Dennis Interviews Eric Hovde running for Senate

I have on the line the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate from Wisconsin, Eric Hovde. Did I pronounce your last name correctly, sir?

You did, Dennis Prager.

Well, I just want you and everybody listening to know, needless to say, it's no credit to me. It's just having a national radio show that Many, many candidates want to come on the show, and I feel terrible because I support so many of them, but it's just not the nature of my show. But I just think your race is of such significance and is so tight and can make such a difference ultimately nationally that I wanted you on. So you come from what might be, and I don't say this as a as a derogatory statement, even though it sounds it. It's the most schizophrenic state in the country politically.

Hey, Dennis, look, I understand what you mean, because how could you have Ron Johnson, one of the most conservative senators with integrity, and then on the flip side you got who I'm running against, Senator Baldwin, who is as extreme left as you could find? I mean, we're a true purple state. You know, our state Senate is supermajority Republican, our state assembly is almost supermajority, 6 of our 8 congressional seats are Republicans, but we got a Democratic governor, Democratic AG, and then 2 senators that are on the opposite end of the spectrum. But look, I feel good about where the campaign's going right now. The momentum's on our side. I've been running as hard as possible. Possible. And I got into this race for one simple reason: I love our country. And what the left has done to our country, it's hard to recognize it at times. So I feel good. But, uh, yeah, it's a schizophrenic state from, from that standpoint.

It's very moving to me what you said. You, you went into this because you love the country. I believe that, actually. So let me ask you, uh, has your opponent taken a position on Oh, men who say they're women competing in women's sports.

Oh, look, she's one of the biggest ones pushing it. She's behind this Equality Act that is trying to force school districts all over our country. Department of Education is basically saying to school districts, if you don't rewrite Title IX to allow guys to play in girls' sports and go into girls' bathrooms and locker rooms, you'll be tribe money, which is disgusting. Where do they get off? It's our money. And I'm a girl dad. I have two daughters. And to think that, you know, that this is what they're trying to push is inexcusable. My youngest daughter was the female athlete of the year in the state of Wisconsin when she was a senior in 2017. And, you know, when I grew up and you grew up, Dennis, the girls didn't have a lot of sport opportunities. And then over the last 30 years, we saw all these sports open up for girls, and it was wonderful. But now they're whittling away, and this is what Senator Baldwin is trying to push. And she also, just so you know how extreme, she gave all our taxpayer money to, uh, uh, through an earmark to a clinic in Madison, uh, pushing transgender surgeries and, and pills on kids that, uh, don't— and don't even tell the parents. I mean, this is how extreme she is.

So that, that's what I'm not understanding. A state that elects Ron Johnson to the Senate is, is not put off, not repulsed by such positions?

Well, what, what she has been good at is being a good chameleon where people in Madison— now think of Madison as Berkeley, California, it's the belly of the beast, you know, the university town state capital which is very progressive left, and that's where she came out of, and that's where she was a congressman, uh, congresswoman from. And, uh, but through the rest of the state, she always kind of ran and positioned herself as this moderate candidate. Well, in my, uh, race against her, we have now pointed out, you know, how extreme she is on all this stuff. And I think that's why the polls ended up shifting dramatically. I see. And so I, I think that's the big thing because we're We're largely a center-right state. And, you know, President Trump, like he's doing a lot of places, is changing the makeup of our state because we have a lot of manufacturing jobs, union jobs, and a lot of those people that always used to vote Democrat are now kind of shifting in a pretty sizable way in our direction.

Did you two have a debate?

Yeah, I got one debate, Dennis, on a Friday night a couple of weeks ago. She is such a chicken. She's, she's terrible. Everybody that watched it said I destroyed her. That's their comments, not mine. But yes, she looked horrible. She can't speak off— cannot speak without notes. It's kind of, you know, the basement strategy that Joe Biden ran in 2020.

And Kamala Harris is running now.

Yeah. I mean, Dennis, it's a, you know, look at it. I— how any, you know, right-minded person could watch Kamala Harris or Senator Baldwin that, you know, have to only can speak with a teleprompter.

