September 2, 2025 • 46 mins
Andy Beshear is the 63rd Governor of Kentucky, assuming the office in December of 2019. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he was elected Attorney General of the Commonwealth in 2015 and is the son of former Kentucky governor Steve Beshear.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is interrupted by Matt Jones on news radio Waight
forty WIGHTJS.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Now, here's Matt Jones. It is Time, episode twenty one
of interrupted by Matt Jones, and I am honored to
have as our guest for this our governor in Kentucky,
Andy Basheer. I'm gonna call you Andy because I feel
like the whole state calls you Andrey. Are you good
with that?
Speaker 1 (00:25):
But it is my name still Andy, So no worries
at all. Hey, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Of course. You know it's interesting. I think part of
your success as a governor has been in the fact
that people feel like they can relate to you, And
I think the fact that they just call you Andy,
I think in some ways kind of exemplifies that. Do
you do you think that that sort of connection that
allows people to call you governor Andy or whatever is
(00:52):
part of what's gone well? I do.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
I think it's a couple of things. First, it's loving
the state, loving our people, and working my tail off
every day to try to make life better, not just
for people of one party or one area of the state,
but to make life better for everybody. And then the
second piece is not letting the job change you, because
the job can come with some grandeur or a lot
(01:16):
of pomp and circumstance, but at the end of the day,
you're still the same person. And for me, I had
two things that have helped me do that. Number one,
parents who went through this job knowing that they were
still the same at the end of the day. And
number two, a wife and kids who don't let me
get too high on myself when I come home. So
(01:36):
I think what I've always said is if you think
this job makes you smarter, taller, or better looking, than
it's going to eat you up.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
So it didn't make you taller, but I do think
it made you. I do think it made you to
where you showcase and empathy in this job that I
think has been, at least on my personal opinion, your
best talent. And part of that was because you really
got thrown into it. I mean you had just taken
the job COVID hits, and then, of course soon after
(02:06):
all of these tragic natural disasters fourteen of them, fourteen
of them, It'll start for just COVID For a second.
You've been in the job six weeks. Do you remember
the first time you got a report about the possibility
of something happening.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Well, our first case was March sixth of twenty twenty.
I actually had a different report that came in before that.
That looking back is wild to think about. I'm sitting
at a meeting in the Governor's office, probably a month
in so January, and somebody comes and hands me a
card that says we have our first case of a
(02:41):
bola right, And I'm looking at this saying wait, wait,
and I get up and I walk over to my
desk and then I walk into the side room and say,
follow up on this. This has got to be wrong.
And it was. Somebody had absolutely misdiagnosed something to the
worst doctor.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
In Kentucky, you can imagine.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
But to think back on that now and then we
do get hit by a pandemic, you know it was?
It was really you started hearing at the end of January,
and certainly February we were out talking about it. Certainly
not every day.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Could did you think there was any chance it would
be what it was? I mean it was that when
was the moment you said, wait a minute, this is
going to be a life altering thing for people.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
I'd say that happened for all of us, not at
the beginning of March, but by the end of March,
and certainly when we went from our first death to
maybe ten deaths to having one hundred deaths on a day.
And as you know, I read that list every day
for a year and a half, mainly because I didn't
want anybody else to have to. It's one of the
(03:49):
hardest things that I've ever done, but certainly it was.
There was the moments that the stores were running out
of things. Yeah, and as a new governor, I was saying, please,
don't take more toilet paper?
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Are you doing?
Speaker 1 (04:03):
But but what the pandemic proved to me and every
natural disaster is at their core, people are good that
in many ways, Lord of the Flies is wrong. Left
to our own, stripped of everything else, we don't gang
up on each other. We support each other. You saw
people be willing to share and not take too much
in the pandemic light their homes up green, so other
(04:25):
people would would see it. After natural disasters take Eastern Kentucky.
I'm in in February of this year. I'm in Pike
County after that flooding, and I'm standing next to a
woman who had a beauty shop, and it worked more
than a decade to do it, and everything's destroyed. MUD's
halfway up and she she looks at me and says,
(04:46):
where do I start? Well, there were twelve people standing
around us, and every single one of them looked at
her and said, start with us.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I saw, you know, we went to Mayfield, we went
to Breathett County in the and then I was in London.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
And you raise money to help and I appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Well, it was our listeners. It was the people listening
to you right now. And in all those places, I
got that exact sense that you saw the best of
people absolutely during those circumstances. And how much do you
think your governor's ship or just the way you've shaped
politics has come from those disasters has come from because
(05:23):
I think even your harshest critics would say he's good
at that, He's good at comforting people in those moments.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Well, we've sadly had a lot of practice and how
you respond to tragedy and adversity. Part of it is
preparation and execution. The aftermath of all those disasters could
have been a lot worse, certainly our most recent flooding,
and how we were able to preposition the boat teams
and the helicopter teams, meant we've saved thousands of lives
(05:51):
that otherwise might have been lost. So part of it
is that preparation and always afterwards asking what different should
we be doing so that we can be ready the
next time. I mean, our response to these last two
floods has been some of the best I think that
the country's seen because sadly we've gone through a lot,
but the other pieces don't.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Know.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
If you care about people and you've been around people
that have lost a lot, then you know that one
of the most important things is to be there for them,
to make that promise that you're going to help, not
just in those those immediate days after, but in the
years after. I'm heading down to Mayfield next week. Oh really,
and we still have more houses. We're almost through that
wait list though. We are almost really yes to everyone
(06:36):
who has needed a house getting one, which is pretty special.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
You know. So I was telling somebody that works with
you just a little bit ago, I'm blessed to get
to do the opportunity to meet a lot of people
from other places and the folks that I work with.
I'm in a fellowship with the Aspen Institute with people
from all over the country, and so they all want
to talk to me about you because I think the
(07:02):
fact that you are a democratic governor in a Republican state,
there are really only three governor I think there's only
three governors in the country that are governors of a
non swing state but from the other party. I think
it's like you Kansas in Vermont. It's also interesting you
and Vermont the governor there the two most popular governors
(07:22):
in the country of side of the poles. It's rare.
Why do you think it's worked here? And do you
think there are lessons that can be transitioned to other
states in for Democrats or even Republicans in states where
they're not in the majority.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Well, I think for me, it's three things that I
think have helped may be successful as governor and successful politically. First,
laser focused on people's everyday needs. I'm recognizing that when
people wake up in the morning, they're not thinking about politics,
and they're probably not thinking about me as governor. They're
thinking about their job and whether they make enough to
support their family. They're thinking about their next doctor's appointment
(08:01):
for themselves, their parents or their kids. They're thinking about
the roads and bridges they drive each day, the school
they drop their kids off at, and whether they feel
safe in their communities. It's the idea that if you
can't check those boxes, if you don't feel good in
those areas, you don't get to anything else.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Do you think we've gotten away in our party from that? Like,
I feel like a lot of the conversations we have
are significantly less about that day to day stuff than
it is something else.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
So I believe that the Democratic Party has good policies
towards them, but spends a whole lot of their time
talking about other stuff that doesn't impact everyone. So the
idea is, let's spend eighty percent of our time talking
about things that are important to one hundred percent of Americans.
And you know, I've stood up for my convictions. I've
(08:49):
done things that could have been unpopular in Kentucky because
of my beliefs. But the next day I'm opening that
next factory. You know, we're cutting the ribbon on the
Mountain Parkway, on the newest section that's four laned. And
the hope that that's going to bring and I think
that gives me. It gives the space for people to
disagree on this or that, but say, well, he's creating jobs.
(09:09):
You know, I'm making more than I did five years ago.
So I think that's number one. Number two is we
got to get back to talking like normal human beings.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Okay, let's talk about that for a second, because I
talk for a living, yes, right, and I have to
talk like a normal human If you're gonna have my
political beliefs and get people listen to you, you're gonna
have to talk like a normal human being. I think
most of our party is awful at that. You and
I talk differently. You are not quite as outrageous as me,
(09:39):
but we both, I think, share the different jobs. True,
but we both share that conviction. You have to speak
as a normal person. How do you see that?
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Oh, it's important to talk to people like you would
talk to your friends, ensuring that we're not caught up
in advocacy speak.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Right.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
When you get caught up in all the sanitized language,
it sounds it's like you're talking down to people, or
or you're talking yes like that, you know, I mean
the the idea that that in Kentucky. You and I
have both seen what what the opioid epidemic has done well,
and we've all lost people that we love and care about.
(10:17):
I mean, I think I can count at least twelve
and that's probably normal sadly for the most Kentuckians. Yet
I didn't lose one to substance use disorder. I lost
them to addiction and addiction when you when you say it,
you hear it and you feel it. It's mean, it's nasty,
It kills people, and it and that word has the
emotion of the trauma that it's caused all the state
(10:39):
and so many people. But also think about the people
that are in recovery, that have done the hard work
to try to overcome it. They deserve when you say
that they're in recovery from addiction, something that was really
hard to beat and they put in the work and
look at where their life is.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Now, there's the term food insecurity drives me crazy, but
because when people don't have enough food, they're hungry.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
They're not insecure, They're hungry.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Right, they have the hunger pains, they have the difficulty
how do the kids learn that are going through hunger?
And then the newest term is justice involved population. I've
never even heard that those are inmates.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Justice involved population.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
And when you look at when you look at what
we're trying to do, we've got some of the lowest
recidivism rates that we've had in a long time. We're
teaching a skill in every prison. I believe in second chances.
