Victor Orlando brings tradesman’s approach to NH-02 GOP race | CloseUp
THAT’S RIGHT, FREE GUTTERS, CALL TIME PROOF. USA TODAY. WELCOME BACK TO CLOSE UP. THERE’S A NEW CANDIDATE RUNNING IN THE SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT REPUBLICAN PRIMARY. VICTOR ORLANDO IS HERE THIS MORNING TO DISCUSS HIS CAMPAIGN AND HIS ISSUES. MR. ORLANDO, THANKS FOR COMING IN. THANKS FOR HAVING ME, ADAM. SO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO YOU ARE AND WHY YOU’RE RUNNING FOR CONGRESS. SURE. YEAH. MY NAME IS VICTOR. I’M A TRADESMAN. I’VE BEEN WORKING IN THE TRADES SINCE I WAS IN SIXTH GRADE. I WORKED ALL THROUGHOUT MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, AND WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, I PAID MY WAY THROUGH COLLEGE WHILE WORKING FULL TIME. I HAVE MY OWN ROOFING COMPANY. THAT’S WHAT I DO FOR A LIVING. THE REASON I’M RUNNING FOR CONGRESS IS, HONESTLY, I’M TIRED OF SEEING US DO THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND EXPECT DIFFERENT RESULTS. DEFINITION OF INSANITY. LET’S GET SOMEONE WHO’S ACTUALLY HAD TO WORK FOR A LIVING IN THERE. SOMEONE WHO’S HAD TO DEAL WITH THE SAME ISSUES THAT OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR FRIENDS, AND OUR FAMILIES HAD AND SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY CARES ABOUT DOING SOMETHING. TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE TOP POLICY ISSUES YOU’RE GOING TO BE BRINGING FORWARD IN THIS CAMPAIGN. YEAH. SO THE BIGGEST ONE FOR ME IS AFFORDABILITY. AND I MEAN, ANYONE WHO’S ACTUALLY WORKS FOR A LIVING WHO’S BOUGHT GROCERIES ANYTIME IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN. ANYONE WHO’S EVER HAD TO BALANCE WHEN THEY ORDER THEIR HEATING OIL, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS IN THEIR ACCOUNT WHEN IT SHOWS UP, OR THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY GROCERIES THAT DAY KNOWS WHAT I MEAN. THAT’S THE MAIN THING I’M RUNNING ON. BUT I’M ALSO RUNNING ON OUR FEDERAL DEFICIT STUFF. I MEAN, THE GOVERNMENT, WE DON’T HAVE MONEY TO WASTE RIGHT NOW. WE DON’T NEED THE GOVERNMENT WASTING IT FOR US. AND THE LAST BIG THING I’M RUNNING ON IS A BUNCH OF STUFF. BUT IS IMMIGRATION. EVERY 4 TO 8 YEARS WE GET A NEW PRESIDENT. AND WITH THAT WE COMPLETE PENDULUM SWING OF WHAT’S GOING ON FOR IMMIGRATION POLICY. THAT’S NOT FAIR TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY. IT’S NOT FAIR TO THE IMMIGRANTS. IT’S NOT FAIR TO THE WORKING PEOPLE. AND WE NEED TO HAVE CONGRESS ACTUALLY DO THEIR JOB AND CRAFT AN IMMIGRATION POLICY THAT WORKS. I MEAN, WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS SINCE REAGAN AND CLINTON. THIS SHOULDN’T BE ROCKET SCIENTISTS. WE’RE A COUNTRY BUILT ON IMMIGRATION, YET SOMEHOW WE CAN’T FIGURE THIS OUT. TELL US, YOU KNOW, YOU BRING UP THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE. OBVIOUSLY, THE ROOFING BUSINESS IS ONE THAT IS ASSOCIATED OFTENTIMES WITH UNDOCUMENTED LABOR FORCE. I’M GUESSING YOU WOULDN’T BE SITTING HERE TODAY IF THAT WAS SOMETHING YOU ENGAGED IN. BUT WHAT IS YOUR POLICY ON THAT? HOW DO YOU NAVIGATE THAT PART OF THE ROOFING BUSINESS? YEAH, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO COME HERE WHO ARE WILLING TO WORK THEIR — OFF, WHO ARE WILLING TO DO WHATEVER THEY HAVE TO, TO SURVIVE, TO BE PART OF THE AMERICAN DREAM. AND A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH, ACTUALLY HAVE GREEN CARDS. THEY’VE COME HERE LEGALLY, AND A LOT OF THEM ARE CITIZENS. THEY HAVE CHILDREN WHO WERE BORN IN THIS COUNTRY NOW, AND THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE WANT, THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WORK, WHO WANT TO BE PART OF THE AMERICAN CULTURE, WHO ARE GOOD, HARDWORKING PEOPLE. THE PROBLEM IS WE