in your purview, it's not your responsibility, and B) you are making a mistake by dragging Virginia into it. Other than that, I really wouldn't have a comment about that. I'm not running to be Secretary of State or a member of the Foreign Relations Committee in the United States Senate, where my previous boss was a person who had a vote and could speak on those issues. I think all of us need to check ourselves and make sure we're focused on what we have an obligation to do. And quite frankly, Senator Hashmi and her party have failed the people of Virginia, and this is one reason why they're always distracted by other issues instead of the things they should be focused on. Richie O'Connell: Going back to Virginia, was Richmond's 2020 unrest a reckoning or lawlessness? How do you compare it to what occurred on January 6? John Reid: 2020 was absolutely lawlessness. All of us have to obey the law. I am frequently, as you could tell from this interview, offended and angry and disturbed by the decisions and actions of other people, whether they're elected officials or whether they're average citizens. Mature people should advocate adjudication of those conflicts in the courts. They should admonish those who take to the streets and bring it upon themselves to be the judge, jury, and executioner, to hold back and not do that. I did not see that in 2020. I saw a lot of cowards, to be candid, in both political parties who did not want to be called racist. They were too scared to be called racist and wouldn't stand up for what was right, which was peace, not harming your neighbor, and not destroying things. It doesn't seem to me that that's an outrageous expectation for the average person. And I saw others who were actively fanning the flames of discontent rather than bringing the temperature down. That's unacceptable. And I can't control which individuals are sent to the Capitol by different communities in Virginia because I still recognize the law. It's not incumbent upon me to tell you who to send, but I would ask everyone in Virginia to look and say, are you sending someone into a leadership capacity who has consistently advocated for the rule of law, the protection of innocent individuals and the protection of private property, or are you sending someone who in those moments of conflict when their emotions are hot has failed that leadership test? I think, while I was not an elected official, I was on the radio and in public every single day in 2020, and I think I passed the test of civilization and strong leadership. And I would argue that Senator Hashmi and many of her colleagues in the Senate and in the Democratic Party did not pass that test. And they should not be rewarded with additional responsibility in the state if you fail that test at that critical moment. But, you know, I don't want to... Someone will hear that and think that I deliberately skipped January 6. I think there was every reason for Trump supporters to be skeptical, angry, frustrated with the elections that occurred in the United States. I do not think that they were executed fairly. I think the rules were changed at the last minute here in Virginia and in other states. I think Democrats basically said to the voting population, "We don't care what you think. We're going to run these elections as we see fit, and your legitimate concerns will be completely dismissed." Citizens have a right to be angry and frustrated when that occurs. The people who protested on January 6 were correct right up until they broke the law. I've done many protests, many demonstrations in Washington, both as a participant and as an organizer for the veterans of the United States for two years, to try to get money for vets and their mental health care. We do not allow people to break the law. You do have a right to make sure that your legislators know how you feel about important issues, but you don't have a right to break the law. I want to make sure that anybody who heard what I said about 2020 also hears what I'm saying about January 6 because that is very important. It's fine with me. You don't even have to agree with me. If you feel angry about something, you have a right to express yourself within the confines of the law. And I certainly, as an educated man and as a decent person who doesn't want to harm others, I would appreciate an intellectual argument and conversation rather than a mob action. And I think one party in America tries to encourage mob action, and unfortunately, they have been successful with that. My desire is to stop their success, not to silence them, but to stop their success by using mob action. It's unacceptable. Cody Bartmann: Next line of questioning pertains to freedom of speech, particularly at VMI. As a founder of the Virginia Council, you advocated for free speech and viewpoint diversity, and you also have extensive experience with VMI's issues about free speech and actions regarding The Cadet and its supporters over the past four years. What message on these issues do you have for the new administration, and what actions are you prepared to take if elected on these issues? John Reid: Well, clearly, as cadets, you have a different relationship with your school than an undergraduate at the University of Virginia or at the College of William & Mary. I concede that. The nature of your engagement here and your existence here is different than the average college student. So let's be clear, there are different rules and parameters for what you are allowed to do and not do. My concern over the last several years has been watching