Burgum on the campaign trail in Iowa: thoughts on Ukraine, Trump’s indictment

DES MOINES, I.A. (KFYR) - Governor Doug Burgum announced his candidacy for president of the United States on Wednesday. On Thursday, he traveled to Iowa to kick off his campaign. And on Friday, our politics reporter Joel Crane followed him around all day.

The message Burgum said, over and over, is that he’s running on the economy, energy, and national security. But there’s one more thing Your News Leader was wondering about: Ukraine.

When asked about Ukraine, he basically said the same thing every time. That the best way to avoid a war in Ukraine is to never have gotten into it in the first place. But as for how he’ll handle it if he inherits the war?

“Russia cannot have a win coming out of this, because if it’s a win for them, it’s a win for China. And so, I just say, again, every time the U.S spends dollars, whether it’s defense or whether it’s on healthcare or any program, there ought to be transparency and accountability, and that’s one thing we brought in North Dakota,” said Burgum.

He added that our western European allies need to share the cost of the supporting Ukraine. This comes as several Republicans have come out in recent months against sending aid to Ukraine.

The FBI and Department of Justice will indict former President Donald Trump next week.

Everyone has an opinion on Trump’s indictment, including North Dakota Governor and presidential hopeful, Doug Burgum.

Your News Leader asked him, since he’s running on national security, and one of the charges Trump has been indicted for is espionage, that if the former president is found guilty on the counts of espionage, and then secures the Republican nomination, would he endorse him?

“America is a country where you’re innocent until you’re proven guilty. These are serious charges, but ask the American people, the people we’re talking to, they’ve got serious concerns about whether or not there’s trust in American institutions,” said Burgum

Governor Burgum heads to New Hampshire next.

Previous Coverage: Doug Burgum begins presidential campaign in Iowa

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