But our inmates call themselves inmates, and we should too.
And then I think the last piece, and I think
it's about authenticity but also about respect is Democrats are
(11:39):
very good about talking about the what we're really good
about policy right point two, Bullet point three III. But
we almost never talk about the why. Why are we
making a decision that we make For me? That's my
family and my faith, that's trying to live by the
Golden Rule and the parable the Good Samaritan. There have
been a number of bills that I've vetoed simply because
(12:00):
they're mean, and my faith tells me that we should
be reaching out with kindness.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
That's interesting. I'm a person of faith too, and it's
very easy for people, like a lot of people say,
how can a Democrat be a Christian? I hear that.
I'm sure you've heard that. Sometimes it drives me insane.
I remember growing up this idea that you shouldn't be
mean to people, and it seems like meanness has been
(12:26):
the goal of some politics recently. Do you agree with
that I do?
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Or cruelty cruelty that's out of the Trump administration. We
are seeing cruelty even if there's a tough decision that
some people think that the country should or should not make.
You can you can approach these issues without that meanness,
without that cruelty, without the intention to create division. Now,
I'll constantly hear this president say that that people of
(12:52):
the other party are the enemy, and that don't don't
like America. Listen. I mean, we say the Pledge of
Allegiance when we're kids every day, and in that pledge,
we pledge to a flag into a country, not a person.
But we also pledge to keep the country indivisible. So
the idea that we would have people pushing cruelty or
intentionally turning Americans against each other, I just think is wrong.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
I agree with that. When you talk about your policies
are driven by faith, give us some examples for what
do you think are some examples of policies that are
tend to be supported by the Democratic Party that are
faith driven. Policies. A lot of people think of faith
driven policies and they'll think of Republican social issues. Are there?
What are things you think that are faith driven for you.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Think about healthcare. In the Bible, Jesus says the doctors
for the sick. Yet these cuts in that big ugly
bill are going to make it a lot harder for
the sick to see a doctor.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
You know.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
It's that idea that healthcare is a basic human right,
that when somebody is ill, they should be able to
see the doctor in their home area and hometown that
they need to. I mean, that's one Look at the
SNAP program, which is food assistance so that people don't
go hungry. The miracle of the fishes and the lows
(14:06):
is one of the only miracles to appear in every
book of the Gospel you have. They're a national Republican party,
just significantly cut how much food is going to be
available to hungry Americans all over the country.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
I want to give you a chance to answer something
that I get said to me. So for people who
are listening to other places I travel over the state,
I'd say, next to a couple of public officials, I'm
probably out in the state as much as anybody. People
pretty much universally respect you. But when I hear a
criticism of you, inevitably it often comes back to like
(14:39):
things you did during COVID, where somebody will say something about, like,
he shut down the churches. When I know you've heard that.
What's your response when people say he shut down the churches,
he made people, you know, get tickets for going to church, etc.
What's your answer to that.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Great The incredible part of COVID, and it's hard to
say there's an incredible place art of dealing with a
pandemic is how many people came together. Now, we had
eight churches that didn't voluntarily close during the scariest period
of time when the virus was spreading, when we did
not have any treatments. In fact, how we were treating
(15:17):
it may have made it worse. There was no hope
of a vaccine at that time, and if it had
spread faster that early, we would not have had enough
beds and the hospital system would have generally collapsed. I'd
like to think that strong leaders make really tough decisions.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Is there anything that you did during that time that
you regret or not regret? God, it's not the word.
But is there anything looking back you say, well, I
wish we'd done it this way instead of that way.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Well, definitely the Tupac Shakur incident, yeah, remind me. So
we open up unemployment, yeah, to help people, and early
on in that somebody comes in and says, we're already
seeing the fraud. And I said, what do you mean.
They said, well, there's this guy named Tupac Shakur who
applied for unemployment benefits. And so I go out, you know,
(16:04):
all upset and and say, I can't believe someone's taking
advantage of us. Well, there's a great gentleman named who
changed his name to Chupac Shakur that was in the
hospitality industry. And one of the reporters that was at
that press conference knew it, so he told me afterwards.
I called him that night and I apologize. I said,
(16:27):
it's all on me, and I'm so sorry. I mean,
I was governor and I basically threw this guy under
a bus and it's just wrong, are And I was
just saying. I came back the next day and I
told the Commonwealth I'd made a mistake. And I think
that's important in our leaders I mean, I did it
because it was the right thing to do, and I
felt so bad about what I'd done. But just being
(16:49):
upfront with people, they can forgive a mistake or two,
But how few people in these positions will say I
shouldn't have done that and I shouldn't have there. Well,
if I if I went back, I mean, I made
every decision, And these are battlefield decisions because I'm getting
that death list every day. What we know about the
(17:09):
virus is is changing, and certainly we had great access
to information actually on the first Trump administration and then
and then under Biden, where we made the best decision
on the science each and every time. Now, if we
knew today, if if we knew then everything we'd known
about the virus would would would it have been nuanced?
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Sure?
Speaker 1 (17:31):
But I think we made every decision based on the
information we had to protect the most number of people.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
I give leaders. I've said this a lot on my show.
I give all the leaders of that era. I give
you all a lot of grace because like I can't
imagine sitting there and looking even people who made decisions
I disagree with, Well, it was you did.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
People didn't know, and just about every decision I made.
Every other governor was making the same decisions at that time.
People forget the person who told me to shut down
this state right now. It was President Trump on the
phone to all the governors. All fifty of us were
(18:12):
on there, and he says, I wish we didn't have
to do this, but this is the scientific advice that
I'm getting now. Later he would argue with the reopening
and speed and different pieces like that, But it was
President Trump on the phone that told us all that
these steps needed to be taken. We were able to
open up or encourage worship faster than the federal government did.
(18:34):
But again, some people want to find a reason to
be upset, and that's okay. It was a tough, stressful,
difficult time. What I'd say to those people is I'm
glad you're still with us. I'm glad you're okay. You
can disagree with me, but I'm glad you're here.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
I can't imagine, okay. So I think about the various
points I've considered public service, and one of the things
I think about is I actually think I would have
a hard time because of guilt slash second myself, right,
like just myself. I think I would have a hard
time sitting there and thinking what if I did this
and it didn't work, and how that would bother me.
(19:10):
You're sitting there and you're seeing these reports of people dying.
Did it weigh on you? I mean, oh, yeah, it
had to. I would think that would have been.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
One of the hardest experiences of my life. And then
because it was the right thing to do, eulogizing people
every day, you know, understanding how much their family misses
them and loves them. But what I also would hear
is how deeply meaningful that was for the family, and
so I wanted to do it. And even for those
(19:42):
that didn't send in the information, just hearing that their
loved ones were recognized and were counted was important. And
that's why when we look back on different statistics of
the rest I tell some people take some of it
with a grain of salt, because some states stopped counting
very intentionally early wanted everyone that we lost to be counted. Now,
(20:02):
we don't talk about the pandemic a lot now, but
it was a deeply traumatic experience for a lot of reasons.
The one we don't talk about is the main reason
why it was so traumatic, because so many people died
in our commonwealth in such a short period of time.
You know, we've been through more loss than World War One,
World War two, Vietnam and the Korean War put together.
(20:23):
And I worry sometimes about whether we've processed it enough
that we need to talk about it a little more.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
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(20:49):
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a second. So I gotta ask you, like, are you gonna?
Are you running for president twenty eight? I mean that's
what everybody say every where I go. I hear, hey,
you know, I look delist of candidates I see, Andy Basher,
is that something on your mind.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
I've heard that question before, and I give the same
answer each time. It's interesting. What's interesting is sometimes I'll
use a different synonym okay, and It'll be reported like
it like I'm breaking news. So right now I'm trying
I'm traveling the country, trying to speak reason in the chaos,
trying to make sure not just Democrats, but Republicans get
back to common sense, common ground and getting things done.
(21:33):
That idea that if both parties would spend eighty percent
of their time on those core issues that one hundred
percent of people care about, if we actually depoliticize those issues,
we're nonpartisan instead of bipartisan, what we could do.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
It's not really an answer, though, is it fair to
say you're considering it.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
I'm still going next year next year on the head
of the of the Democratic Governors Association, and so my
job there is to win as many of those races
and to change the map, and then at that point,
you know, I'll sit down with my family and we'll
talk about it. I would have told you right after
reelection that I was done, okay now, that I was
going to go out on top because This is enough
(22:10):
for me. I love this state, I love the gains
that we've made these last five and a half years.
This is a special job where you can really make
people's lives better, and at that point I was done.
As I sit here today, I'm committed to not leaving
a broken country to my kids or anyone else's. And
so what I'll look at is whether you know I'm
(22:32):
the candidate that can heal this country, that can bring
it back together, or whether that's someone else. Because what's
most important to me is a positive future for this
country where my kids don't have to get up every morning,
run to the news, say what the heck happened last night?
And is our democracy going to continue?
Speaker 2 (22:49):
So is it fair to say, by the way, one
of those governor's races, a good friend of mine from
the fellowship is in Jason Stepez in Georgia, So shout
out to him.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
You're good things.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Yeah, he's a great guy. Is a fair say? You're
at least considering it, you know.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Right now I'm focused on both the work I'm doing
for the country as well as those democratic governors races.