institutions, publications that I... My observation is that they're very legitimate, they're very thoughtful, they are curated, they are exactly what you would want engagement to be in any school, but especially a military school, and that those institutions have been suppressed, and the participants who wanted to be a part of those institutions have been oppressed. And I have a problem with that. I don't think that is right. I can handle, as an elected official or as an individual citizen, and I think if I were in a leadership position here, I would be open to criticism and comment from anyone on this post if it was presented in a thoughtful way and in the appropriate manner at the appropriate time. And it appears to me from the outside that there has been a very draconian attitude of there will be no discussion or dissension of any kind. And I think that's kind of counter to the best interest of VMI and to the state. In fact, I would argue that VMI, with its unique situation in Virginia and its unique history, should be teaching the cadets how to disagree in a responsible, academic, intellectual, and thoughtful way. And I would hope they would do that on all of the campuses. It doesn't appear that that's the case. In fact, I've had several arguments with people at UVA who have shared with me that they think that public action that is disruptive to others is a part of the American tradition. It is a part of the American tradition when we're about to go to war. I do not want us to go to war. I don't want another revolution. I don't want another civil war. I don't want 500,000 dead people. I don't want neighbors slaughtering each other. So it seems to me if you don't want to have that brutal, deadly conflict, which, candidly, we appear to be on the brink of diving into, then we should allow people to express themselves in a thoughtful, deliberate way that does not disrupt the lives of other people. It appears to me that there are cadets here who have tried to do that, and that has been suppressed. I'm concerned about that. Richie O'Connell: Will you commit to participating in at least one televised debate and one town hall with Senator Hashmi before early voting if The Cadet or some other neutral party sponsors it? John Reid: Yeah. I have volunteered to do 10 televised debates across the state. I made that commitment on the day that I became the Republican nominee. I reiterate it again today. Even with the very short window between now and election day, and voting has already started at the time of this taping. Voting in Virginia has already started, this ridiculous 45-day period where some people vote at the beginning of the period with one understanding of the candidates, and then who knows what we find out and where we are on November 4. So we have different people voting at different times with different understandings. Certainly, if we were to have a debate, I think I would equip myself very well in front of the public, and I would expect that there would be a lot of people who have voted for Senator Hashmi who would regret their vote and would want to change their vote to me. So yes, I will commit to any kind of joint appearance, and it doesn't have to be moderated by someone that I approve of. I believe that if you are going to run for state-wide office in Virginia, you have an obligation to stand up and speak to the citizens, and I appreciate that you have extended invitations for Senator Hashmi and for me to appear. I'm willing to accept that, but unfortunately, it does appear to me that Senator Hashmi has no intention of engaging in the normal debate process in the democracy that Democrats claim to care so much about. In fact, we were both extended an invitation to appear on national public radio at American University in Washington, D.C., hardly Hillsdale College or Regent University or Liberty University. I mean, if you wanted to set up an environment in which it was probably geared towards Senator Hashmi, leftist Democrats, and the issues that they most care about, that would be it. I accepted it. She did not. I think the voters of Virginia should take close look at that. And in my opinion, it's a disqualifier. But I certainly hope it will cause some people who reflexively vote Democrat to pause and reconsider whether this is the type of person that they want in this leadership role. I have been 100% accessible since I announced my run on January 27. Every day I do public events. When the press calls me, I make myself available. I stand for extended periods of time and talk to reporters, some of whom do not like me or my positions. I know that. But I still feel like I have an obligation to talk to them, and I do that. And you contrast that with Senator Hashmi, who has secret press conferences where you have to RSVP to even find the location. I think the differences couldn't be more clear. And in a democracy, in a representative republic, in a society in which you want someone who's going to be upfront and candid, I think I'm the only one that passes that test. Richie O'Connell: Now, you said that when running for your position, it's a tradition in Virginia for the two opposing parties to have a debate, correct? John Reid: That's right. In fact, I was the moderator of the lieutenant governor's debate when Tim Kaine, who was the mayor of Richmond, was running for lieutenant governor against a delegate named Jay Katzen. I was on television. I was the moderator of it. That goes back probably more than 20 years, 25, maybe even 30 years ago. I mean, that's a significant period of