We're back now with the former Senate Republican leader, Mike Bishop, who graciously has decided he wants more and we give him more with Zoe Clark.

Senator, what voters need to hear that Michigan elections are safe and secure?

Who needs to hear that message most?

I think the general populace needs to to hear that message.

But I also think you just can't, It's not.

This is not an abstract issue.

You can't just say, you know, we have to expect them to to believe it's transparent and trustworthy.

It it really depends on a lot of things.

And we have to prove it.

You know, depends on good people faithfully doing their work and following the law and earning the public's trust.

So this is a this is not just us force feeding the public saying this- it's all safe.

It's all fair.

It's all trustworthy.

It's more along the lines of, you know, what can we do to ensure that people.

We build that confidence by, by, you know, trust.

Yeah.

But are Republicans more likely to believe that elections are unfair?

You know what I sat through in 2016, I was served with the Obama administration in the Trump administration, and I watched as Trump was being inaugurated, smoke rising from the distance over the city.

And I heard the drum beat, I heard the chants and it was frightening to watch.

So back in 2016, I know that that that inauguration and during that time when I went onto the floor and I watched members fighting certification of the of the election.

And so I, you know, back then, I it was the Democrats that were, were opposing it and doing it in a way that I thought was completely irresponsible and undermining trust.

And that spilled over into the, into the American populace.

And we saw our cities burning and it created chaos in our country.

So I think it depends on who's president.

I guess maybe that's the answer.

But I don't think it's particularly Republicans or Democrats.

But you don't you don't hear Democrats criticizing members of their party for being involved in a democracy defense organization.

You got criticism.

Yeah.

Who would?

Who is the most powerful person that criticizes you for being involved in this?

Well, I, I won't even tell you the calls that I got, but- that's what we want to hear though!

that's why we're doing Overtime!

Nobody's watching Senator, set you free!

At the time, I was actually, Pete Hoekstra had asked me to serve as general counsel for the Michigan Republican Party.

And, I really thought there was a point.

There was.

I'm going to have to just resign my position so I wouldn't take some pressure off of, of the chairman, but, we were we worked our way through that.

I think people understand ultimately that if I'm not on that, on that panel with it to to balance it off, then who's going to be on it?

And we have to have a voice on a panel like this when it's Republicans and Democrats.

I'm the one of the conservative voices.

And and, I think people understand that, you know, I believe in election integrity.

I was actually in the in the midst of, of lawsuits against the secretary of state and filing things, to, to ensure, election integrity.

I wasn't just complicit in this idea that, you know, we got to cover up 2024 and 2020.

That's not my goal.

I think I made a statement that was.

I've got a lot on my plate right now.

I would rather not relitigate 2020.

And when I said that there was a real public outcry and I. I, suffered the wrath, but I weathered the storm.

Mike Rogers has made note of the fact, that that he believes that the 2024 election was not fair, that somehow there was some amount of ballots that turned out, the middle of the night for, his opponent, Elissa Slotkin.

What do you make of those comments?

Are they helpful?

I, I don't, so I don't dismiss them outright.

I don't know what his evidence is.

I assume that, Mike has evidence of that.

And I do think that it's important for us to understand that if we really want to build trust, we have to make sure that we present this evidence.

I'm a I'm a lawyer by trade, a former prosecutor.

So I my instinct is when I hear stuff like that is to follow the evidence and identify it.

If there is something real there, then we need to prosecute it and hold people accountable.

If not, we need to move on and let people know that, just smoke.

No fire.

And so I think what people scratch their head about with those particular comments is obviously, President Trump won Michigan by a fairly substantial number.

And so the notion that somehow Mike Rogers, you know, that the election was somehow cooked against him, like, how does that make any sense?

Like if that if there had actually been an effort to cheat the election, well, then Kamala Harris probably, you know, you would have assumed she would have won Michigan, too.

I mean, can you speak to that?

Yeah, I don't I can't, Zach because I don't know I don't know what they're what they have is in terms of evidence to support their claim.