It's after that that I'll sit down, okay, and Brittany
and I will take a look.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
So people, that's the other question I get is do
you think he could be someone that could be a
nominee for president? And it's an interesting because I want
to hope that someone like you our party could still nominate.
But I sort of look at the Democratic Party and
I see three types of people really sort of stepping
(23:37):
to the forefront. One are people like Gavin Newsom who
are like throwing bombs like Trump does, kind of trumping
back to them. Then I think there's like second, like
a group of people like Zoron Mondamie in New York
who their policies tend to be a little bit more socialist,
getting young people who are disenchanted with capitalism. And then
(23:58):
I think there's a third of people who, for whatever reason,
people think fit the part because they like various parts
of them, whether it's demographic or just the way they speak, etc.
And what's interesting is I don't know that you obviously
fit into any of those three categories. But I also
think you're like a ton of Americans that are just
sort of average everyday Americans. So do you think someone
(24:21):
who's like you? I think you've done a great job
governing Kentucky, can you win a national Democratic primer?
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Well, you ask anybody in my seat whether they can
win something, We'll always think the answer is yes. Yeah.
But I think what people are craving right now is
someone who is committed to helping them in their everyday life.
The pressure to pay bills right now, the young couple
that can't afford a home in or around the same
time that their parents could, the American dream and is
(24:52):
it still possible for some right now? And the Trump
administration making it worse. Tariffs atting about twenty six hundred
dollars and costs or will on the average American family
per year, the big ugly bill shutting down healthcare all
over the country to where you're going to have to
drive several hours just to see a doctor. I think
I'm someone that's always focused on those non partisan day
(25:17):
to day issues. And by the way, I think that's
the reason both we have a President Trump and Mundami
one that primary. I think it's that they convinced the
last group of undecided voters that they were more focused
on those everyday issues than their opponent. And so what
that tells me is the American people need help they
want help. They're willing to vote for somebody they think
(25:39):
can help them, even if they're cruel in terms of
the president, or even if they call themselves a socialist.
They want someone who who they believe is committed to
trying to make their life better. That next bill right
now is so hard. It's that idea that you may
have a social issue that you care about so much,
but if you can't pay for your next child's prescription,
(26:00):
vote for anybody you think can help you.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Do you You may know the number of this what's
the percentage of people that voted you think trumpshar.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Well, Trump won Kentucky by thirty points, and I want
it by five.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
The diver electors though in a governor and presidential race.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
But butteen you also have more more Democrats that come
out in a presidential in Kentucky two So yeah, probably all.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Right, So let's say it's fifteen more for people around
the country who are wondering, who are those people who
Do you think those people are that vote trumpshar.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
I think those are are people who look at me
and see somebody who's who's committed to this state, who's
committed to creating those jobs and we've We've got a
good track record.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
You know.
Speaker 1 (26:44):
We brought in the most private sector investment, the most
new jobs, the highest wages, the most exports, the biggest
impact for tourism in the history of Kentucky. It's been
really exciting. And so I think there are some who
say I agree or I disagree with them on some
of the these things, but the state's moving in the
right direction. They might not feel that way necessarily about
(27:05):
the country. And when you can have a personal relationship,
which I think is where we started with a lot
of the state, you can push off some of that
national politics and people say, well, I really don't think
how they're describing him as who he is. What I
see is that new jobs announcement. What I see is
him celebrating that new road that takes twenty minutes off
(27:27):
my commute each way and now I have forty more
minutes with my family.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
I think you're right. I think people in Kentucky, back
to our first point, think they know you, and you
thought about how you're going to make people in the
other forty nine states if that were to happen know you,
Because I do think I will say this, like I said,
I know very few people who know you who don't
like you, but like, do you think do you think
(27:53):
you're able to get people in you know, New Mexico
or Pennsylvania to know you like that?
Speaker 1 (27:59):
That's a slightly different question than I've gotten asked before.
What I've gotten asked before is, well, you win in Kentucky.
Do you think you could win in a swing state?
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Yeah? You could.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
And what I keep saying is, wait, I can win
in a Trump plus thirty red state, but can I
win in a state that regularly or sometimes votes for
a Democrat?
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (28:18):
And I always think that's this fascinating question.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
For me about election. I would even argue, I've said
to people if I was dictator of the Democratic Party,
which we shouldn't have, so I'm glad we don't, I
would say you have the best chance to win a
general election for all the reasons we talked about. I
just worry if people like you can win primaries. I
want to believe that you that they can, but I
(28:42):
don't know.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
I think the two things that have to be most
important to the Democratic Party for their candidate in the
future is, first, the country feels like it's been whiplashed, rightfully,
or wrongfully they feel like it was too far one
way and how they feel it was too far the
other way. For the sake of the country, we need
(29:03):
people to feel like that pendulum is stop swinging and
that they can get back to their normal life. And
then we need somebody who people feel that they can trust,
because we're all glued to the TV right now and
it's and the news is hitting us too many times
a day. It's creating way too much stress on people.
I think people are are are are having even similar
(29:27):
reactions on a mental health side than they did in
the pandemic. And I think they're going to be looking
for stability and competence, and those are two things I
definitely think I can bring to the table.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
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Matt Jones Cornbread Hemp. This is the good life. What's something?
What's something Trump's done that you think has been good?
Speaker 1 (30:43):
His FEMA response in the floods, Yeah, that's the ironic part.
So his FEMA response both in in February and then
in uh March, February and March, where the where the
two floods with some of the best I've seen the
people on the ground in eastern Kentucky, where we had
seen some tough relationships in twenty two, we saw really
(31:06):
positive relationships in twenty five. And so I think that
they deserve credit there. Some of those improvements probably happened
under the Biden administration, but when you're present, you get
to blame, so you ought to get the credit too.
So I've spoken very publicly about that because I only
have the credibility to criticize the Trump administration if I
can also admit when I think they're doing something right.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Is there a policy of his that like, for instance,
I'll just use myself while I'm anti well, I don't
generally like tariffs. I do think Trump has highlighted the
problem of American industry declining. I don't know that he's
done a ton about it, but I do think that
was something that needed to be pinpointed. Are there policies
of his that you think are.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
How about concept okay, concept of is playing? Can yeah? Exactly?
Conceptually him talking about reshoring, Yes, it's critical. Going back
to the pandemic, he did not make the things we
needed to be safe. And so these last several years
Kentucky has seen the reshoring of manufacturing in amazing ways,
(32:09):
huge investments in doing so many things. Look at ge
Appliances making refrigerators where they claimed we'd never make them
in the United States. Again now bringing a line back
over from China. But we were doing that, especially under
the Biden administration when we had different incentives, when we
had the carrot. Well, the Trump administration on tariffs has
(32:30):
exchanged the carrot for the stick. But the problem is
it doesn't work. And the reason it doesn't work is
he wants to have these big tariffs that say, Okay,
you can't afford to import things, so now you have
to make them in the United States. Except you can't
build a new manufacturing facility because your costs could float
thirty percent. Why because of tariffs. Because you do have
(32:51):
to import a lot of those materials. You do have
to import machinery if we're not making things currently, And
because the tariffs are immediate, there's no ramp up. I mean,
there's no two year period where you can get that done.
So what I see is a slowing of projects. I
see a slowing of that reshoring that that his method
(33:11):
is preventing his the goal.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
A couple more and then I'll let you go. Since
it is heading into a weekend.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
I what is a weekend when you're governor. That's a
that's a different concept.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
I'm sure that's true. I am from Eastern Kentucky and
I grew up in Middlesbrough. I would say to you,
when I was a young kid, there were still the
remnants of a vibrant economy in eastern Kentucky. I can
still remember what Middlesbrough was like in the early nineties,
when it was a vibrant downtown, et cetera. It's a
(33:48):
different it's different now. And I have watched as going
back to George W. Bush, Obama, Trump, Biden, a lot
of things have disagree, But when it comes to East
western Kentucky, honestly, very little has changed positively for many
of them. If you're someone in a place like that,
(34:08):
and Eastern Kentucky is close to my heart, but there
are places like that all over the country. I mean,
what can places like Eastern Kentucky do? I mean not theoretically,
like practically, how does it get better? Then?
Speaker 1 (34:21):
Let me first say that I recognize how Eastern Kentuckians
can feel left behind or betrayed. I mean, Eastern Kentucky
mine the coal that powered the Industrial Revolution, that helped
create the strongest middle class the world's ever seen, that
powered us through two World Wars. Yet when the energy
economy changed, the new jobs didn't go where the old
(34:44):
jobs were, didn't get a thank you, didn't get credit
for helping to build America, and all of a sudden,
all the jobs are gone. Because this concept of environmental
justice came a lot earlier than economic justice, and they
were reveal And I think if if we could go
back in time and every means of new energy production
(35:07):
took place where where we mind the coal, then we
be in a different place right now that it's more
of a concept of caring about a people that have
done such hard work. And I agree that we have
not seen the help from federal administrations that are that
are needed, the real help. But what I will say
is on the state side, we are working hard. That's
(35:28):
everything from the new high ground communities where we've got
eight new housing opportunities to move people out of the
floodplain up onto high ground. We're spending tens of millions
of dollars in it so that people can be safe.
I'm finishing the four landing of the Mountain Parkway, the
first real interstate we've heard going and got last it is.
