CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript Interview with Jay Inslee

Interview

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We're joined by the governor of Washington state, Jay Inslee.

Governor Inslee, thank you so much for joining us.

You have described these wildfires in your state, in Oregon and California as apocalyptic. Can you tell us a little bit more, more detail what your state is facing tonight?

GOV. JAY INSLEE (D-WA): Well, at the moment, virtually our entire state is covered by a cloud of smoke that is unbelievably irritating and downright unhealthy and dangerous. So, people literally can't go outside of their homes to care for our

health. We have had dozens and dozens and dozens of homes burned down. We have had entire home -- entire towns destroyed, like Malden.

We have been -- we have lost one beautiful young child, and that itself is a tragedy. We know Oregon and California have had more fatalities than we have had.

And this is such a disaster in any dimension, but it's a particular disaster because we have had our state turned into a tinderbox by climate change. We have grass right now that's almost like gasoline. A spark made it explode. And we have these fires that just it created walls of fire 20-, 30-feet high just from grass and sagebrush.

And those fires of grass and sagebrush have consumed whole towns in our state. And that's why, frankly, it is so infuriating that we have a president that, instead of helping us lead solutions to this climate change that has caused these climate fires -- they're not just wildfires. They are climate fires.

They're not caused by an act of God. They're caused by climate change that we have created through our activities as humans. But, instead of helping us solve that problem, he continues to make excuses. And excuses are not what people want.

Look it, it's so dry, the only moisture in my state today in Eastern Washington are the tears from people who've lost their homes falling into the ashes. And they deserve better.

BLITZER: Yes.

What do the first responders, Governor, what do the residents in your state, what do they need right now, as they encounter these truly historic fires?

INSLEE: Well, they need short-term relief, which is basic food and clothing and shelter. And I have dug into our emergency supplies in my emergency fund to get them some cash assistance. They need shelter.

We have tried to help but to make sure we can coordinate with the Red Cross to get them shelter. That's just short term. Their communities need help rebuilding. Some of these communities had all their public infrastructure burned out. And then we will look to see if we can obtain a federal disaster declaration to help with some of the rebuilding potentially for some of the uninsured losses we have had in houses and the like.

We were very disappointed the Trump administration did not allow a previous request in our last catastrophic fires. We hope we could fare better in this situation.

But they need something that we all need. We need a federal government that will work with the states to build clean energy jobs, to put people to work building clean energy, so that we don't lose more towns in the West Coast and soon the rest of the United States. That's what we really need. And I can't overstate how traumatic this

is for my state. People yesterday were sort of clinically depressed, under this pall of sort of blood red smoke. And this has created a recognition that we face conditions that are apocalyptic.

This is like sort of a Hollywood movie. It deserves a response to stop this from taking over our nation.

BLITZER: You know, and it's not just Washington state. It's Oregon and California, other states out West as well.

People are reluctant to even leave their homes right now, if they still have homes. You clearly have been outspoken about the role climate change plays in allowing these fires to spread at this truly alarming and historic rate.

You have said the president's denial of that fact is maddening. I want you to elaborate a little bit more on the impact about denying this climate science, this climate change science. What's the impact of that right now?

[18:15:02]

INSLEE: Well, look, I have seen this. I have had a bellyful of seeing the suffering of people in my state, and have a president who is actively trying to create and enhance conditions that cause their grief.

I remember I was flying over a fire a few years ago in a helicopter, and I looked down at this farm, and it had been all burned out. And I saw this couple standing literally in the middle of their home, what was the remains of their home -- it was just burned to the foundation -- just hugging each other.

And they didn't know we were going -- coming over, this -- just sitting there trying to cling to something to have some hope. And people in those conditions deserve a president who are going to help them. And they're not getting help from this president.

BLITZER: Yes.

INSLEE: Today, he said that the problem were leaves on the forest floor.

What a bunch of ignorance. And for the president to try to tell us we're not managing our forests, I don't think he could find which end of an axe to hold or pitch a tent without an instructional manual.

It's not leaves on the forest floor. It is hundreds of thousands of acres of cheatgrass and sagebrush that is now so dry that it's basically like an inch of gasoline across the surface of the state of Washington. And he continues -- in fact, he expressed some pride in taking us out of the Paris climate agreement that might have helped us do something about that.

BLITZER: All right. INSLEE: Now, when you have (AUDIO GAP) suffering as I have, that is maddening, and I think that's justified.

BLITZER: Very quickly, because we're out of time, you're wearing the mask because of the fumes that are coming in from the fires or because of the coronavirus?

INSLEE: Well, mostly for the coronavirus, but people are masking. It does help them a little bit with the smoke, but not enough.

People still need to stay inside. And that is very difficult. For young people, we have tried to get them to get exercise. We deserve a federal government that will help us breathe. I don't think that's asking too much from a president.

BLITZER: Governor Inslee, good luck to you. Good luck to all the folks out West. We're hoping for the best.

I know this is an awful, awful situation. Thank you so much for joining us.

INSLEE: Take care.

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