time. So, yeah, Senator Hashmi is making a terrible mistake here. Richie O'Connell: I'm asking you to please respond to Senator Hashmi's living wage and collective bargaining plan. Why is right-to-work better for competitiveness? John Reid: I was the head of communications at the United States Chamber of Commerce. It's the largest business federation in the world. The Fortune 500 companies are members, and the smallest mom and pop startups with people who just came to America are all members, people who open bodegas and dry cleaners. Right-to-work, the ability of the employee to determine whether they join a union or not of their own free will, is one of the key things that businesses look at about where they're going to locate and where they will expand their business operations. Right now, Virginia is in competition with Tennessee, with North Carolina, with South Carolina, with Georgia, with Virginia, with Texas. We are about to lose that remarkable position that we have held for decades. And even Democrats in previous years said the right to work should not be disrupted. And I don't think Virginia workers want to be forced into a union. No guarantee you're going to agree with the union position on everything. And quite frankly, if you study it, the money that you think you're going to get because a union will negotiate a higher wage for you is generally lost with union dues, which you are then forced to pay. You have no option. So I think the workers in Virginia should be very concerned about this. Collective bargaining, if you think you get bad service when you go to the Division of Motor Vehicles or to any other bureaucracy in Virginia, I don't mean to pick on DMV because I know they're trying very hard. But if people have a reflexive negative response to their engagement with bureaucracies, imagine how bad it's going to be when the government employee doesn't answer to the elected official, doesn't answer to their boss, they answer to a union boss. There will be no accountability in state government or city government. And it will bankrupt a lot of localities, who will then have to raise taxes in a dramatic fashion to try to pay for whatever deal collective bargaining comes. Senator Hashmi does not understand that because Senator Hashmi is a poetry teacher. And I don't mean to be rude, but she doesn't know what she's talking about. She's worked in universities, and I don't want to impugn that, but that does not make someone prepared to make smart decisions for the State of Virginia about business and how to grow business. In fact, every decision that she makes, every proposal that she's offered, I would argue, would crush Virginia business and thus crush workers and their families. And Virginia voters need to know that. Richie O'Connell: Why is your "all-of-the-above" energy plan better for reliability and rates? How do you define it? What reforms will you pursue? And how will you keep rates low? John Reid: The Democratic Party has been captured by radical environmental activists and by people who hate the United States. I regret to say that. I wish I didn't feel that that was the case. There is absolutely no legitimate way to believe that solar energy and wind energy, and renewables are going to power a modern Virginia. In this room right now, we have a camera running, we have microphones, we've got lights on, we've got air conditioning, it's pretty hot outside. You want to be able to flip on a switch or flip on the AC and make sure that you can, I would say enjoy, but facilitate the life that you have inherited. The Democrats, with the very reckless decisions they've been making with energy policy, are making it likely that that won't be the case, that we'll see brownouts and blackouts like you see in Portugal and Spain today. It's very important that we utilize all of the resources we have, natural gas, clean-burning coal. I do think Governor Youngkin has been a leader in the idea of bringing these small modular nuclear reactors online, which can be operated safely. I'm sensitive to that because I grew up during the Three Mile Island era. I understand that people are worried about it, but having watched the nuclear submarine program for decades, I think that this would solve a lot of our problems. What doesn't solve our problems is restricting the options that we have. And I can tell you, and no one wants to acknowledge that we're in a competitive environment, but we are, domestically between other states and internationally. India, China, the other emerging nations, which have growing economies, they are not worried about pollution. They should be, but they're not. We have been very responsible, and we should reward our own sense of responsibility with an open mind for how to keep the standard of living high and keep the air clean and the water pure, which I think we can do because of the technological advances that we've made. Don't listen to the Democrats who want you to be subjugated here while India and China rise economically to crush us, and then, I regret to say, perhaps militarily, try to crush us. We must keep up with these other countries and not hamper our own ability to be successful. Cody Bartmann: With the veterans and first responders and families, you personally pledged to recruit and retain law enforcement and firefighters. What specific bonus or benefit would you fund? At what cost, and how would you pay for it? John Reid: We are losing people for a variety of reasons. One is a total sense of disrespect from established leaders in the state. If you're going to put someone in harm's