(35:49):
We just broke ground on the last section, so every
part of the Mountain Parkway. The fore landing is now
uncomplete or under construction, and we're going to finish it
right by the end of my term. So you know
Gene Hale, who is the head of a big bank
or was in Pikeville. We recognized her today at the
Sore Summit and she said, I'm going to see the
(36:11):
four landing of the Mountain Parkway in my lifetime. But
there's more work. It's also getting broadband deployed. You look
at Whitesburg where we've got a lot of entrepreneurs now
because they've got a good broadband. It's always finding that
next opportunity. But I tell you the biggest threat to
Eastern Kentucky is a threat to the fastest growing part
of its economy, which is healthcare. You look at the
(36:32):
fact that Pikeville Medical Center opened up a pediatric autism center,
which has never been in Appalachia, and now there's one
in Floyd County. You look at how AARH has all
those regional hospitals. Each of those hospitals is the highest
biggest payroll in those counties, the second largest employer in
most of those counties. But they are all going to
(36:52):
get hammered by the big ugly bill and the cuts
to Medicaid. So if that rural hospital shuts down, it's
just the hospital, it's the restaurant, if you're a coffee shop,
it's probably even the local bank because the amount of
money that's that's gone. And so the crazy thing to
me about this big ugly bill is it's an attack
on rural America. The people who are getting the big
(37:14):
tax breaksted it live in a blue city. The people
who are paying for it, who are going to lose
their jobs, who are going to lose their health care
or the ability to see a doctor in their community,
are in rural, typically red America.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
We've talked on this show a lot about the healthcare
bill and what it can do, and let me make
in terms of say, like.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
Industry, regardless of how they voted, I don't want people
to lose health care. I don't want them to lose
those jobs in that community. And my job is to
be and maybe the reason that I am popular and
successful here is I truly believe my job is to
be the governor of all Kentuckians, whether they always voted
for me or never voted for me. And so Eastern
Kentucky is really important that we continue to push.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
Now.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
We're already seeing some new opportunities with the four laning
because that's been the big You know, if you're going
to manufacture something, you've got to be able to ship it,
and so this will help with the logistics. Magoffin County
is already seeing opportunity. The former thunder Ridge property, which
was a horse track in Prestonsburg, we've now been able
to purchase for the county. We've cleared it. That's fifty
(38:17):
acres of flat land that will have access to a
four lane road. That's everywhere. We're investing in other sites
that are there to make sure we have the water,
the sew or all the rest so that when a
company says we'll go there, we get it up and
running in the jobs there as fast as we can.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
Are you optimistic?
Speaker 1 (38:33):
I am more optimistic today than ever. And part of
that so we just got great county judges and great
mayors too. There's more cooperation in Eastern Kentucky regionally than
I've ever seen.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
And were most of them Republican right and some.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
Democrats and then mayors are are typically nonpartisan. But now
if we have one big opportunity say we're trying to
land something in Boyd County. The county judges for six
other counties will come and support Boyd County because they
know it creates jobs for everybody surrounding it too. And
it's just great to see county judges and mayors showing
(39:10):
us how it's supposed to be done right a job
a Democrat or Republican and say they're not going to
bring that into it either.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
I'll finish with this. I remember when you when you
were elected, you were the attorney general. My mom is
a prosecutor. I thought you gave my mom the Prosecutor
of the Year award.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
You your mom earned it.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
Yeah, I totally agree with you, and I was there.
There's a picture of me standing behind you as you're
as you're giving that award. And I always appreciated how
kind you were to my mom. But also she would
praise how serious you were about the job. She really
valued somebody who was serious about that job. And she
used to say, you and Ben Chandler were the two
(39:55):
people that really took that job as serious as as
as she believed it should be. But I remember when
you ran for governor. I sort of would describe I
would describe you to people, and I am a little
embarrassed by this. In hindsight, I would say you were
like vanilla ice cream without sprinkles. But I've watched you
over the last six.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Years and you earlier say you say outrageous things.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Yeah, but it was a nice outrageous because everybody likes me.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Everybody likes me quite popular.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
Yeah, But I've watched you over these six years and
I actually I think you've really grown into you feel
more comfortable. I feel like doing things like this. Would
you agree with that?
Speaker 1 (40:34):
When you've when you've gone through what we've gone through,
you you show who you are to the people that
you serve. I mean, you can't hide anything about yourselves
in a pandemic where you give a press conference every
single day and and you know in all the questions,
I am who I am and I'm comfortable with with
with who I am. And if that's what you're looking for,
(40:54):
then then good. But I don't want to sell myself
as anything different. I care about people, I work hard
at at this job, and that's that's just always who
I'm going to be.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
And do you now that you move on? I mean,
you've still got two years to a little over two
years left of being governor, whether it's running for president
or something else, do you still see yourself when it's
over as as having public service in your not And
I don't just mean like going and working in the community,
but like some sort of thing because public service in
(41:26):
your life.
Speaker 1 (41:26):
I always want to find a way to help this
state because I love it. I love where we're from,
and I think we're all bound together by our love
of Kentucky. And for far too long people look down
or have looked down on us. I feel that that
has changed nationally, and so it's it's been, you know,
the honor of my lifetime to serve in this role
(41:47):
to see some really positive change happening. With that said,
I never intended to be governor. I intended to run
for attorney general. It's a great job. I thought i'd
go back into into law practice, and then we had
Matt Bevan, and I didn't think he was the right
governor or the right example for our kids, and so
I don't have to continue public service. The only way
(42:09):
I'll do it is if I'm convinced that I'm somebody
that can bring value and in this instance, heal the
country and we can't continue to constantly have this US
versus them. We can't have people telling us that our
neighbors are un American simply because they have some different views.
And I feel like in Kentucky we're further along. I
(42:29):
agree with that healing that that last election you didn't
see many signs. You didn't see neighbors yelling at each other. No,
I don't like the way that people voted, but they
still care about their neighbors and their neighbors kids. And
the temperature is just so much lower in conduct.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
Kentucky is different, and I think there's a variety of
different reasons for it that probably could be a conversation
for it.
Speaker 1 (42:50):
But if you went back to twenty the difference between
the election in twenty and twenty twenty four was significant.
And I just think it's that we've been through a lot.
We banned together, we've had great success. Our state's feeling
optimistic when the rest of the country is feeling pessimistic,
and we've moved past this US versus them.
Speaker 2 (43:08):
It's just in US we win in a national title
this year, though I mean, like I know he should
Juckey Fan, I mean, there's a lot of money on
that roster. Are we gonna? Are we going?
Speaker 1 (43:17):
There's a lot of money in the era of n
I l you're a Kentucky fan, right I am. But
I will say when we don't say something good, But
when you're the governor of Kentucky, you got two jobs
to root for your state schools? Are you ready? And
a root against Duke?
Speaker 2 (43:35):
Okay, all right, I'm good with that. But like it's
okay to say, like Mitch throws the l's up, you're
still a cat's got number one? Right.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
I grew up being a big UK fan.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
Okay, good? Good.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
I do like Mark Pope. I've gotten to know him
a well, very nice family. I think he goes about
his job well. He's a great example and seems like
just a great human being. In fact, he came to
one of my son's basketball games because he was there
for Malick. Yes, my son is now about six three
and was the backup center, and.
Speaker 2 (44:06):
And he's in high school.
Speaker 1 (44:08):
Yes and Moreno, of course seven seven to one dunking
on everybody. I kept hoping they wouldn't bring Will in
the game.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
Uh dunk.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
He's mainly a mainly a baseball player, and and and
I think done with basketball, but uh both both him
coming over and and and texting me, uh and and
the way he treated everyone in that gym was special.
You know, there's only one person in that gym that
was potentially going to play for Kentucky, but he was
talking to all the players and all the parents, and
(44:39):
I just think that shows.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
It's the community thing we're talking about.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
The women's coach, I'm also reallys Yeah. I think I
think he's not only an excellent coach, but from the
one meeting I had with him, just an impressive human being.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
Do you the nile thing you got? You were like,
weren't you like the first governor to do the executive
order or something?
Speaker 1 (44:58):
I was at least one of of the first. Yeah,
and that was coach cal spearheading a lot of that.
But we had all the coaches in together. We had
Darren Horn, I remember that, and the rest. It was
pretty We had Ryan Howard there from from the women's team,
who was wearing heels, and thus I'm sure I looked tiny,
well six to one, but that day like five eight.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
On a personal level, I want to say, just as
a citizen of the state. I have watched, how you know,
on almost all of those tragedies we mentioned. I've been
there like the next day or two days after. I
saw you in London the day after at the airport.
You know what it's like. I mean, I still remember
(45:42):
driving up there in London and seeing that area. I mean,
you saw it. I mean, I'll never forget it, and
the way you have shown humanity to those folks. I
don't care if I disagreed with you on every political issue.
There's some things that are more important. And I see
you with Robert Stuivers standing there because I know he
would probably say the same thing, just as I just
(46:05):
want to thank you for that, because I don't think
you people realize the effect that has. And in a
purely political sense, I remember looking at the twenty twenty
three map and you could see your vote total different
in the areas where the tragedies were, and I think
that was a reflection on how you treated those people
(46:26):
and handled those people. So just as a citizen, actually,
I very much appreciate you for that, because I think
there are things that transcend politics. And then on a
personal level, everybody know who listens to me knows I
love my mother yea, and you have always been so
kind to her, first elected prosecutor from female in Kentucky,
and so I do appreciate both those things, and I
(46:49):
wish you the best of luck.
