Andy Beshear on Trump's Rising Prices, Dem Chances in 2028, and Being a Red State Democrat

Who speaks in this episode?

• Alex Wagner (Host) · 11 min speaking
• Andy Beshear (Guest) · 20 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 5:00: Donald Trump, Democratic Governor's Association, Abigail Spanberger, Alex Wagner
2. 5:00 – 10:00: Kentucky, Donald Trump, American Dream, Argentina
3. 10:00 – 15:00: Kentucky, factory, abortion, anti-LGBTQ legislation
4. 15:00 – 20:00: Kentucky, anti-DEI bill, content creator, Democratic Party
5. 20:00 – 25:00: anti-choice bills, American Dream, Donald Trump, factory
6. 25:00 – 30:00: content creator, Crooked Con, Daily Beast, Democratic Governor's Association
7. 30:00 – 30:41: Democratic Party, Kentucky

Notable quotes from "Andy Beshear on Trump's Rising Prices, Dem Chances in 2028, and Being a Red State Democrat"

• Are live at Crooked Con with a Democrat who sits in the state house against literally all odds, Kentucky Governor Andy Basher.

  about Kentucky · at 0:07

• Reasons that Spanberger and Cheryl won, I think they also won for a lot of the reasons that Donald Trump won in 2024. where the American people are right now is desperate. that…

  about Donald Trump · at 2:55

• Sweaty bacon Donald Trump. I we are in Washington DC. You mentioned the price of healthcare, right? And open enrollment started November 1st on my podcast. we talked to someone whose health insurance is going.

  about Washington, D.C. · at 4:13

• President that will do anything he wants. that is sending billions of dollars to Argentina during a shutdown.

  about Argentina · at 5:49

• I would just say if you look at policy alone, the Democratic party is much more concerned with the health and welfare of Trump voters than Trump. If you look at where the federal monies have gone in appropriations bills in.

  about Democratic Party · at 7:28

• People. And so, I'll stand up for my conviction, but I'll be opening a factory the next day. I'll stand up for everybody's rights, and I'll always stand against discrimination…

  about factory · at 13:31

• And thank goodness that Democrats have now recognized what content creators can do and they are here with us helping to spread the message in their own way. We need to make sure we show them the respect that their.

  about content creator · at 16:12

• Our people? I vetoed every anti-LGBTQ bill that's come to my desk. I vetoed four anti-choice bills that have come to my desk. So, I think I've I've shown that you can stand up…

  about anti-choice bills · at 19:59

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Donald Trump — Person · 7 mentions · first at 2:59
• Alex Wagner — Person · 1 mention · first at 0:04
  Hello everyone. Thank you for getting up early. Is it early? I don't know. It's early for me. I'm Alex Wagner and we are live at Crooked Con with a Democrat who sits in the…
• Abigail Spanberger — Person · 1 mention · first at 0:51
  The incoming chair of the Democratic Governor's Association, I am so proud of Abigail Spanberger and Mikey Cheryl.
• Josh Shapiro — Person · 1 mention · first at 23:28
  Such a deep bench of incredible Democratic governors from your Gretchen Whitmers to your Josh Shapiro to your Josh Stein to Katie Hobbs who's going to have a tough race but is going to win. Wes Moore is a great friend of mine.
• Josh Stein — Person · 1 mention · first at 23:30
  Democratic governors from your Gretchen Whitmers to your Josh Shapiro to your Josh Stein to Katie Hobbs who's going to have a tough race but is going to win. Wes Moore is a great friend of mine.
• Katie Hobbs — Person · 1 mention · first at 23:30
  Democratic governors from your Gretchen Whitmers to your Josh Shapiro to your Josh Stein to Katie Hobbs who's going to have a tough race but is going to win. Wes Moore is a great friend of mine.
• Wes Moore — Person · 1 mention · first at 23:34
  Josh Stein to Katie Hobbs who's going to have a tough race but is going to win. Wes Moore is a great friend of mine.
• Daily Beast — Person · 1 mention · first at 29:54
  They might not. They would just be Mr.
• Andy Beshear — Person · 1 mention
• Gretchen Whitmer — Person · 1 mention
• Mikie Sherrill — Person · 1 mention