HAVE RIGHT NOW THERE’S BAD APPLES. AND THAT’S TRUE WITH EVERYTHING. THERE’S BAD APPLES AND DOCTORS, THERE’S BAD COPS, THERE’S BAD EVERYTHING. BUT WE DON’T FIRE THE POLICE FORCE. WE DON’T CLOSE THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE THERE’S BAD APPLES. WE GET RID OF THE BAD APPLES, AND WE CAN’T REALLY BLAME THE IMMIGRANTS TOO MUCH BECAUSE WE DID THIS TO OURSELVES. I’D LOVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IT’S MEXICO OR CUBA OR HONDURAS FAULT THAT OUR IMMIGRATION SYSTEM IS BROKEN, BUT IT’S NOT. WE HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED OUR IMMIGRATION SYSTEM HAS NOT BEEN FUNCTIONING SINCE CLINTON AND REAGAN, LIKE I SAID BEFORE. SO HERE’S A CRAZY IDEA. THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, CONGRESS, THE BRANCH THAT MAKES THE RULES, LET’S FIX IT. 90% OF THE STUFF WE AGREE ON, 90% OF THE STUFF WE AGREE NEEDS TO BE FIXED. SO LET’S STOP BANGING OUR HEADS AGAINST THE WALL AND FIGHTING EACH OTHER AND GET TO WORK AND MAKE THIS STUFF FUNCTION. JUST TO BE CLEAR, YOU CHECK YOUR EMPLOYEES FOR CITIZENSHIP. I DO. OKAY, AND WOULD YOU SUPPORT GREEN LEGAL STATUS? OKAY. SORRY. I’M SORRY. LEGAL STATUS? WOULD YOU SUPPORT A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE ILLEGALLY? IT DEPENDS. SO IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES AROUND THAT. SO ARE THEY HERE LEGALLY BECAUSE THEY HAD AN EXPIRED VISA AND THEY COULDN’T STAY? IT WOULD DEPEND A LOT ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES. IF YOU CAME HERE ILLEGALLY ENGAGED IN ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, THERE’S NO AMNESTY FOR THAT. YOU HAVE TO LEAVE. YOU’RE OBVIOUSLY HURTING OUR SOCIETY. BUT FOR SOMEONE WHO’S CONTRIBUTING, SOMEONE WHO’S BECOME PART OF SOCIETY, SOMEONE WHO HAS CHILDREN, WHO ARE CITIZENS OR ARE MARRIED TO A CITIZEN, A CITIZEN, WE NEED TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF THE SOCIETY BECAUSE THEY ARE AT THIS POINT. LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS PRIMARY THAT YOU’RE IN NOW. LILY TANG WILLIAMS HAS BEEN RUN TWICE BEFORE. SHE’S GOT A FORMIDABLE BASE OF SUPPORT, PROBABLY HAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWINGS OF ANYONE INVOLVED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE POLITICS. HOW DO YOU COMPETE AGAINST THAT IN THIS REPUBLICAN PRIMARY? A LOT OF IT STEMS FROM WORK, RIGHT? THE ONLY THING THAT WE KNOW THAT WORKS WHEN IT COMES TO POLITICAL STUFF OR MARKETING IS THE HARD WORK ASPECT, THE RETAIL POLITICS, DOOR KNOCKING, GOING TO DIFFERENT TOWNS, MEETING WITH PEOPLE, SPEAKING TO PEOPLE. I MEAN, I WAS UP IN ERROL LAST WEEK. I GO TO LANCASTER ALL THE TIME. I’M DOWN IN KEENE AND JAFFREY. I’M ALL OVER THE STATE FOR MY JOB ANYWAY. BUT WHEN YOU’RE THERE, DO THE LEGWORK, WALK UP TO PEOPLE, TALK TO PEOPLE, AND ALSO, LET’S BE HONEST, DON’T BE AN ARROGANT POLITICIAN AND SAY, THIS IS HOW I’M GOING TO HELP YOU. LET’S SAY, HEY, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND ASK THESE PEOPLE WHAT THEY NEED? I KNOW I’M WILLING TO MEET WITH ANYONE, WHETHER IT BE SOMEONE WHO WORKS AT THE POST OFFICE, WHETHER IT BE A POLICE OFFICER, AN EMT, A FIREFIGHTER, A NURSE, A TEACHER. COME TO ME WITH WHAT YOU THINK WE NEED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND WE’LL EVALUATE IT. WE’LL TALK AND WE’LL FIGURE OUT SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR YOU AND FOR EVERYBODY ELSE. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE MILITARY CONFLICT IN IRAN. AND AS WE HAVE THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE’LL NOTE THAT THINGS CAN CHANGE OVER THE WEEKEND, IN THE NEXT 48 HOURS BETWEEN WHEN WE’RE SITTING HERE ON FRIDAY, WHEN THIS AIRS ON SUNDAY. BUT DO YOU SUPPORT THE CONCEPT OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN IRAN? SO, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, I’M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT’S GOING ON IN IRAN RIGHT NOW. THERE’S A LOT OF NEWS COMING OUT FROM WHETHER IT BE THE RIGHT LEANING NEWS OR THE LEFT LEANING NEWS WHERE YOU’RE GETTING DIFFERENT INFORMATION. I DON’T REALLY HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO MAKE THAT CALL. BUT WHAT I WILL SAY THIS IS I SUPPORT OUR MILITARY. AND AS AN INDIVIDUAL, I’M NOT GOING TO MAKE TOO MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE WHETHER I SUPPORT THEM OR NOT. BUT AS A GROUP, IF WE COLLECTIVELY ALL SAY, HEY, LOOK, WE DON’T NONE OF US WANT THIS WAR. WE DON’T WANT THIS WAR. BUT WE KNOW IF WE DON’T SUPPORT OUR MILITARY, OUR SOLDIERS ARE GOING TO DIE AND THEY’RE NOT GOING TO GET THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL. SO I’M CHOOSING TO SUPPORT WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE OUR SOLDIERS ARE SUCCESSFUL AND THEY’RE SAFE. SO ESSENTIALLY, WHATEVER PRESIDENT TRUMP WANTS TO DO, THAT’S WHAT YOU SUPPORT RIGHT NOW. YES. AND TAKE US THROUGH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES WANT TO KNOW NOW WHAT KIND OF REPUBLICAN ARE YOU? RIGHT. YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A MAGA REPUBLICAN, A STRONG SUPPORTER OF PRESIDENT TRUMP. I SUPPORT PRESIDENT TRUMP. NOW. I DON’T ALWAYS SUPPORT HIS METHODS, BUT I SUPPORT MOST OF THE THINGS HE’S TRYING TO DO. I CONSIDER MYSELF A CENTRIST WHERE, LET’S BE HONEST, 99%, 90% OF WHATEVER NUMBER YOU WANT TO USE. DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS ACTUALLY AGREE ON. SO LET’S WORK TOGETHER AND FIGURE THEM OUT. NOW, YOU MAY NOT AGREE WITH TRUMP’S METHODS, BUT A LOT OF THE STUFF HE’S TRYING TO DO, WE AGREE ON THE PRINCIPLES OF THINGS HE’S TRYING TO DO. SO INSTEAD OF ARGUING WITH HIM OVER THE METHODS, LET’S COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT WORKS FOR HIM AND WORKS FOR CONGRESS AS WELL. LET’S ENGAGE AND FIGURE THIS STUFF OUT. DO YOU HAVE ANY POLICY DISAGREEMENTS WITH TRUMP? AREAS WHERE VOTERS ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY, OKAY, WELL, WHERE DO YOU SPLIT? WHERE ARE YOU INDEPENDENT? YEAH. SO I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE TARIFFS BRINGING BACK AMERICAN MANUFACTURING AND STUFF LIKE THAT. I JUST DON’T LIKE THE IMPLEMENTATION. IF YOU’RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT TARIFFS TO BRING BACK AMERICAN MANUFACTURING. I LIKE A MORE SLOW, METHODICAL INCREASE IN THE TARIFF AMOUNT. SO YOU HAVE TIME FOR SUPPLY CHAINS TO ADJUST. AND IT IMPACTS CONSUMERS LESS. IT SEEMS LIKE HE’S DOING IT MORE TO BALANCE TRADE AND MAKE TRADE DEALS WITH IT RIGHT NOW THAN THAT. I DON’T REALLY LIKE THE METHOD HE’S DOING FOR THAT. HOW HAVE YOU SEEN IT IMPACT YOUR INDUSTRY IN ROOFING? WELL, ANYONE WHO’S TRIED TO GET ANY CONSTRUCTION WORK DONE HAS SEEN THE PRICE INCREASES QUITE DRAMATIC. I MEAN, PRETTY MUCH EVERY SIX MONTHS WE GET A LETTER FROM OUR SUPPLY HOUSE OR MANUFACTURERS SAYING EXPECT A 6 TO 12% INCREASE IN PRICING. ALL RIGHT. WELL
Victor Orlando brings tradesman’s approach to NH-02 GOP race | CloseUp
Updated: 10:54 PM EDT Apr 5, 2026
Victor Orlando, a Republican candidate for Congress in New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District, discusses his campaign, taking on former nominee Lily Tang Williams, addressing issues of affordability and immigration, and his support for President Donald Trump.
MANCHESTER, N.H. —
Victor Orlando, a Republican candidate for Congress in New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District, discusses his campaign, taking on former nominee Lily Tang Williams, addressing issues of affordability and immigration, and his support for President Donald Trump.