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Republican @SenCoryGardner’s staff and campaign won’t acknowledge #9News’ requests for interviews so I came to see him in person at a meet-and-greet at Lutheran Medical Center in Wheat Ridge. #copolitics 
Surprising elected officials for interviews outside public events, rather than sitting down for thoughtful conversations isn’t how we like to do business. But when your representatives refuse to answer basic questions, this is the option that remains to seek answers.
Our interview will air tonight on #HeyNext. Until I can review the video for direct quotes, here are some paraphrased exchanges from my discussion with Sen Gardner on the sidewalk outside the hospital.
Senator Gardner was noncommittal when I asked if he supported President Trump’s call for a national red flag law. He said they’d need to review it. I asked him whether he supported a Senate vote on Sen Rubio’s existing red flag bill. Gardner was noncommittal again. #copolitics
Gardner said there’s no place for “bigoted white supremacy.” I asked whether President Trump referring to immigrants as an invasion 7x in one minute, then joking in response to a supporter’s cry to shoot them, was bigoted white supremacy. Gardner declined to describe it that way.
Gardner has refused to say if President Trump’s tweets targeting congresswomen of color were racist. I asked how he’d react if one of his children told a black, Hispanic, or Muslim classmate to go back where they can from. @SenCoryGardner did not like that question. #copolitics
Gardner said my question was “weird.” I tried to explain that this is an issue about families and humanity, hence the framing of my question. It was clear he wasn’t going to answer.
I asked @SenCoryGardner what he’d do if one of his staff told a black, Hispanic, or Muslim American to go back where they came from. “They wouldn’t do that,” Gardner said. #copolitics
I intended to ask the Senator whether he supported the position of multiple state AGs and the Trump administration that the Affordable Care Act should be overturned entirely in the case out of Texas. I forgot to ask when someone nearby began calling out to the Senator about guns.
That’s my mistake. I should have asked that ACA question. As we parted, I asked Senator Gardner to consider responding to our interview requests in the future so we could sit down for better discussion.
One final note that I recall before reviewing the video... I asked @SenCoryGardner whether the issue at the southern border is an invasion, as President Trump says, or a humanitarian crisis. Gardner said unequivocally that it’s a humanitarian crisis. #copolitics
This is the crowd at Gardner’s meet-and-greet designed to focus on veterans’ issues. Most questions have been from critical constituents. Hosts asked to refocus it on vets. Gardner said he was willing to take all questions. He’s discussed immigration, gun control, suicide, & more
Effusive praise for Lutheran Hospital staff from citizens thanking them for getting Gardner to appear in public in a place where they could ask questions.