Companies & orgs

• Democratic Governor's Association — Company · 3 mentions · first at 0:44
  I do. Let me start by saying as the incoming chair of the Democratic Governor's Association, I am so proud of Abigail Spanberger and Mikey Cheryl.
• Democratic Party — Company · 3 mentions · first at 7:30
• Crooked Con — Company · 2 mentions · first at 0:07
  Early. Is it early? I don't know. It's early for me. I'm Alex Wagner and we are live at Crooked Con with a Democrat who sits in the state house against literally all odds, Kentucky Governor Andy Basher.
• Feeding Kentucky — Company · 1 mention · first at 6:22
  I got to ask, so you directed 5 million from the state budget reserve to Feeding Kentucky food banks. Are people in your state, first of all, do people in your state understand…
• USDA — Company · 1 mention

Products & tech

• factory — Product · 3 mentions · first at 13:34
• Medicaid — Product · 1 mention · first at 9:42
  Their premiums go up. And when you think about that rural hospital, take away that Medicaid funding and they're struggling, but then take away the extra people who were covered…
• recycled paper mill in Henderson — Product · 1 mention
• SNAP — Product · 1 mention

Concepts & topics

• Tariffs — Concept · 2 mentions · first at 3:37
  His tariffs are making everything more expensive. that new home, those groceries, his big ugly bill is going to gut rural health care and make it so hard to see that doctor. So, when you.
• open enrollment — Concept · 2 mentions · first at 4:17
  Sweaty bacon Donald Trump. I we are in Washington DC. You mentioned the price of healthcare, right? And open enrollment started November 1st on my podcast. we talked to someone…
• American Dream — Concept · 2 mentions · first at 6:59
  Be that party that doesn't just support Democrats. We've got to be that party that believes in the American dream, that believes that with a hand up, not a hand out, that…
• pandemic — Concept · 2 mentions · first at 8:00
  Rural hospitals that may close. 20,000 Kentucky healthcare workers who helped us through the pandemic, who walked into CO wings when they didn't have enough PPE to protect…
• content creator — Concept · 2 mentions · first at 16:15
• anti-choice bills — Concept · 2 mentions · first at 20:04
• miracle of the fishes and the loaves — Concept · 1 mention · first at 7:13
  Is just the basic for me. I'm I'm a guy that's driven by my faith. And in my faith, the miracle of the fishes and the loaves is in every book of the gospel, which means it's…
• coal mining — Concept · 1 mention · first at 11:59
  Still remember there's a town in a county in Kentucky called Henderson. And Henderson is a former coal mining county. It had been blue in the past and it was trending red. In…
• trans rights — Concept · 1 mention · first at 13:06
  Okay. Right on. But you've also championed issues like trans rights and abortion and or reproductive choice and universal health care. how do you do that in a way that is both keeps you in office and is palatable to your.
• abortion — Concept · 1 mention · first at 13:08
  Okay. Right on. But you've also championed issues like trans rights and abortion and or reproductive choice and universal health care. how do you do that in a way that is both keeps you in office and is palatable to your constituents?
• universal health care — Concept · 1 mention · first at 13:11
  Also championed issues like trans rights and abortion and or reproductive choice and universal health care. how do you do that in a way that is both keeps you in office and is palatable to your constituents?
• anti-LGBTQ legislation — Concept · 1 mention · first at 14:04
  I'm running for reelection and my legislature passes the nastiest piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation we had ever seen.
• anti-DEI bill — Concept · 1 mention · first at 19:26
  Should run from that. We should stand up against discrimination. I vetoed every anti-dei bill that's come to my desk as governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
• diversity — Concept · 1 mention · first at 19:40
  Demonized a three-letter acronym claiming it's a four-letter word, diversity is always going to be a strength and always has been. you get to a better solution if you have…

Places & events

• Kentucky — Place · 12 mentions · first at 0:13
• Washington, D.C. — Place · 2 mentions · first at 4:16
• New Jersey (Jersey) — Place · 1 mention · first at 2:24
  Going in. winning a governor's race when you have a still popular Republican governor and then in New Jersey, we hadn't had three straight terms of Democratic governors in 60…
• Argentina — Place · 1 mention · first at 5:53
• Henderson, Kentucky — Place · 1 mention · first at 12:34
  And then he said the phrase, Green jobs to Henderson, Kentucky.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 Hello everyone. Thank you for getting up early. Is it early? I don't know. It's early for me. Um, I'm Alex Wagner and we are live at Crooked Con with a Democrat who sits in the state house against literally all odds, Kentucky Governor Andy Basher.

