Gov. Baker Wasn’t Asked to Take Part in the RNC. And He’s OK With That

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday that he was not asked to participate in this week's virtual Republican National Convention.

It's probably not all that surprising, given how often Baker has criticized President Donald Trump in the past.

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Baker, a Republican, didn't seem too concerned about the slight.

"I'm a lot more focused on what's going on in Massachusetts right now," he said. "We have tons of work to do on a whole series of issues and initiatives that involve COVID, the economy, the budget, education, colleges coming back, K-12 -- there's plenty to do to keep us busy. And by the way, the Bruins and Celtics are both in the playoffs."

The Republican National Convention kicked off Monday featuring a slate of speakers who praised Trump and railed against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Asked if he considers this "his Republican Party," Baker said he describes himself as a member "of sort of the pragmatic and practical Republican Party," and said many of his colleagues in local, state and federal government fall into that same category.

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Sue O’Connell sat down with Amy Carnevale, a delegate from Massachusetts who is attending this year’s Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

"I do believe for many people what they really want most out of their government is some demonstrated commitment to hearing all the voices and then trying to do the things you think make the most sense for the people you're supposed to serve and represent," he said. "I've said before, one of my biggest problems with Washington is I feel like people there spend most of their time trying to convince you who they're against and who their enemies are, and I wish they'd spend a lot more time worrying about the fact that they represent all of the people of the United States."

Along those lines, Baker said he wishes Republicans and Democrats alike would get around to creating a relief package and a stimulus to help people who have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

"A lot of people made a lot of commitments around this and I would really like to see them follow through," he said.