Exactly.

Can't answer any meaningful questions.

Let me ask you, can you stay on? I'd like you a few more minutes.

Yeah.

Okay, great. Something has happened in Wisconsin that people didn't foresee. The race is extremely tight. The incumbent is as left-wing as you can get, and she is for— I mean, this is the litmus test for me. I mean, if you are for hormone blockers for kids and for having men who say they're women compete in women's sports, that's the giveaway. That's the first question I ask with regard to anyone. The Republican candidate is a good, honorable man, Eric Hovde, H-O-V-D-E. Would you like anybody on this day before, Eric, if I may call you Eric, would you like—

Please do.

Okay, thank you. Would you like to give a website or something for people to check you out or help you out?

Sure, sure. Eric, E-R-I-C, Hovde, H-O-V-D-E. H-O-V-D-E dot com. Good old Norwegian name, means head of the mountain. But erikhovde.com. Thank you, Dennis Prager.

H-O-V-D-E. Yeah, well, no, of course it's— people have to get involved for good things. I mean, this would be a big deal. So I'll put you on the spot, and you don't even have to answer because I don't have an answer. I, I just want you to know I'm not looking for an answer. I'm just curious. Do you have a read of Wisconsin right now?

Yeah, look, all the poll numbers are as tight as tight can be. It's a jump ball race for both President Trump and for me. However, I would say this, two things. You can clearly see the momentum is on our side and how things are swinging, and momentum is so important in politics. And secondly, The polls have been notoriously bad in each election cycle on undercounting President Trump's support. Remember Wisconsin in '16? He was supposed to lose to Hillary Clinton by like 6 points. And in '20, he was supposed to lose to Biden by 20. Well, in '16, he beat Hillary Clinton, and in '20, he barely lost to Joe Biden. So if it's even half that amount, then President Trump should win the state by 2 or 3 points. And if he does that, and I think everybody knows this given how things look like they're playing out, if he can win Wisconsin, he's going to win the presidency. If I can beat Senator Baldwin, not only do we flip the Senate for the next 2 years, but it may ensure flipping the Senate for the next 4. So this is— Wisconsin is battleground. This is why President Trump and Kamala Harris have both probably spent more time here. I think Pennsylvania and Wisconsin is where President Trump has been the most, and JD Vance and Kamala Harris has spent the most time in Wisconsin.

One final personal question: do you, do you enjoy campaigning?

You know what, I love interacting with people. God blessed me with two things: a lot of energy and thick skin. You know, I enjoy interacting with people and talking to them and shaking hands and taking photos and hugging. So yeah, I like the retail politics of it. You know, I got into this race because, as I said, I'm deeply concerned about our country. I was born very patriotically. My father served President Reagan, so he was my North Star growing up. And you know what they're doing, bankrupting our country, causing the worst inflation. Jeopardizing our domestic security, opening our border, pushing defund the police, making the world less safe with their botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, and dividing our country. And, you know, we got to heal our country. We got a lot to get done. And so I like getting out on the campaign trail. I'll be honest with you, I've been going from morning to night. I've got 7 speeches today, multiple media hits, and I'm running on a little bit of fumes, but I'm going to run as hard as I can across the finish line because this country is too important.

I'd like to attend your swearing in, God willing.

Well, I'd love to have you, uh, you know, do that. Uh, I, I'm so thankful for what PragerU has been doing. You may not remember this, Dennis, but I did, uh, something about the economy, uh, back for your programming, uh, 4 years ago. And so I know your son, I know Alan and Marissa, and you got a great team, and What you're doing with your organization is so important, spreading the conservative message to young people.

I didn't anticipate that, and I'm very touched. Thank you. Eric Hovde, folks. EricHovde.com, correct?

Yep. EricHovde.com.

All right.

Well, Dennis, have a wonderful day, and all your listeners, I hope you have a blessed day.

Thank you.

Let's go save America.

That's what we have to do. Thank you, sir. That's what you're working on.