0:16 Thank you all. Uh, Governor, it is quite a week to be at this convention. Isn't it a great week after Tuesday? Um, and I'm just going to start with a question I think everybody's asking elected Democrats is, do you have kind of a unified theory of the case in terms of what went down on Tuesday?

0:41 Uh, I do. Let me start by uh saying as the incoming chair of the Democratic Governor's Association, I am so proud of Abigail Spanberger and Mikey Cheryl. And while I do have a theory that I believe is a reality, that shouldn't take away from either of those candidates. Yeah. who worked hard, who took days and weeks and nights away from their family, and who are going to govern really well. They're going to both be great governors um in their states. Uh I think both won and and we won a lot of other races uh because we've now recognized that people aren't as political as we think they are. When they wake up in the morning, we may be thinking about the next election, but they're not. What they're thinking about is their job and whether they can support their family. They're thinking about their next doctor's appointment for themselves or their parents or their kids. They're thinking about the roads

1:37 and bridges they drive, the school they drop their kids off at, and whether they feel safe in their community. When we spend 80% of our time on those issues that matter to 100% of the American people, we gain extra votes. We win tough elections. And I think I am living proof that Democrats can and should be winning everywhere. Um, one of the things about Spanberger and Cheryl, since you mentioned is their ability in a year to flip a significant number of Trump supporters to the Democratic side of the aisle, I think both of those women flipped 7% of Trump voters who voted for Trump in 2024 to be Spanberger and Cheryl supporters.

2:17 Well, and both races were challenging going in. I mean, winning a governor's race when you have a still popular Republican governor and then in New Jersey, we hadn't had three straight terms of of Democratic governors in 60 years. So, not only did they win what should have been tough races, they ran away with both of them. Really impressive.

2:37 I noticed you didn't mention Zor and Manny when we were talking about the wins.

2:41 That's because I'm head of the Democratic Governor's Association. Sure. But, uh,

2:46 but but same same reason. Here's my hot take. I actually believe that not only did Mandami win for a lot of the same reasons that Spanberger and Cheryl won, I think they also won for a lot of the reasons that Donald Trump won in 2024. I mean, where the American people are right now is desperate. I mean, that next bill coming due could put them under. One car repair could be the difference between making it or not. And I get that people care about a lot of issues, but if you're worried about the cost of your child's next prescription, it's hard to get to anything else. And so what we saw is voters who are willing to vote for the people they think were most focused on helping them get through tomorrow and next week. But when you look at that 2024 election, Donald Trump made those promises and then he did the exact opposite.

3:37 His tariffs are making everything more expensive. that new home, those groceries, his big ugly bill is going to gut rural health care and make it so hard to see that doctor. So, when you look at that flip of Trump voters, it's both that our candidates were more focused on where people are right now, on trying to make their lives a little bit easier and a little bit better. And Donald Trump has betrayed them with the way he's governed this last year.

4:02 Yeah, I remember the table full of sweaty bacon that he stood in front of promising to bring the price down. That bacon's still sweating. Um

4:10 that's an image. Yeah. You're you're welcome everyone. Sweaty bacon Donald Trump. Um I we are in Washington DC. You mentioned the price of healthcare, right? And open enrollment started November 1st on my podcast my podcast. Uh we talked to someone whose health insurance is going up from $110 a month to $886 a month. These premium increases are real. The federal subsidies question is urgent. Uh it's whether or not you can afford your child's prescription. What do you make of the Democratic strategy on the shutdown so far?

4:40 Well, the Democrats have been very clear that this is the issue and that they have been um uh very very focused and ensuring that um everyone is carrying the message that is the reality that things are already too expensive. Families are already struggling to put food on the table even before the president refused to pay SNAP benefits when every other president in every other shutdown has. If people go hungry during this shutdown, it's because Donald Trump decided they should go hungry and not for any other reason.