way, and perhaps those of you who are contemplating a military career will have a deeper appreciation of this than their average civilian, if someone's going to order you into a conflict, you would want to know that they actually are looking out for your best interest and not just sacrificing you for political reasons or to make some sort of statement to a rowdy population or crowd. I think that's the number one reason that we're losing first responders, especially police, in city after city. If you check in Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, the areas of the state that I live in, they are significantly down in the number of officers that they had budgeted for and that they have an expectation on the streets with the population. I think we're going to have to have competitive salaries. I think we're going to have to have retirement benefits that are portable so that if someone leaves one county and moves to another, they don't have to start over again—their retirement moves with them. That seems to be a point of contention. Then there is this very bizarre movement within the Democrat Party to strip first responders, police officers, of their protection if they follow the rules and something horrible happens, someone is injured or someone is killed, that they could still be personally liable and that they could be bankrupted. That is a really reckless position for the Democratic Party to take. I can personally tell you, having traveled the state for the last year, that there are thousands of sheriffs, thousands of deputies, thousands of street police officers, thousands of people who are working in mental hospitals, who will walk from those jobs if they do not have qualified immunity. If they are not guaranteed that, as long as they do the right thing and obey the rules as have been explained to them, that they cannot be personally destroyed. I can't blame them for that. I think the Democrats are setting us up. I hate to say this. Again, I try not to assume that my political adversaries have nefarious plans, but I don't know how to reach another conclusion because it's so clear that we will have lawlessness, and we will not have police officers, and we will not have the ability to maintain law and order and a functional society. I can't imagine why someone would do something that would guarantee that result if you didn't have a nefarious plan. So that portability, I think, is important. That protection is important. I think we must examine the wages and make sure that they are on par so that there's not this constant churn that's happening now. And the number one thing is having elected officials who will stand up in difficult moments for the people who are sent into harm's way to solve problems, whether that's in the military or whether that's first responders, police officers, and others. Cody Bartmann: I've just got a quick question on firearms. Do you support or oppose the following, and for each, you can answer yes or no and what alternative you'd propose? Regarding firearms, background checks, storage laws, red flag laws, an assault weapons ban, and mandatory registration of weapons. John Reid: No, no, no, no, no. I want to see prosecutors, most of them Democrat prosecutors, in the cities where much of the violence, if not most of the violence, is occurring. I want to see them actually lock up people who have demonstrated that they're going to use those firearms to do harm, illegal harm, to their neighbors. Right now, that's not happening. So it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone in the state that we are seeing individuals who are recidivists, who commit violent crimes against family members, against strangers, and their charges are reduced, they are not fully prosecuted, and they come back to commit crime again. And I will tell everyone who's listening, if you put me in a leadership position, no matter what it is, whether it's principal of a school or whether it's a Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Governor of Virginia, whatever it is, I am going to stand up for the people who are doing the right thing. I'm not going to punish them for the bad behavior of the people who are committing the violation. And we have it all wrong right now. The Democrats are leading this supposedly empathetic movement of restorative justice, which is actually creating more victims in society. Jason Miyares, who is seeking re-election as attorney general, makes a very good point as he travels around the state. Everyone needs to hear this. The Democrats in 2020 and 2021 passed legislation that would release violent criminals from prison early, based on calculated good time served in the prisons. You know, there are 53 dead Virginians now who've been murdered by people who were released early. That did not have to happen. And I'm constantly lectured by people who say if we could save one life, we should slow down to 20 miles an hour on the highway, we should do this, we should do that. What we should do is hold people accountable for their bad behavior and punish them severely and send a message to everyone in the society, myself included, you are not allowed to behave this way. And if you do, if you harm or murder someone, you're going to pay a severe price. And there will be no escaping it. That's the message that people need to hear. And that is my observation around the world, is that's the only thing that works to create a stable, peaceful society. And it's very frustrating to me that the Democrats continue to roll, I think, good people with nice instincts