Mike Rogers lost by 3/10 of a percent.

And that is the kind of thing that will raise everybody's eyebrows.

I think, you know, at some point in time you have to, stop and, you know, really examine all of the, the, the evidence to make sure that everything was on the up and up.

I like I said, I'm not making the claim.

I have no evidence to support it, nor have I seen any evidence.

But, I, I have to leave it to, to the campaigns to, to justify their positions.

Senator, you were part of the former congressional delegation and congressional delegation going to the Ukraine.

First of all, how long were you there?

I was there for, well, was three days in total, but I was it was a five day trip.

Did you wear a flak jacket?

I did not.

Do you wish you had?

Yes I do, and it and a and I looking back on it, I've been to a lot of places in my career, especially while in Congress.

Some dangerous places around the world.

But this, this one was, unique in that it was extremely dangerous the whole trip.

And I questioned my sanity at points.

And what did you mean, dangerous?

Well, we went into the I was with a group called, With Honor, which is a great, organization that, that does work with, with, with veterans.

And it just so I was, you know, surrounded by, these incredible American patriots the whole time.

And this delegation, when we worked with the British, a British delegation and several others, they flew us into, Western or Eastern Europe and, and then treked us in by train to Kiev.

And, we met with, leaders and from different countries.

It was, you know, and then we went to the front line.

We went right to the, the border with Russia and, to Kharkiv, which is right there, along the border.

The Russians have a have seized it at one point in time was taken back.

We met with folks that, were right there, you know, in the battlefield.

And we met with medics who told us remarkable stories, a sobering journey, their perspective on war.

And it just it was just a terrible personal loss for so many people and continues to be so, you know, we got out of there in time, but, you know, we we didn't take the train back because we had some concerns about the train.

And sure enough, that train was hit.

And General Petraeus was actually on that train.

And they hit it.

The Russians hit it with a with a missile strike.

Right as we are crossing the the Polish border.

And we couldn't even get across the border because they shut everything down.

So it it's it is, it's hair raising to be in an area where you hear drones overhead and know what they do.

And it is incredible.

Is the United States doing enough for Ukraine right now?

That was part of our discussion.

And they will tell you that, no, they're not.

And, I don't think that the Ukrainians feel like they're getting enough support from any country, even the Europeans.

But it's they're very grateful for what they you know, what they're getting and the support they're receiving.

So, I don't know that they'll ever be satisfied because they're they're fighting for their lives right now and their freedom.

So they're really desperately waving a flag for for help.

Senator, let me bring you back to home, and then we'll put a ribbon on this.

How seriously did you ever think about running for governor?

Back in the day?

Yeah, I did.

I thought very seriously about it.

After my role as Senate Majority leader, I felt like it was a would have been a, an easier transition for me than what I experienced.

I also thought I had better insight, on the state budget and, and the concerns of the state, but that was not meant to be.

And, you know, I, I understood that I, I you always have that, that, you know, as a public servant, you always have that kind of feeling in your, in your heart that you need to go where people need you.

And, that just never was meant to be, apparently.

Would you have asked Jennifer Granholm to be your running mate?

I probably would not.

What about that relationship that did the two of you ever come to an agreement that you you buried have been moved forward?

I never really had that, moment with her.

I had a lot of moments with her, that were were difficult.

But I don't think we ever had a moment to do it.

I, John Cherry and I have had a great opportunity.

And, you know, Bob Emerson and the and the her team around her.

I've really felt a place in my heart for because I think they really understood what was going on.

But I've never had a debrief with the governor.

Senator, what's the lead story out of our exchange here today?

The lead story?

Well, all is well in Michigan.

And, and, I think, it's going to be an interesting road to the general election.

Senator, thanks for joining us on our program.

Fat chance.

Right.

It's good to see you.

Thanks for doing our program, sir.

Thank you so much.

Good to talk to you all.

Okay.

Thanks, guys.

I appreciate it.