5:16 By the way, uh I was proud to be one of the governors and a bunch of AGs. We stood up to this president. We went to court. We got the ruling that at least partial payments could come out. And then some of my Kentucky employees when we got the first word at 900 p.m. at night went in worked to 3:00 a.m. We became the first state to put benefits on people's cards because of their great work.

5:39 Well, do I mean the administration has gone back and forth. They said we're going to partially fund SNAP. We're now we're going to do like threequarters or twothirds. I can't remember.

5:47 What what what I think is rich is a president that will do anything he wants. Um that is sending billions of dollars to Argentina during a shutdown. says he can't feed people because his lawyers tell him he can't. Um, the USDA had up on their website that you can do this and now we have two court orders saying they could do it. What's very clear is this president was willing to use starving people as leverage for a fight in Washington DC. That's cruel. It's wrong and we deserve better.

6:16 I mean, I got to ask, so you directed 5 million from the state budget reserve uh to Feeding Kentucky food banks. Are people in your state, first of all, do do people in your state understand that the reason there is this crisis is because Donald Trump wants to starve the country?

6:32 Well, I think people are are starting to see it, but when you're when you're hungry,

6:36 Yeah. you're not necessarily even looking for blame. You're just looking for help. And so, what I've tried to do is is surge um those dollars to our food banks. I'm not worried at the moment about who somebody voted for or whether they're going to change their mind. I'm worried about their kids having enough to eat tomorrow. And and listen, we've got to be that party uh that doesn't just support Democrats. We've got to be that party that believes in the American dream, that believes that with a hand up, not a hand out, that families can do better, that believes that there is a better life waiting for people. And this is just the basic for me. I mean, I'm I'm a guy that's driven by my faith. And and in my faith, the miracle of the fishes and the loaves is in every book of the gospel, which means it's pretty darn important. And in a country where we grow enough food for everybody, you know, no one should starve. And that

7:24 shouldn't be a democratic principle. That should be a basic part of our humanity.

7:28 I mean, I would just say if you look at policy alone, the Democratic party is much more concerned with the health and welfare of Trump voters than Trump. If you look at where the federal monies have gone in in appropriations bills in in terms of food stamps, look at the big ugly safety net. Yeah. The big ugly. I'm so glad you call it that because I I need we need one big beautiful bill. So, so just in Kentucky, a Trump plus30 state, we're going to get hard hit harder than anywhere else. We've got 35 rural hospitals that may close. 20,000 Kentucky healthcare workers who who helped us through the pandemic, who walked into CO wings when they didn't have enough PPE to protect themselves or their families are going to lose their job. Hundreds of thousands of Kuckians are going to uh lose their health care coverage. And that's just the health care side. Each of these rural hospitals is the biggest payroll in their

8:18 community. They're the second biggest employer behind the public schools. They close or they downsize. You lose the local restaurant, the local coffee shop, the local bank. Uh what this does is it punches rural America in the face over and over and the pain that people are going to feel. Uh we've got to make sure they know where it came from. Yeah.

8:38 And I'll tell you, people are starting. Uh there is a business in in western Kentucky, a small business um that gets its materials from different places um and then uses US labor to assemble their product and they were growing. But guess what? The tariffs have have increased prices so much they can't pass them on to the consumer. And so this small business is having to lay people off. And when you do that in a small business, in a small town, you go to church with these people. uh your kids play soccer together and he is telling every single one of them that the reason they're being laid off is because of Donald Trump and he's right.

9:11 Okay. Um so just to circle back to the government shutdown, you think Democrats should stand strong?

9:19 I believe that that Democrats have to force a vote uh on on extending these subsidies and and I am worried uh because open enrollment has started sadly the damage might already be done. you look at at premiums going up for everybody on the exchange, but also everybody else Yeah. is going to see their premiums go up. And when you think about that rural hospital, take away that Medicaid funding and they're struggling, but then take away the extra people who were covered that the hospital gets reimbursed at a higher rate and suddenly there are fewer of those because they can't afford it on the exchange. You get hit twice. And so all those hits to healthcare and all those hits to the economy uh get even even worse.

10:01 I mean, when you think about that, well, let's just talk about how the dynamics are playing out in your own state, right? First of all, you have a Republican supermajority right?

