Governor Doug Burgum Visits the Rockefeller Center as Part of the "Path to the Presidency" Series

On Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023 the Rockefeller Center hosted Gov. Doug Burgum (R-North Dakota), who is currently seeking the Republican Party's 2024 presidential nomination, to discuss his vision for America. The event was moderated by Emma Wolfe, Dartmouth College's first Vice President for Government and Community Relations.

Burgum began his remarks by acknowledging his wife, Kathyrn, whom he called "the most courageous First Lady in America." Burgum noted his wife's decades-long struggle with addiction, for which she has been in recovery for 21 years. He lauded her commitment to eliminate the stigma associated with addiction, which he emphasized affects all Americans, regardless of political ideology.

The Governor went on to deliver his opening statement which outlined his campaign's three signature issues: the economy, energy policy, and national security. He faulted the Biden administration for "killing the US oil industry" by destroying the domestic supply of liquid fuels. In turn, Burgum argued, America has been crippled by the "individual tax" of inflation and become dependent on "dirty Russian heating oil" and other foreign competitors. Burgum pointed to his success in business as evidence for the success of his potential presidency.

"That's what we need," Burgum said. "A business person that knows how to compete and win on a global scale."

Upon the conclusion of Burgum's remarks, Wolfe took the stage for a moderated question-and-answer session. She first asked Burgum about his motivation to run for public office despite a successful private-sector career.

"This is about leadership and service," Burgum responded. "When done right, you can really make a difference."

He detailed the uphill battle of his first gubernatorial campaign in North Dakota, which he asserted began "down sixty points in the polls against someone with 100% name recognition five and a half months before the primary." However, he explained that his unwavering belief in healthy competition and "power of the people" kept him in the race, in which he ended up winning the primary by 20 points and the general election by 40 points.

When asked about what surprised him as an elected executive, Burgum pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that COVID showed him "the need for visible leadership and common sense to really dig into a problem and understand it." He proudly pointed to North Dakota's lack of a stay-at-home order for evidence that his administration "nailed it [the pandemic response]."

Wolfe then asked how Burgum differs from former President Trump, who also points to his business background as an integral part of his leadership. Burgum declared that the United States has "never had a presidential candidate who actually understands how the economy works." As a staunch fiscal conservative, he articulated, "we do not need more revenue, we need less costs."

Wolfe's final question was about the Israel-Palestine conflict. Burgum labeled Hamas as a "subsidiary of the parent company Iran" and brought the conversation back to energy policy.

"Guess what country has rapidly increased their oil exports this summer?" Burgum asked rhetorically. "Iran."

Discussing the hostage situation, Burgum said, "we can't buy our way out of this."

The event then opened up to a Q&A with the audience, in which Burgum fielded questions about carbon capture technology, his path to winning the Republican nomination, the toxicity of national politics, and youth involvement in politics. Burgum reiterated his messaging about the interconnectedness of the economy, energy, and national security, and quoted Apple TV's Ted Lasso to say "believe."

Burgum's talk was co-sponsored by the Dartmouth Political Union, who have partnered with the Rockefeller Center in a series entitled "Path to the Presidency."

Written by Varun Swaminathan '26, Rockefeller Center Student Assistant for Public Programs