Speaker 1 (46:50):
Thank you very much, and thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (46:52):
Appreciate it.
This is interrupted by Matt Jones on news radio Waight
forty WIGHTJS.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Now, here's Matt Jones. It is Time, episode twenty one
of interrupted by Matt Jones, and I am honored to
have as our guest for this our governor in Kentucky,
Andy Basheer. I'm gonna call you Andy because I feel
like the whole state calls you Andrey. Are you good
with that?
Speaker 1 (00:25):
But it is my name still Andy, So no worries
at all. Hey, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Of course. You know it's interesting. I think part of
your success as a governor has been in the fact
that people feel like they can relate to you, And
I think the fact that they just call you Andy,
I think in some ways kind of exemplifies that. Do
you do you think that that sort of connection that
allows people to call you governor Andy or whatever is
(00:52):
part of what's gone well? I do.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
I think it's a couple of things. First, it's loving
the state, loving our people, and working my tail off
every day to try to make life better, not just
for people of one party or one area of the state,
but to make life better for everybody. And then the
second piece is not letting the job change you, because
the job can come with some grandeur or a lot
(01:16):
of pomp and circumstance, but at the end of the day,
you're still the same person. And for me, I had
two things that have helped me do that. Number one,
parents who went through this job knowing that they were
still the same at the end of the day. And
number two, a wife and kids who don't let me
get too high on myself when I come home. So
(01:36):
I think what I've always said is if you think
this job makes you smarter, taller, or better looking, than
it's going to eat you up.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
So it didn't make you taller, but I do think
it made you. I do think it made you to
where you showcase and empathy in this job that I
think has been, at least on my personal opinion, your
best talent. And part of that was because you really
got thrown into it. I mean you had just taken
the job COVID hits, and then, of course soon after
(02:06):
all of these tragic natural disasters fourteen of them, fourteen
of them, It'll start for just COVID For a second.
You've been in the job six weeks. Do you remember
the first time you got a report about the possibility
of something happening.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Well, our first case was March sixth of twenty twenty.
I actually had a different report that came in before that.
That looking back is wild to think about. I'm sitting
at a meeting in the Governor's office, probably a month
in so January, and somebody comes and hands me a
card that says we have our first case of a
(02:41):
bola right, And I'm looking at this saying wait, wait,
and I get up and I walk over to my
desk and then I walk into the side room and say,
follow up on this. This has got to be wrong.
And it was. Somebody had absolutely misdiagnosed something to the
worst doctor.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
In Kentucky, you can imagine.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
But to think back on that now and then we
do get hit by a pandemic, you know it was?
It was really you started hearing at the end of January,
and certainly February we were out talking about it. Certainly
not every day.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Could did you think there was any chance it would
be what it was? I mean it was that when
was the moment you said, wait a minute, this is
going to be a life altering thing for people.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
I'd say that happened for all of us, not at
the beginning of March, but by the end of March,
and certainly when we went from our first death to
maybe ten deaths to having one hundred deaths on a day.
And as you know, I read that list every day
for a year and a half, mainly because I didn't
want anybody else to have to. It's one of the
(03:49):
hardest things that I've ever done, but certainly it was.
There was the moments that the stores were running out
of things. Yeah, and as a new governor, I was saying, please,
don't take more toilet paper?
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Are you doing?
Speaker 1 (04:03):
But but what the pandemic proved to me and every
natural disaster is at their core, people are good that
in many ways, Lord of the Flies is wrong. Left
to our own, stripped of everything else, we don't gang
up on each other. We support each other. You saw
people be willing to share and not take too much
in the pandemic light their homes up green, so other
(04:25):
people would would see it. After natural disasters take Eastern Kentucky.
I'm in in February of this year. I'm in Pike
County after that flooding, and I'm standing next to a
woman who had a beauty shop, and it worked more
than a decade to do it, and everything's destroyed. MUD's
halfway up and she she looks at me and says,
(04:46):
where do I start? Well, there were twelve people standing
around us, and every single one of them looked at
her and said, start with us.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I saw, you know, we went to Mayfield, we went
to Breathett County in the and then I was in London.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
And you raise money to help and I appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Well, it was our listeners. It was the people listening
to you right now. And in all those places, I
got that exact sense that you saw the best of
people absolutely during those circumstances. And how much do you
think your governor's ship or just the way you've shaped
politics has come from those disasters has come from because
(05:23):
I think even your harshest critics would say he's good
at that, He's good at comforting people in those moments.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Well, we've sadly had a lot of practice and how
you respond to tragedy and adversity. Part of it is
preparation and execution. The aftermath of all those disasters could
have been a lot worse, certainly our most recent flooding,
and how we were able to preposition the boat teams
and the helicopter teams, meant we've saved thousands of lives
(05:51):
that otherwise might have been lost. So part of it
is that preparation and always afterwards asking what different should
we be doing so that we can be ready the
next time. I mean, our response to these last two
floods has been some of the best I think that
the country's seen because sadly we've gone through a lot,
but the other pieces don't.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Know.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
If you care about people and you've been around people
that have lost a lot, then you know that one
of the most important things is to be there for them,
to make that promise that you're going to help, not
just in those those immediate days after, but in the
years after. I'm heading down to Mayfield next week. Oh really,
and we still have more houses. We're almost through that
wait list though. We are almost really yes to everyone
(06:36):
who has needed a house getting one, which is pretty special.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
You know. So I was telling somebody that works with
you just a little bit ago, I'm blessed to get
to do the opportunity to meet a lot of people
from other places and the folks that I work with.
I'm in a fellowship with the Aspen Institute with people
from all over the country, and so they all want
to talk to me about you because I think the
(07:02):
fact that you are a democratic governor in a Republican state,
there are really only three governor I think there's only
three governors in the country that are governors of a
non swing state but from the other party. I think
it's like you Kansas in Vermont. It's also interesting you
and Vermont the governor there the two most popular governors
(07:22):
in the country of side of the poles. It's rare.
Why do you think it's worked here? And do you
think there are lessons that can be transitioned to other
states in for Democrats or even Republicans in states where
they're not in the majority.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Well, I think for me, it's three things that I
think have helped may be successful as governor and successful politically. First,
laser focused on people's everyday needs. I'm recognizing that when
people wake up in the morning, they're not thinking about politics,
and they're probably not thinking about me as governor. They're
thinking about their job and whether they make enough to
support their family. They're thinking about their next doctor's appointment
(08:01):
for themselves, their parents or their kids. They're thinking about
the roads and bridges they drive each day, the school
they drop their kids off at, and whether they feel
safe in their communities. It's the idea that if you
can't check those boxes, if you don't feel good in
those areas, you don't get to anything else.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Do you think we've gotten away in our party from that? Like,
I feel like a lot of the conversations we have
are significantly less about that day to day stuff than
it is something else.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
So I believe that the Democratic Party has good policies
towards them, but spends a whole lot of their time
talking about other stuff that doesn't impact everyone. So the
idea is, let's spend eighty percent of our time talking
about things that are important to one hundred percent of Americans.
And you know, I've stood up for my convictions. I've
(08:49):
done things that could have been unpopular in Kentucky because
of my beliefs. But the next day I'm opening that
next factory. You know, we're cutting the ribbon on the
Mountain Parkway, on the newest section that's four laned. And
the hope that that's going to bring and I think
that gives me. It gives the space for people to
disagree on this or that, but say, well, he's creating jobs.
(09:09):
You know, I'm making more than I did five years ago.
So I think that's number one. Number two is we
got to get back to talking like normal human beings.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Okay, let's talk about that for a second, because I
talk for a living, yes, right, and I have to
talk like a normal human If you're gonna have my
political beliefs and get people listen to you, you're gonna
have to talk like a normal human being. I think
most of our party is awful at that. You and
I talk differently. You are not quite as outrageous as me,
(09:39):
but we both, I think, share the different jobs. True,
but we both share that conviction. You have to speak
as a normal person. How do you see that?
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Oh, it's important to talk to people like you would
talk to your friends, ensuring that we're not caught up
in advocacy speak.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Right.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
When you get caught up in all the sanitized language,
it sounds it's like you're talking down to people, or
or you're talking yes like that, you know, I mean
the the idea that that in Kentucky. You and I
have both seen what what the opioid epidemic has done well,
and we've all lost people that we love and care about.
(10:17):
I mean, I think I can count at least twelve
and that's probably normal sadly for the most Kentuckians. Yet
I didn't lose one to substance use disorder. I lost
them to addiction and addiction when you when you say it,
you hear it and you feel it. It's mean, it's nasty,
It kills people, and it and that word has the
emotion of the trauma that it's caused all the state
(10:39):
and so many people. But also think about the people
that are in recovery, that have done the hard work
to try to overcome it. They deserve when you say
that they're in recovery from addiction, something that was really
hard to beat and they put in the work and
look at where their life is.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Now, there's the term food insecurity drives me crazy, but
because when people don't have enough food, they're hungry.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
They're not insecure, They're hungry.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Right, they have the hunger pains, they have the difficulty
how do the kids learn that are going through hunger?
And then the newest term is justice involved population. I've
never even heard that those are inmates.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Justice involved population.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
And when you look at when you look at what
we're trying to do, we've got some of the lowest
recidivism rates that we've had in a long time. We're
teaching a skill in every prison. I believe in second chances.
