Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - Two-time Montana Governor Marc Racicot fulfilled a promise to KGVO News on Friday and spent an hour answering questions from Talk Back listeners about his past and current political views.

Racicot Responded to being called a 'RINO'

Racicot responded to a question by a listener who referred to him as a RINO (Republican in Name Only) and he described how he got his start in the Montana Republican Party.

“Back then, while they were strong on criminal justice, which is what I was doing at the time, and there were typical conservative right-center issues that were being confronted all across the country in Montana, just like there are today,” began Racicot. “As a consequence, I just found a sense of comfort with the Republican platform at the time, and as a consequence, that's what I decided to do and ultimately, of course, was granted the privilege of serving in the Attorney General's Office for four years then two terms as Governor.”

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Racicot said While a Republican Governor, he Worked Well with State Democrats

Racicot said while he was governor, all the other major offices were held by Democrats, but he said they were still all able to work together.

“When it gets to the point to where you have an opposition that has to be accompanied by oppression or you have to have a rivalry that has to be accompanied by real vitriol and anger, the Constitution is not being complied with,” he said. “So through those eight years, we worked I think together fairly well. We were all reelected. We all served during that period of time. We all craved the trust of the people that we served more than anything else. And at the end of the day, they are some of my better friends today that I have had throughout the course of my lifetime.”

Racicot referred to former President Donald Trump as being a man and a politician without character.

Racicot said Donald Trump was a 'Terrible, Terrible Influence' on the USA

“But at the end of the day, the most important question for me with a candidate in a political race is whether or not they exhibit the character and the capacity to work with other people and a sense of trying to bring about unity in the United States of America while reaching permanent solutions,” he said.

Racicot went still further with his criticism of the former President.

“At the end of the day, I think that he was a terrible, terrible influence upon the United States of America and the world,” he said. “I think he made our politics angry and bitter. And I think he was misinformed and uninformed most of the time. I cannot subscribe to a leader; I can't join them and support them if they don't lead America with a respect for the Constitution and with the character that allows for them to be able to do the job correctly.”

Racicot also held Trump responsible in great part for the January 6 insurrection.

After spending an hour responding to KGVO’s Talk Back listeners, Racicot said he looks forward to being a regular guest on the show.

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