10:12 Not so super. Just a term of art. Um how how are you how do you navigate that? How do you get anything done?

10:23 Yeah. Um, I'm first of all, even with all that, I'm really proud of what we've done in Kentucky. And I think it shows that when Democrats win, we do something that Republicans can't. We govern well. Uh, but with that said, it's it's it's that idea that most things that matter to people aren't partisan. And and it's like we've tried to make everything political, and it's part of the division that has swept this country. And one of the most important reasons that we've got to win is to heal the country and to welcome people uh back in to make sure that our kids have the type of America and the stability in America that that we had that um you know elections people might be a little more this way or a little more that way. But you were never worried about the future of the country or or global stability uh when we were growing up. Um but but you know I think that right now it's just so important um

11:16 that we are running the right people uh that we are running uh folks that are focused on everyday needs. And in Kentucky um that's what I've tried to do. I've tried to take as much of the politics out and share as much of the credit as I can. And and part of it is that we're winning. You know, since I've been governor, we brought in more private sector investment, more new jobs, the best three-year average for wages, broke our export records, broke our tourism record three straight times. Drug overdose deaths are down three straight years, thank God.

11:48 But, but when you have one of these winds, it helps everybody. So, I was telling you a little bit about this. I still remember um there's a town in a county in Kentucky called Henderson. And Henderson is a former uh coal mining county. It had been blue in the past and it was trending red. In 2019, I won it by about 500 votes. I thought that would be the last time. Um and about 3 months before my reelection, we opened the cleanest, greenest recycled paper mill in the country in Henderson. And I'll never forget at the groundbreaking um the uh owner who's an Australian comes on the big screen. It had to have been 2 a.m. or something there. and he says, "We're bringing 350."

12:30 And then he said the phrase, "Green jobs to Henderson, Kentucky." And you know what everybody did? They gave him a standing ovation because they paid $40 an hour.

12:45 And and and so you might think that people get caught up in the politics, but that was a better life for everyone there. Ended up winning Henderson by 1500 votes the second time. Three times more. Do people know you're a Democrat? I'm kidding. Um,

13:02 if if you look at my social media, yes. Okay. Right on. But you I mean, you've also championed issues like trans rights and abortion and or reproductive choice and universal health care. Like, how do you do that in a way that is both keeps you in office and is palatable to your constituents?

13:19 Well, I think it's primarily two things. Number one, I stand up for every conviction that I believe in, but I still spend 80% of my time on things that matter to a 100% of the American people. And so, I'll stand up for my conviction, but I'll be opening a factory the next day. I'll stand up for everybody's rights, and I'll always stand against discrimination, but I'll make sure we're opening a road that week where people save 20 minutes each way. But the other thing I do is I explain my why. You know, Democrats are very good at the what. We're really deep into the policy. Policy point 2, sub.3, bullet point 4, I I I. But how often do we talk about our why? What drives us? And so I'm running for reelection and my legislature passes the nastiest piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation we had ever seen.

14:07 They have $10 million of ads ready to go. And you know what I do? I veto that bill because it's the right thing to do. But but I also explained my why. Now I said I'm driven by my faith which teaches me that all children are children of God. And so I don't want people picking on those kids. Said if the legislature is going to show them hate, I'm going to show them love. If the legislature is going to show them judgment, I'm going to show them acceptance. If this legislature is going to attack them, I'm going to be a governor that stands up for them. I didn't lose a single point.

14:41 Wow. Wow. I won by more in re-election by far than in my actual initial election.

14:47 What I mean, but but can I add one more thing to that? Um, the next day I am opening a factory, cuz you always have to be. And there's a guy in a trucker hat that makes a beline towards me. And I thought, "Oh my goodness, I know what's coming." And I've been on the other end of that. But he sticks out his hand and he says, "Uh, Governor, I'm not sure I agree with what you did yesterday, but I know you're doing what you think is right."

15:13 And he patted me on the back and said, "I support you." Well, when we have the respect for people who always vote for us or never vote for us to explain our why, we at least create the opportunity for a little bit of grace and a little bit of space for people to think a little differently or to have some differences of opinion but understand this is the party with the candidates that believe in them and are trying to make their life better.

