and it's not just Democrats backing the ticket former New Jersey governor Christie Todd Whitman is one of roughly two dozen Republicans who officially endorsed Kamala Harris for president this weekend helping to launch the Republicans for Harris group with support from Governors in other blue States like Illinois and Massachusetts as part of a nationwide effort to win over anti-trump GOP voters as Governor whitmann explains it they're doing it by hearing directly from other Republicans who are making the same Choice she joins me now Governor thanks so much for Lending us a few minutes of your time this evening let me ask you first uh about your take on uh Vice the vice president's vice presidential choice uh Mr Tim Walz I think it's a good choice for her um first of all I'm delighted that she did pick a governor because it's nice to know that you have someone in that second position who understands how to make decisions how to make government work he's also been in Congress he's been a high school football coach took them to new heights and his football team had been a teacher and been in the military so he checks a lot of the boxers he's he' missed West down to earth very popular Governor so I think it's going to Ste her stand her in good stead although he is quite Progressive and some may see this as her doubling down on the Progressive base I'm curious if you think that's the right move for her well I if you listen to what she's been saying recently I think she's been moving more to the center and uh the vice president will do what the president tells him to do so I'm not so worried about it and again uh when you say progressive yes he has passed some laws that protect a woman's rights to have an abortion he believes in the working family I can't disagree with any of those things I have my cautions about it I am not as liberal as the people who uh are objecting to him would say he was I don't agree with with all of those more extreme positions I worry about the budget I worry about some of the social positions that uh could be taken by the Congress as far as paying for everything that's fine I would love it in a perfect world that would be great but we have to watch the spending at the same time well and you've made no bones about the fact that you are not a fan of former president Donald Trump that under no circumstance would you support him and so you instead have thrown your support behind this new group Republicans for Harris what's your involvement with that apparatus well right now my focus is really not with that I mean I've lent them my name because I believe that she is a better choice for our country than the ex-president is I mean the Republican party as I knew it the one I grew up in here in New Jersey was one that believed in the rule of law would never have accepted January 6th or excused it believed in the fact that you had to transfer of power after an election once an election was over it was over it wasn't misogynist it wasn't racist those are all the things we're seeing in Donald Trump and have seen over the years in him and I just don't believe that he has what it takes or what we want to have in our presidency and I believe that there are many Republicans who are uncomfortable with him and I don't know whether they go with Governor Walz's weird but certainly it's not the kind of approach to governance that with which we're really comfortable and so so that's why I think it's important to support that but the forward party is not involved in the presidential we are focusing stra solely on State and local and we support Republicans Democrats Independence as long as they well we check them out to make sure they're credible but as long as they sign our pred of principles they have to do that publicly we do a ceremony with them and those principles are pretty darn simple they they agree to expect respect the rule of law uphold the Constitution work with anyone to solve problems create a safe space to discuss controversial issues and work to open the process so that anyone who is legally able to vote can vote and then we believe it's up to the state or the candidate to decide what are the issues of most important to that state what do the candidates believe in what do their constituents want not what some party are you concerned and I'm sorry for cutting in there Governor are you concerned at all though that this that the forward party this is the third party that you've um co-chaired uh along with Andrew Yang is getting uh muddled in the shuffle of all of this and am I to understand that we won't see you then perhaps at any rallies uh for the vice president no forward party is not taking a position um individually we can obviously I have taken a position but the forward party is not that the forward party is looking at your local races your Statewide races we've endorsed a couple of congressional candidates in the senatorial candidate but generally we are strictly state and local because those are the areas and the positions that most make the decisions that most directly impact your life uh your daily life most immediately impact your daily life and also no matter who wins this election we all know they're going to be lawsuits after them so you want to have people in the positions oversee the outcomes of election who have agreed that they will uphold the rule of law and respect the Constitution and so by lending your name individually separate from the forward party what do you hope to achieve then with perhaps other like-minded Republicans or others who are not yet suede well I hope it sends a message that it's okay to do this it's okay to support uh camela Harris whether you agree with all her positions or not I don't agree with all the positions um you know none of us will with everybody but it's it's okay in this cycle because it's so important to keep someone from the White House who has very clearly said they're going to weaponize the justice department they are going to go after their enemies I mean anybody that's crossed paths with him who hasn't knelt down and said yes yes whatever you say is going to be attacked uh this is not our nation this is is not our country and I want Republicans to understand it you don't have to do it every election but this election is so important because of the dramatic change to our status in the world to our status as a democracy should Donald Trump get into the White House former Governor Christine Todd Whitman who has decided to back Kamala Harris in her bid for the presidency thank you so much Governor good to be with you take care