‘Don’t be a jerk, and don’t be a socialist’: Will Hurd’s advice for 2022

In his six years in Congress, Will Hurd gained a reputation as a pragmatic, problem-solving Republican. In a polarized, culture wars-fixated political climate, he focused on tackling big issues like immigration and national security in a bipartisan way.

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Mr. Hurd graduated from Texas A&M University in 2000 with a degree in computer science – an interest that has guided his pursuits ever since. 

After college, he served in the CIA for nearly a decade, primarily in the Middle East and South Asia, before joining the Crumpton Group, where he focused on cybersecurity. Elected in 2014 as one of the few Black Republicans in Congress – representing a vast, majority-Hispanic swing district stretching across West Texas – Mr. Hurd was a frequent critic of President Donald Trump (but a “no” vote on his first impeachment).

Mr. Hurd chose not to seek reelection in 2020. Today, though based in Texas, he is managing director of Allen & Co., a New York merchant bank, where he helps “technology companies that have a national security,” he explains. He also serves on company boards, including OpenAI, and is a trustee of The German Marshall Fund of the United States, which works to advance transatlantic cooperation.

Mr. Hurd’s book, “American Reboot: An Idealist’s Guide to Getting Big Things Done,” was published last month.

Asked if he plans to run for public office again, Mr. Hurd sidestepped. “Am I on the ballot in ’22? No,” he responded. “Thinking about anything other than the next election, that doesn’t make sense, but if the opportunity comes, I’ll evaluate it.”

The Monitor spoke with Mr. Hurd in mid-March. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

You’ve written this book about focusing on big, tough issues. Wouldn’t it be easier to tackle those inside government instead of outside?

There are a number of ways to influence policy and to influence the country [besides] being in elected office.

We are locked in a new Cold War with the Chinese government. Period. Full stop. This is not my opinion. This is what the Chinese government has said about themselves. They’re trying to surpass the United States of America as the sole superpower, and they’re going to do this by being the leader in a number of advanced technologies. The only way the United States is going to be able to compete with China is if the public and the private sector work together. So, for me, this is a great opportunity to work on this cutting edge that is going to drive our economy into the future.

When I speak with kids now, I actually bring a typewriter. And they all ooh and aah. These kids have never seen it, but it’s something I used when I was in eighth grade. And I tell them that this is old, archaic, and outdated. And then I whip out my smartphone and say, “Imagine a scenario in which this is going to be old and outdated.”

That reality is sooner than we expect, so we need to make sure it’s Western values that drive those things, not the values of an authoritarian government like China. 

I have to ask you about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the U.S. response to it [as of March 15]. I’m particularly interested in your thoughts in the context of that “new Cold War” with China.  

Afghanistan, Ukraine, Taiwan are all connected. Why did Vladimir Putin make his decision to invade, to further invade, Ukraine when he did? Because he saw America’s response, and the world’s response, to what I consider to be a debacle of a withdrawal from Afghanistan.  

Our response [to the invasion of Ukraine] could have been better. ... I think it is within our power to prevent a serious loss of life, which means we should be doing everything to do that.

The Chinese government is seeing this, and they’re thinking, what will the world’s response be when they take Taiwan? And there’s no question, ... they’re going to take Taiwan. If you talk to the Taiwanese government, they say it’s going to be at least by 2025.

Why should we care? Because if the Chinese take Taiwan, they’re going to own 70% of semiconductor manufacturing in the world.

And why do semiconductors matter? They are the building blocks of every technology, not just your cellphone, not just your computer, not just your car, but also your refrigerator. If you think supply chain issues are bad now, wait until the Chinese government controls such an important, critical piece of that supply chain. When you can get access to stuff, the price is going to be exorbitant. And you also don’t want an adversary controlling the guts of a device that’s so critical to everything that we do. 

So, to focus back on Ukraine, are you advocating for boots on the ground?

No, [but] I think the equipment that President Zelenskyy needs, we should be giving them in order for the Ukrainians to fight this themselves.

To pivot to politics now, what are your general thoughts on the direction of the Republican Party at this moment in time?

Look, there were two lessons from the 2020 election: Don’t be a jerk, and don’t be a socialist. The fact [is] that Joe Biden won, and he had absolutely no coattails. But unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on what jersey you wear, Democrats haven’t listened to the American public and they’re going to get wiped in the 2022 election. …

Imagine if the Republican Party was appealing to the hearts and minds of the three largest growing groups of voters: women with college degrees in the suburbs, communities of color, and people under the age of 40. … That’s where I think we should be going. We should be seen as a party that is based on our values. ... If we don’t do these things, there’s going to be another pendulum swing after 2022, and then we’re going to see losses in 2024. 

Do you think Donald Trump is going to be at the top of the Republican ticket in 2024? 

I think he wants everybody to be talking about him. But in the end, you know, I’d give it a 50-50 chance. ... Under his presidency, we lost the White House, we lost the Senate, and we lost the House. That’s not a very good track record. 

To pivot to the border, we’ve seen the numbers – crossings and apprehensions, for example – the continued gridlock over policy changes. What do you think needs to be done?

It is the worst it’s ever been. And ignoring this crisis is going to fuel many of the losses that Democrats are going to see in 2022. ...

What needs to be done? One, start looking at human smuggling and human traffickers throughout Latin America, and use the full force of the intelligence community to dismantle that. ...

Point two, looking for a good-paying job is not a reason to grant asylum. And treating everybody like they’re an asylum-seeker actually impacts the people that have asylum. So, stop doing that.

Three, streamline legal immigration. At a time when every industry needs workers, then streamlining legal immigration is going to relieve some of the pressures on the border. It’s going to help some of the pressures in our business community. And it’s also going to generate additional income for the government because you have more people paying taxes. ... And then plus-up the number of judicial immigration judges to get through some of these backlogs.

Those are all things that can be done.