But our inmates call themselves inmates, and we should too.
And then I think the last piece, and I think
it's about authenticity but also about respect is Democrats are
(11:39):
very good about talking about the what we're really good
about policy right point two, Bullet point three III. But
we almost never talk about the why. Why are we
making a decision that we make For me? That's my
family and my faith, that's trying to live by the
Golden Rule and the parable the Good Samaritan. There have
been a number of bills that I've vetoed simply because
(12:00):
they're mean, and my faith tells me that we should
be reaching out with kindness.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
That's interesting. I'm a person of faith too, and it's
very easy for people, like a lot of people say,
how can a Democrat be a Christian? I hear that.
I'm sure you've heard that. Sometimes it drives me insane.
I remember growing up this idea that you shouldn't be
mean to people, and it seems like meanness has been
(12:26):
the goal of some politics recently. Do you agree with
that I do?
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Or cruelty cruelty that's out of the Trump administration. We
are seeing cruelty even if there's a tough decision that
some people think that the country should or should not make.
You can you can approach these issues without that meanness,
without that cruelty, without the intention to create division. Now,
I'll constantly hear this president say that that people of
(12:52):
the other party are the enemy, and that don't don't
like America. Listen. I mean, we say the Pledge of
Allegiance when we're kids every day, and in that pledge,
we pledge to a flag into a country, not a person.
But we also pledge to keep the country indivisible. So
the idea that we would have people pushing cruelty or
intentionally turning Americans against each other, I just think is wrong.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
I agree with that. When you talk about your policies
are driven by faith, give us some examples for what
do you think are some examples of policies that are
tend to be supported by the Democratic Party that are
faith driven. Policies. A lot of people think of faith
driven policies and they'll think of Republican social issues. Are there?
What are things you think that are faith driven for you.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Think about healthcare. In the Bible, Jesus says the doctors
for the sick. Yet these cuts in that big ugly
bill are going to make it a lot harder for
the sick to see a doctor.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
You know.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
It's that idea that healthcare is a basic human right,
that when somebody is ill, they should be able to
see the doctor in their home area and hometown that
they need to. I mean, that's one Look at the
SNAP program, which is food assistance so that people don't
go hungry. The miracle of the fishes and the lows
(14:06):
is one of the only miracles to appear in every
book of the Gospel you have. They're a national Republican party,
just significantly cut how much food is going to be
available to hungry Americans all over the country.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
I want to give you a chance to answer something
that I get said to me. So for people who
are listening to other places I travel over the state,
I'd say, next to a couple of public officials, I'm
probably out in the state as much as anybody. People
pretty much universally respect you. But when I hear a
criticism of you, inevitably it often comes back to like
(14:39):
things you did during COVID, where somebody will say something about, like,
he shut down the churches. When I know you've heard that.
What's your response when people say he shut down the churches,
he made people, you know, get tickets for going to church, etc.
What's your answer to that.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Great The incredible part of COVID, and it's hard to
say there's an incredible place art of dealing with a
pandemic is how many people came together. Now, we had
eight churches that didn't voluntarily close during the scariest period
of time when the virus was spreading, when we did
not have any treatments. In fact, how we were treating
(15:17):
it may have made it worse. There was no hope
of a vaccine at that time, and if it had
spread faster that early, we would not have had enough
beds and the hospital system would have generally collapsed. I'd
like to think that strong leaders make really tough decisions.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Is there anything that you did during that time that
you regret or not regret? God, it's not the word.
But is there anything looking back you say, well, I
wish we'd done it this way instead of that way.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Well, definitely the Tupac Shakur incident, yeah, remind me. So
we open up unemployment, yeah, to help people, and early
on in that somebody comes in and says, we're already
seeing the fraud. And I said, what do you mean.
They said, well, there's this guy named Tupac Shakur who
applied for unemployment benefits. And so I go out, you know,
(16:04):
all upset and and say, I can't believe someone's taking
advantage of us. Well, there's a great gentleman named who
changed his name to Chupac Shakur that was in the
hospitality industry. And one of the reporters that was at
that press conference knew it, so he told me afterwards.
I called him that night and I apologize. I said,
(16:27):
it's all on me, and I'm so sorry. I mean,
I was governor and I basically threw this guy under
a bus and it's just wrong, are And I was
just saying. I came back the next day and I
told the Commonwealth I'd made a mistake. And I think
that's important in our leaders I mean, I did it
because it was the right thing to do, and I
felt so bad about what I'd done. But just being
(16:49):
upfront with people, they can forgive a mistake or two,
But how few people in these positions will say I
shouldn't have done that and I shouldn't have there. Well,
if I if I went back, I mean, I made
every decision, And these are battlefield decisions because I'm getting
that death list every day. What we know about the
(17:09):
virus is is changing, and certainly we had great access
to information actually on the first Trump administration and then
and then under Biden, where we made the best decision
on the science each and every time. Now, if we
knew today, if if we knew then everything we'd known
about the virus would would would it have been nuanced?
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Sure?
Speaker 1 (17:31):
But I think we made every decision based on the
information we had to protect the most number of people.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
I give leaders. I've said this a lot on my show.
I give all the leaders of that era. I give
you all a lot of grace because like I can't
imagine sitting there and looking even people who made decisions
I disagree with, Well, it was you did.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
People didn't know, and just about every decision I made.
Every other governor was making the same decisions at that time.
People forget the person who told me to shut down
this state right now. It was President Trump on the
phone to all the governors. All fifty of us were
(18:12):
on there, and he says, I wish we didn't have
to do this, but this is the scientific advice that
I'm getting now. Later he would argue with the reopening
and speed and different pieces like that, But it was
President Trump on the phone that told us all that
these steps needed to be taken. We were able to
open up or encourage worship faster than the federal government did.
(18:34):
But again, some people want to find a reason to
be upset, and that's okay. It was a tough, stressful,
difficult time. What I'd say to those people is I'm
glad you're still with us. I'm glad you're okay. You
can disagree with me, but I'm glad you're here.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
I can't imagine, okay. So I think about the various
points I've considered public service, and one of the things
I think about is I actually think I would have
a hard time because of guilt slash second myself, right,
like just myself. I think I would have a hard
time sitting there and thinking what if I did this
and it didn't work, and how that would bother me.
(19:10):
You're sitting there and you're seeing these reports of people dying.
Did it weigh on you? I mean, oh, yeah, it
had to. I would think that would have been.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
One of the hardest experiences of my life. And then
because it was the right thing to do, eulogizing people
every day, you know, understanding how much their family misses
them and loves them. But what I also would hear
is how deeply meaningful that was for the family, and
so I wanted to do it. And even for those
(19:42):
that didn't send in the information, just hearing that their
loved ones were recognized and were counted was important. And
that's why when we look back on different statistics of
the rest I tell some people take some of it
with a grain of salt, because some states stopped counting
very intentionally early wanted everyone that we lost to be counted. Now,
(20:02):
we don't talk about the pandemic a lot now, but
it was a deeply traumatic experience for a lot of reasons.
The one we don't talk about is the main reason
why it was so traumatic, because so many people died
in our commonwealth in such a short period of time.
You know, we've been through more loss than World War One,
World War two, Vietnam and the Korean War put together.
(20:23):
And I worry sometimes about whether we've processed it enough
that we need to talk about it a little more.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
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a second. So I gotta ask you, like, are you gonna?
Are you running for president twenty eight? I mean that's
what everybody say every where I go. I hear, hey,
you know, I look delist of candidates I see, Andy Basher,
is that something on your mind.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
I've heard that question before, and I give the same
answer each time. It's interesting. What's interesting is sometimes I'll
use a different synonym okay, and It'll be reported like
it like I'm breaking news. So right now I'm trying
I'm traveling the country, trying to speak reason in the chaos,
trying to make sure not just Democrats, but Republicans get
back to common sense, common ground and getting things done.
(21:33):
That idea that if both parties would spend eighty percent
of their time on those core issues that one hundred
percent of people care about, if we actually depoliticize those issues,
we're nonpartisan instead of bipartisan, what we could do.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
It's not really an answer, though, is it fair to
say you're considering it.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
I'm still going next year next year on the head
of the of the Democratic Governors Association, and so my
job there is to win as many of those races
and to change the map, and then at that point,
you know, I'll sit down with my family and we'll
talk about it. I would have told you right after
reelection that I was done, okay now, that I was
going to go out on top because This is enough
(22:10):
for me. I love this state, I love the gains
that we've made these last five and a half years.
This is a special job where you can really make
people's lives better, and at that point I was done.
As I sit here today, I'm committed to not leaving
a broken country to my kids or anyone else's. And
so what I'll look at is whether you know I'm
(22:32):
the candidate that can heal this country, that can bring
it back together, or whether that's someone else. Because what's
most important to me is a positive future for this
country where my kids don't have to get up every morning,
run to the news, say what the heck happened last night?
And is our democracy going to continue?
Speaker 2 (22:49):
So is it fair to say, by the way, one
of those governor's races, a good friend of mine from
the fellowship is in Jason Stepez in Georgia, So shout
out to him.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
You're good things.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Yeah, he's a great guy. Is a fair say? You're
at least considering it, you know.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Right now I'm focused on both the work I'm doing
for the country as well as those democratic governors races.