15:36 Can we dig into that a little bit though? Because I think there are people that want to explain the why, but they or dem Democrats, progressives, but they haven't figured out how to do that tonally or in terms of the the the line of communication. I mean, h how do you have that dialogue when it feels like we're we live in such a bifurcated world where, you know, people, you know, are are marinating in their respective echo chambers? How do you how do you I mean, how do you bridge that gap? How do you do that? like practically,

16:05 yeah, you you do it in a way that's real and authentic to you. Uh we have a lot of great creators that are here with us. And thank goodness that uh Democrats have now recognized what content creators can do and they are here with us um helping to spread the message in their in their own way. We need to make sure we show them the respect that their large audiences um have earned them and recognize how important that that communication is. But I think each and every one of them would say that their audience in part is there because they are themselves. They are real. I mean, I don't know how to be anybody else. And certainly I came in um as governor and the pandemic hit three months later.

16:47 That is not cause and effect. But I gave an update every day, every day for a year and a half. I read the death list every day for a year and a half because I didn't want anybody else to have to do it. Hardest thing I've ever done. But when you do that and when you have to go out and say things they told you you shouldn't say in politics like I don't know or I was wrong or I'm sorry because of of X, you you tear away any facade that might be there. You tear back all the rules and people actually see you. And so it was about then that people stopped calling me governor and started calling me Andy in Kentucky. And I love it. Right. It's a real relationship with our people where we can disagree on things u but also care about each other and and want to do the best for everybody. And so I think everyone has to find their why. It comes from different places but it's got to be real and people have to be vulnerable

17:39 enough to express it. I wonder if you think, you know, as we look at Tuesday or just even what you're saying about being authentically part of the community, being authentically who you are, is there any concern that the Democratic tent is so big that you can do well at the state level, right? But how do you have a national candidate that is authentically themselves and appeals to this vast vast country? I

18:02 I love that question because two years ago, we were saying the Democratic party was too small.

18:07 Yeah. Wow. That if you didn't fit every litmus test that you couldn't be a part of it. Um, listen, elections are about math.

18:16 You've got to be a big tent party to win. And I think we as Democrats have recognized that we want people that are strong on the convictions that we have. But look at what we have in the White House right now. You know, the most important thing we have to do is win. And we've got to win with people that are going to lead well. We've got to recognize that some people who win won't share every single value that we may have, but we'll share a lot of them. And if the focus is on bettering people's lives, if the focus is recognizing that everyone will do better and will have less division if if they can pay their electric bill, uh if they can um send their kids to the afterchool program they need, if they can afford the therapy for a special needs child, you know, if we as a party put all of that first, then we can not only be a big temp party, we can be one that gets results.

19:07 I'm hearing affordability as a central plank for Democrats going forward. But are there issues you think Democrats should distance themselves from?

19:15 I think if you have a conviction, you ought to stand for your convictions. That's part of who you are authentically. And I don't think we should run from that. We should stand up against discrimination. I mean, I vetoed every anti-dei bill that's come to my desk as governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. And and while the other side may have demonized a three-letter acronym claiming it's a four-letter word, um diversity is always going to be a strength and always has been. I mean, you get to a better solution if you have people from different backgrounds offering their experiences knowing that we're all shaped um by by how we've grown up and and and the different things that we've uh experienced. I mean, how can we lift all of our people up if we're not listening um to all of our people? Um, I vetoed every anti-LGBTQ bill that's come uh to my desk. I vetoed four anti-choice bills that have come uh to my desk. So, I

20:09 think I've I've shown that you can stand up for your convictions and still uh win. But I'm going to go back 80% of our time on things that matter to 100% of the American people. See, I I believe that that if we are viewed as distracted, that's when people vote the other way. They're not voting the other way because they might have one different uh opinion on on a culture war issue or or or a conviction. Um they're voting a different way because they believe that's the only thing we're focused on. Maybe at the expense of them being able to pay that next bill or being safe in their community.

20:45 So you can veto anti-choice bills just be a factory opening the next day. It is helpful.

20:52 Um yeah, a new a new health clinic's good, too. Um, are Democrats too reliant on anti-Trump sentiment as as a sort of motivating factor?