who want to be decent into making decisions that harm themselves and their own society and their own family. That's got to stop. Richie O'Connell: Closing question. The Commonwealth of Virginia is unique in that the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General are all elected separately, and so the parties could share control among those three positions. While you would obviously prefer to have all members of your party win in November, there is a wide gap between the Republican candidates trailing her opponent, while your race is within the margin of error. Why should voters vote for you regardless of who they support for the other positions? And what specifically can you do as lieutenant governor in a divided administration to fulfill your promises? John Reid: Well, we all have to run separate campaigns. We all present ourselves as individuals with our own backgrounds to be judged and to seek the vote of the individual citizen. That's what I'm doing. And I hope that by sitting with you for an hour and allowing people to hear my unscripted response to questions that I was unfamiliar with, that there will be a general confidence that I'm the type of responsible, reasonable, and fair-minded person that you would want at the Capitol, making difficult decisions on your behalf. I hope that I have proven that with my work ethic over the last several months, with my desire to reach out to people who do not normally vote for Republican candidates and hear them and listen to them and engage with them. That does not happen frequently in modern politics, but I'm trying to bring that mindset back. Of course, I voted for Winsome to be Governor. I voted for Jason Miyares to be attorney general. I will be voting for Republicans from the Governor all the way to dog catcher because I generally believe that the conservative principles that Republicans advocate are the best principles for a stable and successful society. However, I am aware that I don't get to make those decisions. The voters get to make the decisions, and they could very easily choose to mix up the parties that will be in power at the Capitol. This is another difference between me and others. I accept and respect the will of the voters. If I am sent as Lieutenant Governor and there are Democrats that I must work with, whether it's in the Governor's office or whether it's in the State Senate, the House of Delegates, I will do that because that is the job that I have been tasked with, and I have respect for the system that we have created where you have an obligation to work with the people who were sent by different areas of the state. Clearly, people in northern Virginia have a different perspective on many of these issues that I've espoused today than the positions that I have articulated. I disagree, but I will respect that they will send someone who will advocate for them, and I will work with those people. I hope that if you have watched me closely over the last several months, I have tried to take symbolic action and definitive action to demonstrate that that is my real mindset. That's not a political line. Just the other day, we started early voting. Former Congresswoman Spanberger was in the same voting place as I was. We both live in the same county. I made a point of going over and shaking hands with her and speaking to her. It was not a heavy conversation, but it was an effort on my part to show that I have respect for my opponents. If you've ever been an athlete, most athletes are taught to have respect for their opponents. You shake hands before the match, you shake hands after the match. Even if you're really angry that you have been defeated or you have disdain for the person, you show that basic respect. That's how I was raised. That's how I will conduct myself at the Capitol. Don't get me wrong. If there needs to be a fight, I am prepared for the fight. But I would always like to start with finding commonality and showing respect for other people. And I hope that that will matter to Virginians. I don't think my opponent could say the same thing. You know, I think you're going to find, as we head towards election day, that there are going to be a very unique group of people who are going to break away from their own traditions and step aside from their own party. And that is hopefully a testament to me and the way I've conducted myself in public, that they feel confident that I'll be an honest broker and a decent person in my engagement with others. But I also think it is an indictment of some of the other people who are leading the Democratic Party today. And I would really ask everyone who is successful, and I don't know whether I will be successful, I take nothing for granted at all, but everyone who is successful in this election cycle, I hope that they will pause before they arrive at the Capitol in January and will heed their better angels and try to arrive at the Capitol with the goal of solving problems, not exacerbating them and using them for political fodder going forward. I think that I've demonstrated I can do that, and I think there will be a number of occasions in the coming weeks leading up to the election where people will say, "Wow", that's interesting that this person has chosen to support John instead of who we would have expected them to support. And without being unduly negative about my opponent, I'll just say I hope that reflects a good mindset that I've demonstrated in my years in public life. Richie O'Connell: Thank you, sir. Cody Bartmann: Thank you, sir. John Reid: Thank you for having me.