It's after that that I'll sit down, okay, and Brittany
and I will take a look.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
So people, that's the other question I get is do
you think he could be someone that could be a
nominee for president? And it's an interesting because I want
to hope that someone like you our party could still nominate.
But I sort of look at the Democratic Party and
I see three types of people really sort of stepping
(23:37):
to the forefront. One are people like Gavin Newsom who
are like throwing bombs like Trump does, kind of trumping
back to them. Then I think there's like second, like
a group of people like Zoron Mondamie in New York
who their policies tend to be a little bit more socialist,
getting young people who are disenchanted with capitalism. And then
(23:58):
I think there's a third of people who, for whatever reason,
people think fit the part because they like various parts
of them, whether it's demographic or just the way they speak, etc.
And what's interesting is I don't know that you obviously
fit into any of those three categories. But I also
think you're like a ton of Americans that are just
sort of average everyday Americans. So do you think someone
(24:21):
who's like you? I think you've done a great job
governing Kentucky, can you win a national Democratic primer?
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Well, you ask anybody in my seat whether they can
win something, We'll always think the answer is yes. Yeah.
But I think what people are craving right now is
someone who is committed to helping them in their everyday life.
The pressure to pay bills right now, the young couple
that can't afford a home in or around the same
time that their parents could, the American dream and is
(24:52):
it still possible for some right now? And the Trump
administration making it worse. Tariffs atting about twenty six hundred
dollars and costs or will on the average American family
per year, the big ugly bill shutting down healthcare all
over the country to where you're going to have to
drive several hours just to see a doctor. I think
I'm someone that's always focused on those non partisan day
(25:17):
to day issues. And by the way, I think that's
the reason both we have a President Trump and Mundami
one that primary. I think it's that they convinced the
last group of undecided voters that they were more focused
on those everyday issues than their opponent. And so what
that tells me is the American people need help they
want help. They're willing to vote for somebody they think
(25:39):
can help them, even if they're cruel in terms of
the president, or even if they call themselves a socialist.
They want someone who who they believe is committed to
trying to make their life better. That next bill right
now is so hard. It's that idea that you may
have a social issue that you care about so much,
but if you can't pay for your next child's prescription,
(26:00):
vote for anybody you think can help you.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Do you You may know the number of this what's
the percentage of people that voted you think trumpshar.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Well, Trump won Kentucky by thirty points, and I want
it by five.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
The diver electors though in a governor and presidential race.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
But butteen you also have more more Democrats that come
out in a presidential in Kentucky two So yeah, probably all.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Right, So let's say it's fifteen more for people around
the country who are wondering, who are those people who
Do you think those people are that vote trumpshar.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
I think those are are people who look at me
and see somebody who's who's committed to this state, who's
committed to creating those jobs and we've We've got a
good track record.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
You know.
Speaker 1 (26:44):
We brought in the most private sector investment, the most
new jobs, the highest wages, the most exports, the biggest
impact for tourism in the history of Kentucky. It's been
really exciting. And so I think there are some who
say I agree or I disagree with them on some
of the these things, but the state's moving in the
right direction. They might not feel that way necessarily about
(27:05):
the country. And when you can have a personal relationship,
which I think is where we started with a lot
of the state, you can push off some of that
national politics and people say, well, I really don't think
how they're describing him as who he is. What I
see is that new jobs announcement. What I see is
him celebrating that new road that takes twenty minutes off
(27:27):
my commute each way and now I have forty more
minutes with my family.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
I think you're right. I think people in Kentucky, back
to our first point, think they know you, and you
thought about how you're going to make people in the
other forty nine states if that were to happen know you,
Because I do think I will say this, like I said,
I know very few people who know you who don't
like you, but like, do you think do you think
(27:53):
you're able to get people in you know, New Mexico
or Pennsylvania to know you like that?
Speaker 1 (27:59):
That's a slightly different question than I've gotten asked before.
What I've gotten asked before is, well, you win in Kentucky.
Do you think you could win in a swing state?
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Yeah? You could.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
And what I keep saying is, wait, I can win
in a Trump plus thirty red state, but can I
win in a state that regularly or sometimes votes for
a Democrat?
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (28:18):
And I always think that's this fascinating question.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
For me about election. I would even argue, I've said
to people if I was dictator of the Democratic Party,
which we shouldn't have, so I'm glad we don't, I
would say you have the best chance to win a
general election for all the reasons we talked about. I
just worry if people like you can win primaries. I
want to believe that you that they can, but I
(28:42):
don't know.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
I think the two things that have to be most
important to the Democratic Party for their candidate in the
future is, first, the country feels like it's been whiplashed, rightfully,
or wrongfully they feel like it was too far one
way and how they feel it was too far the
other way. For the sake of the country, we need
(29:03):
people to feel like that pendulum is stop swinging and
that they can get back to their normal life. And
then we need somebody who people feel that they can trust,
because we're all glued to the TV right now and
it's and the news is hitting us too many times
a day. It's creating way too much stress on people.
I think people are are are are having even similar
(29:27):
reactions on a mental health side than they did in
the pandemic. And I think they're going to be looking
for stability and competence, and those are two things I
definitely think I can bring to the table.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
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What's something Trump's done that you think has been good?
Speaker 1 (30:43):
His FEMA response in the floods, Yeah, that's the ironic part.
So his FEMA response both in in February and then
in uh March, February and March, where the where the
two floods with some of the best I've seen the
people on the ground in eastern Kentucky, where we had
seen some tough relationships in twenty two, we saw really
(31:06):
positive relationships in twenty five. And so I think that
they deserve credit there. Some of those improvements probably happened
under the Biden administration, but when you're present, you get
to blame, so you ought to get the credit too.
So I've spoken very publicly about that because I only
have the credibility to criticize the Trump administration if I
can also admit when I think they're doing something right.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Is there a policy of his that like, for instance,
I'll just use myself while I'm anti well, I don't
generally like tariffs. I do think Trump has highlighted the
problem of American industry declining. I don't know that he's
done a ton about it, but I do think that
was something that needed to be pinpointed. Are there policies
of his that you think are.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
How about concept okay, concept of is playing? Can yeah? Exactly?
Conceptually him talking about reshoring, Yes, it's critical. Going back
to the pandemic, he did not make the things we
needed to be safe. And so these last several years
Kentucky has seen the reshoring of manufacturing in amazing ways,
(32:09):
huge investments in doing so many things. Look at ge
Appliances making refrigerators where they claimed we'd never make them
in the United States. Again now bringing a line back
over from China. But we were doing that, especially under
the Biden administration when we had different incentives, when we
had the carrot. Well, the Trump administration on tariffs has
(32:30):
exchanged the carrot for the stick. But the problem is
it doesn't work. And the reason it doesn't work is
he wants to have these big tariffs that say, Okay,
you can't afford to import things, so now you have
to make them in the United States. Except you can't
build a new manufacturing facility because your costs could float
thirty percent. Why because of tariffs. Because you do have
(32:51):
to import a lot of those materials. You do have
to import machinery if we're not making things currently, And
because the tariffs are immediate, there's no ramp up. I mean,
there's no two year period where you can get that done.
So what I see is a slowing of projects. I
see a slowing of that reshoring that that his method
(33:11):
is preventing his the goal.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
A couple more and then I'll let you go. Since
it is heading into a weekend.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
I what is a weekend when you're governor. That's a
that's a different concept.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
I'm sure that's true. I am from Eastern Kentucky and
I grew up in Middlesbrough. I would say to you,
when I was a young kid, there were still the
remnants of a vibrant economy in eastern Kentucky. I can
still remember what Middlesbrough was like in the early nineties,
when it was a vibrant downtown, et cetera. It's a
(33:48):
different it's different now. And I have watched as going
back to George W. Bush, Obama, Trump, Biden, a lot
of things have disagree, But when it comes to East
western Kentucky, honestly, very little has changed positively for many
of them. If you're someone in a place like that,
(34:08):
and Eastern Kentucky is close to my heart, but there
are places like that all over the country. I mean,
what can places like Eastern Kentucky do? I mean not theoretically,
like practically, how does it get better? Then?
Speaker 1 (34:21):
Let me first say that I recognize how Eastern Kentuckians
can feel left behind or betrayed. I mean, Eastern Kentucky
mine the coal that powered the Industrial Revolution, that helped
create the strongest middle class the world's ever seen, that
powered us through two World Wars. Yet when the energy
economy changed, the new jobs didn't go where the old
(34:44):
jobs were, didn't get a thank you, didn't get credit
for helping to build America, and all of a sudden,
all the jobs are gone. Because this concept of environmental
justice came a lot earlier than economic justice, and they
were reveal And I think if if we could go
back in time and every means of new energy production
(35:07):
took place where where we mind the coal, then we
be in a different place right now that it's more
of a concept of caring about a people that have
done such hard work. And I agree that we have
not seen the help from federal administrations that are that
are needed, the real help. But what I will say
is on the state side, we are working hard. That's
(35:28):
everything from the new high ground communities where we've got
eight new housing opportunities to move people out of the
floodplain up onto high ground. We're spending tens of millions
of dollars in it so that people can be safe.
I'm finishing the four landing of the Mountain Parkway, the
first real interstate we've heard going and got last it is.