21:04 I think when you look at the governor's races, they each carried their own message. And that's really exciting. I mean, we as a party have to be more than just against someone. We've got to be for something. And and and yes, being anti-Trump creates energy, but energy needs direction. You know, with the American people crying out for a better life, that's what we need to be talking about. Now, the two are really closely aligned because Donald Trump's tariff policy is making every day harder and everything costs more. And the Democrats can come with that alternative uh that we're going to try to lower the price of housing, that we're going to increase the supply uh of housing. Now, we do as we move forward have to not just win, we've got to get results. And I think that means we've got to be a little introspective, too. Maybe even a little self-critical. I mean, when we look back, um, we saw some amazing bills

21:58 passed during the last administration. Yeah. But we saw them take far too long to be implemented.

22:04 Yeah. If we believe in internet for all, if we believe this is something basic that everybody around the country needs, it can't take two and a half years and we still have no fiber in the ground.

22:14 Yeah. Rural. and and so we've got to be a party of results um of the right levels of rules and regulations that protect the environment and protect our people, but we need to make sure we don't overdo it so that we can create that better life as fast as we can for our people.

22:29 I mean, I'm not suggesting you're going to be running for president in 2028. Are you sure?

22:40 You're just doing all this media and talking about your stellar record as a Democrat that can win in a red state for, you know, good good advice.

22:48 Am I doing all that? What's that? If you know, you were looking at the landscape. How do you think running for president as a Democrat in 2028 will be or should be different than in 2024 setting aside 107 days in the actual time frame of running? Right. But like what what lessons can be learned or should be learned?

23:08 Well, I'm a little biased. Um but I believe our next president should be a Democratic governor.

23:14 Oh, interesting. And I and I say that because um I got a lot of great colleagues. Now, we've got uh such a deep bench of incredible Democratic governors from your Gretchen Whitmers to your Josh Shapiro to your Josh Stein uh to Katie Hobbs who's going to have a tough race but is going to win. Wes Moore is a great friend of mine.

23:37 Um to possible running mate to to our I'm just here I'm just here offering color commentary.

23:47 I mean you we we but but what we have to do is is we have to get results. uh we have to be common sense, common ground and then we have to deliver for our people. And I think it's important that the next president who must be a Democrat is somebody that can not only uh bring our country back together, get us past this US versus them, which I believe is one of the biggest threats, but also has to restore faith in the American dream. And that's the second biggest threat to our country. You know, right now so many people believe if they work hard and play by the rules, they still can't get ahead. And we've got to make sure that we have a president that can not only uh build back the federal government in a way that is more efficient, that's quicker, and that gets better results, but ultimately has to make sure that our people are doing better and has to be focused on that every day. I think that means you're

24:38 going to have a cabinet that's going to have a lot of governors because it's not just the cabinet secretaries that are are no longer there with experience. It's the head of each of these agencies. And governors are people who aren't just leaders, they have leaders in their states in some of these same uh areas. Um and I get to talk to my colleagues um all the time. Uh they love this country. Um they're ready to do everything they can to to to build um a better country. And so, you know, I'm also the incoming chair of the Democratic Governor's Association.

25:07 Right. Sure. No, this governor's this answer helps me call each of them and tell them I need their help.

25:13 Yes. Cool. Uh but like I mean are there things that in the postmortem and first of all in the context of 20 the the election wins on Tuesday right and the loss the profound loss on election day 2024 like are there things Democrats should not repeat? So, if you look at 2024 versus 2025, um 2024, you know, I think that the strategy near the end for Democrats was we've got to do 84% with this group and 76% with this group and 65% with that group. And the Trump campaign said, let's do 3% better with everyone. And what we saw through that is regardless of what demographic you fall in, if you can't pay the bills, that's your number one issue. that yes, we have differences in in in our backgrounds that should be respected, but we're not as different as people think when it comes to our basic uh everyday needs. I think how we won this time was making sure that we had those one, two, or three messages

