This interview was held on September 2, 2020 via text, every answer is printed here as given by the candidate with edits indicated in brackets. The Candidate was asked 8 questions, some of which were individualized.

As the incumbent President, much of your campaign relies on your term in office. How do you assess your administration’s standing?

Holbrook: I think my campaign is almost entirely dependent upon my time in office, and I have to admit that as of the moment we’ve experienced more setbacks and embarrassments than we’d like to, often due to procedural and social ineptitude. One the other hand, I have scheduled a Joint Session where I plan to give essentially my pitch for reelection, and between now and then I’ll be drafting a platform and preparing for the debates, which I hope we have lots of. If the election was held tomorrow I’m sure I’d lose, but I’m confident I can change that over the coming weeks.

Your ascension to the highest office was rather unexpected. What was your reaction at the time and have you settled into the Oval Office by now?

H: Well, I was surprised to receive messages referring to me as the President all of a sudden. Thanks primarily to great advisors and active cabinet members, I more or less put the house in order, albeit with a couple hiccups as we all know. It’s very sad that Ricca passed away and we all certainly miss him.

What are your plans for the rest of your term concerning legislation, executive orders and foreign policy?

H: I intend to push through as much legislation as possible, and I have a few bills ready. My term is running out and in general I don’t want to leave unfinished business, so unless I’m elected again, most foreign policy actions will be short and sweet. I may instruct the Secretary of State to do some prospecting for trade agreements. On executive orders, I prefer to leave discretion to Congress on legal matters, but where I see fit, I will certainly carry out executive action. I have a few things in mind but I’m haven’t drafted any orders yet.

What foreign policy doctrine do you follow?

H: I subscribe to a doctrine of limited interventionism, chiefly focused on long-term outcomes as opposed to short term goals. The U.S. has caught flack for shortsighted military actions it has taken, so we must be much more measured and careful with how we use force. I believe U.S. foreign policy should center around trade openness and mutual defense with as broad a group of international partners as possible. Armed intervention of the U.S. in foreign affairs should be mostly limited to combatting serious threats and assisting states in repelling foreign invasion or occupation, whether directly or indirectly. I believe the President should consult Congress and the public in matters such as these, and avoid taking unilateral action unless it is in response to a most immediate hostile threat such as an attack by a hostile power.

What has influenced your policy views the most?

H: My reading and analysis of public policy history and my long and varied personal experiences have driven both my personality and perspective. Few know this, but I was actually essentially [expelled] from my high school district, both my parents have criminal and substance abuse histories, I live with my grandparents, and for a few years when I was younger I lived in what I would describe as ‘consumptive poverty’ (no health insurance, very poor nutrition, Phoenix summers with little A/C, bed bugs, no internet, etc). So while it’s true that I’m certainly a very privileged person in many respects, I have experiences that give me a deep empathy for people who are in many dimensions much less fortunate than I am presently. I while I don’t read books a whole lot, I do read basically constantly, mostly on economics, policy, finance, and current events. I like to think I have a wide-ranging perspective on a lot of issues.

Those of us who have known you for a long time remember your passion and skill regarding tax reform quite well. What besides finance and economics are you most passionate about politically?

H: The main thing I’m passionate about aside from fiscal matters is criminal justice, particularly with respect to procedure and sentencing. In my view, criminal justice is one of the most pressing issues of American society, and one of the very few issues where public attitudes towards policy and actual public policy are entirely detached from one another. I believe a Constitutional amendment is the surest and most effective way to help correct our system. Aside from criminal justice, which I’m truly passionate about, I do have a strong interest in (broadly speaking) issues relating to technology, whether in the health, transportation, energy, or other spheres. We must vigilant so that our laws and policies reflect our changing society, and that extends to both material and social domains.

What is your viewpoint on the political climate on Virtual Congress and how do you feel it has changed in the time you have been here?

H: I think the clearest change in VC over time has been the evolution from disorder and chaos to consensus norms and conventions. The server once flashed in and out of disarray, often due to massively unpopular admin actions and decisions. Since then, I believe the server has become more democratic, more stable, and by and large more enjoyable. When it comes to politics strictly, the server has become more civil and nuanced I believe, and we have an impressive flow of legislation nowadays that wasn’t so some months ago. It’s interesting to get a real glimpse of the future of American politics through diverse and impassioned discourse from so many young people.

Finally, what do you plan to accomplish if re-elected for the server and the country?

H: I plan to put the national house in order. The overarching goal of my agenda is to push a major legislative reform package that ensure life is tolerable for as many Americans as possible, in a way which is sustainable, and which is less intrusive on the daily lives of Americans. I believe a greater share of government resources should be used to assist those in need, revenue policies should be more distributionally progressive, and no child in America should go a single day without adequate nutrition, education, and healthcare. I believe a more perfect union means a society with ever greater equality of opportunity, and which ever more adequately promotes the general welfare. We do not need to be like other nations that have different philosophies, we can instead construct and embrace a contemporary and American form of governance, and that is something I hope to help foster.