(35:49):
We just broke ground on the last section, so every
part of the Mountain Parkway. The fore landing is now
uncomplete or under construction, and we're going to finish it
right by the end of my term. So you know
Gene Hale, who is the head of a big bank
or was in Pikeville. We recognized her today at the
Sore Summit and she said, I'm going to see the
(36:11):
four landing of the Mountain Parkway in my lifetime. But
there's more work. It's also getting broadband deployed. You look
at Whitesburg where we've got a lot of entrepreneurs now
because they've got a good broadband. It's always finding that
next opportunity. But I tell you the biggest threat to
Eastern Kentucky is a threat to the fastest growing part
of its economy, which is healthcare. You look at the
(36:32):
fact that Pikeville Medical Center opened up a pediatric autism center,
which has never been in Appalachia, and now there's one
in Floyd County. You look at how AARH has all
those regional hospitals. Each of those hospitals is the highest
biggest payroll in those counties, the second largest employer in
most of those counties. But they are all going to
(36:52):
get hammered by the big ugly bill and the cuts
to Medicaid. So if that rural hospital shuts down, it's
just the hospital, it's the restaurant, if you're a coffee shop,
it's probably even the local bank because the amount of
money that's that's gone. And so the crazy thing to
me about this big ugly bill is it's an attack
on rural America. The people who are getting the big
(37:14):
tax breaksted it live in a blue city. The people
who are paying for it, who are going to lose
their jobs, who are going to lose their health care
or the ability to see a doctor in their community,
are in rural, typically red America.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
We've talked on this show a lot about the healthcare
bill and what it can do, and let me make
in terms of say, like.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
Industry, regardless of how they voted, I don't want people
to lose health care. I don't want them to lose
those jobs in that community. And my job is to
be and maybe the reason that I am popular and
successful here is I truly believe my job is to
be the governor of all Kentuckians, whether they always voted
for me or never voted for me. And so Eastern
Kentucky is really important that we continue to push.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
Now.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
We're already seeing some new opportunities with the four laning
because that's been the big You know, if you're going
to manufacture something, you've got to be able to ship it,
and so this will help with the logistics. Magoffin County
is already seeing opportunity. The former thunder Ridge property, which
was a horse track in Prestonsburg, we've now been able
to purchase for the county. We've cleared it. That's fifty
(38:17):
acres of flat land that will have access to a
four lane road. That's everywhere. We're investing in other sites
that are there to make sure we have the water,
the sew or all the rest so that when a
company says we'll go there, we get it up and
running in the jobs there as fast as we can.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
Are you optimistic?
Speaker 1 (38:33):
I am more optimistic today than ever. And part of
that so we just got great county judges and great
mayors too. There's more cooperation in Eastern Kentucky regionally than
I've ever seen.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
And were most of them Republican right and some.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
Democrats and then mayors are are typically nonpartisan. But now
if we have one big opportunity say we're trying to
land something in Boyd County. The county judges for six
other counties will come and support Boyd County because they
know it creates jobs for everybody surrounding it too. And
it's just great to see county judges and mayors showing
(39:10):
us how it's supposed to be done right a job
a Democrat or Republican and say they're not going to
bring that into it either.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
I'll finish with this. I remember when you when you
were elected, you were the attorney general. My mom is
a prosecutor. I thought you gave my mom the Prosecutor
of the Year award.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
You your mom earned it.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
Yeah, I totally agree with you, and I was there.
There's a picture of me standing behind you as you're
as you're giving that award. And I always appreciated how
kind you were to my mom. But also she would
praise how serious you were about the job. She really
valued somebody who was serious about that job. And she
used to say, you and Ben Chandler were the two
(39:55):
people that really took that job as serious as as
as she believed it should be. But I remember when
you ran for governor. I sort of would describe I
would describe you to people, and I am a little
embarrassed by this. In hindsight, I would say you were
like vanilla ice cream without sprinkles. But I've watched you
over the last six.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Years and you earlier say you say outrageous things.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Yeah, but it was a nice outrageous because everybody likes me.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Everybody likes me quite popular.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
Yeah, But I've watched you over these six years and
I actually I think you've really grown into you feel
more comfortable. I feel like doing things like this. Would
you agree with that?
Speaker 1 (40:34):
When you've when you've gone through what we've gone through,
you you show who you are to the people that
you serve. I mean, you can't hide anything about yourselves
in a pandemic where you give a press conference every
single day and and you know in all the questions,
I am who I am and I'm comfortable with with
with who I am. And if that's what you're looking for,
(40:54):
then then good. But I don't want to sell myself
as anything different. I care about people, I work hard
at at this job, and that's that's just always who
I'm going to be.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
And do you now that you move on? I mean,
you've still got two years to a little over two
years left of being governor, whether it's running for president
or something else, do you still see yourself when it's
over as as having public service in your not And
I don't just mean like going and working in the community,
but like some sort of thing because public service in
(41:26):
your life.
Speaker 1 (41:26):
I always want to find a way to help this
state because I love it. I love where we're from,
and I think we're all bound together by our love
of Kentucky. And for far too long people look down
or have looked down on us. I feel that that
has changed nationally, and so it's it's been, you know,
the honor of my lifetime to serve in this role
(41:47):
to see some really positive change happening. With that said,
I never intended to be governor. I intended to run
for attorney general. It's a great job. I thought i'd
go back into into law practice, and then we had
Matt Bevan, and I didn't think he was the right
governor or the right example for our kids, and so
I don't have to continue public service. The only way
(42:09):
I'll do it is if I'm convinced that I'm somebody
that can bring value and in this instance, heal the
country and we can't continue to constantly have this US
versus them. We can't have people telling us that our
neighbors are un American simply because they have some different views.
And I feel like in Kentucky we're further along. I
(42:29):
agree with that healing that that last election you didn't
see many signs. You didn't see neighbors yelling at each other. No,
I don't like the way that people voted, but they
still care about their neighbors and their neighbors kids. And
the temperature is just so much lower in conduct.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
Kentucky is different, and I think there's a variety of
different reasons for it that probably could be a conversation
for it.
Speaker 1 (42:50):
But if you went back to twenty the difference between
the election in twenty and twenty twenty four was significant.
And I just think it's that we've been through a lot.
We banned together, we've had great success. Our state's feeling
optimistic when the rest of the country is feeling pessimistic,
and we've moved past this US versus them.
Speaker 2 (43:08):
It's just in US we win in a national title
this year, though I mean, like I know he should
Juckey Fan, I mean, there's a lot of money on
that roster. Are we gonna? Are we going?
Speaker 1 (43:17):
There's a lot of money in the era of n
I l you're a Kentucky fan, right I am. But
I will say when we don't say something good, But
when you're the governor of Kentucky, you got two jobs
to root for your state schools? Are you ready? And
a root against Duke?
Speaker 2 (43:35):
Okay, all right, I'm good with that. But like it's
okay to say, like Mitch throws the l's up, you're
still a cat's got number one? Right.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
I grew up being a big UK fan.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
Okay, good? Good.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
I do like Mark Pope. I've gotten to know him
a well, very nice family. I think he goes about
his job well. He's a great example and seems like
just a great human being. In fact, he came to
one of my son's basketball games because he was there
for Malick. Yes, my son is now about six three
and was the backup center, and.
Speaker 2 (44:06):
And he's in high school.
Speaker 1 (44:08):
Yes and Moreno, of course seven seven to one dunking
on everybody. I kept hoping they wouldn't bring Will in
the game.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
Uh dunk.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
He's mainly a mainly a baseball player, and and and
I think done with basketball, but uh both both him
coming over and and and texting me, uh and and
the way he treated everyone in that gym was special.
You know, there's only one person in that gym that
was potentially going to play for Kentucky, but he was
talking to all the players and all the parents, and
(44:39):
I just think that shows.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
It's the community thing we're talking about.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
The women's coach, I'm also reallys Yeah. I think I
think he's not only an excellent coach, but from the
one meeting I had with him, just an impressive human being.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
Do you the nile thing you got? You were like,
weren't you like the first governor to do the executive
order or something?
Speaker 1 (44:58):
I was at least one of of the first. Yeah,
and that was coach cal spearheading a lot of that.
But we had all the coaches in together. We had
Darren Horn, I remember that, and the rest. It was
pretty We had Ryan Howard there from from the women's team,
who was wearing heels, and thus I'm sure I looked tiny,
well six to one, but that day like five eight.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
On a personal level, I want to say, just as
a citizen of the state. I have watched, how you know,
on almost all of those tragedies we mentioned. I've been
there like the next day or two days after. I
saw you in London the day after at the airport.
You know what it's like. I mean, I still remember
(45:42):
driving up there in London and seeing that area. I mean,
you saw it. I mean, I'll never forget it, and
the way you have shown humanity to those folks. I
don't care if I disagreed with you on every political issue.
There's some things that are more important. And I see
you with Robert Stuivers standing there because I know he
would probably say the same thing, just as I just
(46:05):
want to thank you for that, because I don't think
you people realize the effect that has. And in a
purely political sense, I remember looking at the twenty twenty
three map and you could see your vote total different
in the areas where the tragedies were, and I think
that was a reflection on how you treated those people
(46:26):
and handled those people. So just as a citizen, actually,
I very much appreciate you for that, because I think
there are things that transcend politics. And then on a
personal level, everybody know who listens to me knows I
love my mother yea, and you have always been so
kind to her, first elected prosecutor from female in Kentucky,
and so I do appreciate both those things, and I
(46:49):
wish you the best of luck.
Speaker 1 (46:50):
Thank you very much, and thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (46:52):
Appreciate it.
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