26:10 because that's what's so important to the people of the country uh right now. And so I think it's we we don't fall back into this idea of the coalition with x% here and x% there. We go out and we fight for every single vote in every single area. We start talking to rural voters again. We make sure that at every level of the socio uh economic that we're we're working uh for people and that ultimately when we win, we deliver. We make life better for people. I think those are the lessons that we've learned. Um, I want to ask you just as we wrap it up, the idea of I mean in politics these days, it feels like one of the sort of central organizing principles of successful campaigns is people feel an emotional um identification. They feel community with the candidate and even inside the campaign, right? You see that with Trump, right? There's a strong sense of self identification with Trump. Probably

27:05 a little bit zealous. Uh, and then there's, you know, even with Mumani's campaign, right? He had 90,000 volunteers. They knocked on two million doors. There's a huge sense of belonging identity camaraderie community. How do you do something like that from the middle? Right? Like I feel like the the sort of more defined your principles are, the more unifying they are, the cooler they are. Uh the the easier it is to recruit people to be part of that what feels like a movement. Can you do that as a centrist?

27:37 Yes. And it's because the most important emotion for people to feel about any campaign is hope. Is hope for a better country. Is hope for a better life. Is is hope that we won't be arguing with our neighbors, you know, four years from now. You know, every campaign ought to be about how we're going to do better and how we're going to better the lives of of the American people. And I think when a campaign gets it right, people feel that hope. I will tell you before Tuesday, what I was trying to do traveling the country is give Democrats and people who are feeling despondent and scared and worried hope. The idea that we got to get off the mat, that this country is worth fighting for. Uh that we've got to get out there and make sure that we win the next election, that we elect people everywhere from school board all the way up, uh to make sure that we're delivering for the American people. And guess what? Tuesday gave us

28:30 all a whole lot of hope. Totally. One last one. Do you need to be cool? Like is not you particularly, although do you but I do feel like we're in this zone where it's like do you have the right memes? Like do you have do you have the right suit? Do you have the right vi I mean you have the right suit. Uh do you like does that matter? Do and do you think you have it?

28:55 I think you've got to pay attention more to media uh than ever before. Uh, I think you've though got to got to be yourself in different ways. You know, I if if you watch the videos we put out, yes, there are videos on on on all all the different issues. And then there's a bunch of me being a goofy dad.

29:14 Great. And part of that is cuz I'm a goofy dad. You know, I love my kids and I love my family. And that's I think things that that people can relate to. But there's no question you've got to show yourself in new and interesting ways. And and that's again why Crooked Con, I think, is so important. First re-energizing everybody that's out there, but then engaging across all platforms. You know, my kids are 16 and 15. Thanks. Um, if if if we weren't doing podcasts, if we weren't doing YouTube, if we weren't working with these content creators, uh, they wouldn't watch different media.

29:52 They would have no idea who you are. They might not. They would just be Mr. Beast and then Dad at home. Well,

29:59 I did make a Mr. Beast video once, though. Well, there you go. Just hitting it on all fronts.

30:04 He He rebuilt six houses after a tornado in Kentucky. Wow, that's amazing. Right on. Um, we are going to leave it there with uh the Democratic Party's red state sweetheart, Governor Andy Basher. Thank you for your time, sir. Thank you for all you do.

30:20 Thank you.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Andy Beshear on Trump's Rising Prices, Dem Chances in 2028, and Being a Red State Democrat"?

Alex Wagner (Host), Andy Beshear (Guest).

What is discussed in "Andy Beshear on Trump's Rising Prices, Dem Chances in 2028, and Being a Red State Democrat"?

In order: 0:00 Donald Trump, Democratic Governor's Association, Abigail Spanberger, Alex Wagner; 5:00 Kentucky, Donald Trump, American Dream, Argentina; 10:00 Kentucky, factory, abortion, anti-LGBTQ legislation; 15:00 Kentucky, anti-DEI bill, content creator, Democratic Party; 20:00 anti-choice bills, American Dream, Donald Trump, factory; 25:00 content creator, Crooked Con, Daily Beast, Democratic Governor's Association; 30:00 Democratic Party, Kentucky.

What is mentioned in this Pod Save America episode?

39 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Kentucky, Donald Trump, Democratic Governor's Association, Democratic Party, factory, Crooked Con. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Andy Beshear on Trump's Rising Prices, Dem Chances in 2028, and Being a Red State Democrat"?

The episode runs 31 min; the transcript is about 5,858 words in 73 timestamped sections.

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