Rauner Will Not Attend Trump Inauguration, His Main Focus Is Budget
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Governor Bruce Rauner said he does not expect President-elect Donald Trump to feel snubbed that he is skipping the fellow Republican's Inauguration on Friday in Washington, D.C.
He also does not expect Illinois to suffer because he is not going. WBBM's Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports.
Governor Rauner is indeed among those who have publicly announced they will not be attending the new President's inauguration. But, the Governor told reporters it's no snub of Donald Trump. It's because he wants to see a budget passed. So, no hard feelings?
"No, people understand in Washington and around the country that Illinois has big challenges and they know and respect that fact that I am 100 percent focused in Illinois working on getting a balanced budget with structural change for the system," Rauner said. "And they respect that and appreciate it."
Besides, he said, he knows a number of people in the incoming Trump administration and has good relationships with them. That includes former Indiana Governor, now Vice President-elect Mike Pence.
"There is no issue of us not having a good, solid, working relationship with the incoming administration. I worked hard to do that with the Obama administration. I was friends with may of the, Arne Duncan and Penny Pritzker, and many members there. I have friends in the Trump administration," Rauner said. "It's in the interest in the people of Illinois that we have a good, positive working relationship with federal administrations."
And we do, he said.
