Andy Beshear says ‘Texas is in play’ for Democrats after Paxton nomination: Full interview

[0:02] Welcome back. And joining me now is Democratic Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky. [0:07] Governor Beshear, welcome back to Meet the Press. [0:12] Thanks for having me. [0:13] Thank you so much for joining us. Really appreciate it. We want to start [0:17] with the results in Texas. This week, your reaction to Senator Cornyn's loss to Attorney [0:22] General Ken Paxton. Paxton will now face off against State Senator James Tallarico. [0:29] Democrats have not won a Texas Senate seat, as you know, in more than 30 years. How confident [0:36] are you that Democrats can actually win this race? Listen, Texas is in play. Democrats have never [0:45] run against a candidate like Ken Paxton that is so corrupt that his own party impeached him. [0:51] This is someone who does not have the character, I'll say it since Vice President Pence won't, [0:56] to serve as AG or even as dog catcher. This is somebody who would use his office to enrich [1:02] himself. That would be a rubber stamp for the president and would do nothing for the people [1:06] of Texas. He has shown that as AG. He cannot be the next U.S. Senator there. And James Tallarico [1:12] is out there. He is spreading his message about being there for American families, about putting [1:18] them ahead of the politics, about bringing down prices, expanding access to health care, making [1:23] sure they feel safe in their community. Those things that make life just a little bit better [1:28] and a little bit easier as the Trump administration is making things so much harder. [1:32] Well, Governor Beshear, let's talk about James Tallarico as a candidate. As you know, [1:37] Ken Paxton's campaign already has attack ads out, hitting him over past comments on race, [1:44] gender, religion. Take a look at one of them. [1:46] This is Texas. This is not. There are many more than two biological sexes. In fact, [1:55] there are six. This is Texas. This is not. The American flag is such a complicated symbol [2:01] for most of us. This is Texas. This is not. They're going to call me a radical leftist. [2:07] This is Texas. This is not. Something that you love that's not family or friends. [2:13] Um, I love, I'm just saying this because it's on my mind, the trans children. [2:22] So let me ask you, Tallarico now says he did miss the mark on some of those statements. You've [2:27] previously said Democrats need to shy away from what you have referred to as advocacy speak. [2:33] Do you place those comments by James Tallarico into that category of advocacy speak? What would [2:38] your counsel be to him? Well, I think what you've got here is a candidate in Ken Paxton that knows [2:45] he has nothing to offer. And so what does he do? He simply attacks his opponent over and over. [2:51] James Tallarico is out there showing the values of loving your neighbor as yourself [2:55] and the parable of the Good Samaritan that says that everyone is our neighbor. He's trying [3:00] to support Americans of, of, of all types to be less judgmental. Why? Because the Bible tells us [3:06] to judge not lest ye be judged. But, but we heard it from Mike Pence too. When asked about a corrupt [3:13] candidate in Ken Paxton and whether he could support him, all he did is turn and attack [3:17] Democrats. That's not very Christian of him, but it's also not a very good strategy. [3:22] Let's talk about the message that we are hearing from you. You spoke at [3:26] South Carolina Palmetto dinner Friday night. I want to play a little bit of that speech and [3:31] do some analysis on the other side. [3:33] And while all this is painful that we're seeing from the Trump administration, [3:38] it is providing us a huge opportunity for Democrats to go out and regain the trust [3:43] of the American people, to be the party of common sense, common ground and getting things done. [3:50] Democrats can win again by taking back the middle and it is there for the taking. [3:55] Governor, as you know, there's a lot of energy with the progressive left right now. [3:59] How can Democrats both, as you say, take back the middle without alienating progressives? [4:09] Well, I don't think a lot about progressive or moderate. I think about the American people. [4:14] The way that Democrats win, regardless of, of, of what box they're put into by the media [4:19] is to focus on the daily lives of our people. It's the idea that when most Americans wake up in [4:24] the morning, they're not thinking about the next election. They're thinking about their job and [4:28] whether they make enough to support their family. They're thinking about their next doctor's [4:31] appointment for themselves, their parents or their kids. They're thinking about the roads [4:34] and bridges they drive, the school they drop their kids off at, and whether they feel safe [4:38] in their community. Regardless of what part of the Democratic Party you fall in, [4:42] if you believe in the American dream, if you want to make sure that it's viable again, [4:47] if you want to bring down the age of first-time homeownership, which right now is about 40 years old, [4:52] then there is opportunity out there. The American people are struggling. Donald Trump said he'd bring [4:58] prices down, but his tariffs have skyrocketed them. It was an illegal tax on the American people. [5:04] His war in Iran has the price of gasoline and diesel through the roof, which is making [5:09] everything more expensive. His big, ugly bill is ripping health care away from rural communities [5:14] and taking food off the table of Americans. Where the Democratic Party needs to be is one that focuses [5:21] really on those nonpartisan issues. If we're going to make your life a little bit better, [5:25] whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, or an Independent, we know the world is too tough right [5:29] now, and it's our job to do better. I want to ask you about one of the big headlines [5:33] for Democrats this week. Former First Lady Jill Biden speaking out, weighing in on that disastrous [5:41] debate performance by former President Joe Biden back in 2024. Take a look at what she said. [5:47] Were you horrified as you saw it unfold? [5:49] I wasn't horrified. I was frightened because I had never, ever seen Joe like that before [5:59] or since. Never. [6:02] Or since. [6:03] Yes. [6:04] Or since. [6:04] You've never seen him like that? [6:05] Never. No. [6:07] What happened? [6:08] I don't know what happened. I mean, as I watched it, I thought, oh my God, he's having a stroke. [6:13] And it scared me to death. [6:16] This is a sharp contrast to what the former First Lady said publicly in the aftermath of [6:22] the debate. Take a look. [6:24] Joe, you did such a great job. You answered every question. You knew all the... [6:31] Did former First Lady Jill Biden mislead the American people, Governor? [6:37] Well, what I see is a First Lady that loves her husband, that is fiercely protective, and [6:43] I'm not going to criticize that. We were all concerned when we saw that debate. This was [6:49] a president who governed in a way that helped my state, that helped me bring in a significant [6:55] number of jobs, that's helping me build a bridge that people said no one would ever build in their [7:00] lifetime between Northern Kentucky and Ohio. But I think it's fair to look back now, given that [7:05] Joe Biden did drop out and say he shouldn't have run for re-election in the first place. You can both [7:10] compliment him for things he did that helped your state and your people, but also be able to look [7:15] back and know that was a decision that should have been made differently. [7:18] And what are the broader lessons, do you think, that Democrats should take from [7:22] that moment, Governor? [7:24] Well, the lesson that I primarily take is the lesson from the end of the 2024 campaign, [7:32] and that's that most American struggles are similar. It's about paying the bills at the end [7:38] of the week and the end of the month. It's about people starting to feel that the economic system [7:43] is rigged. Why? Because they're working hard. They're playing by the rules. They should get ahead, [7:47] but they're falling behind. They can't take their kids on the same vacation that their parents took [7:52] them on. They're worried about whether they can leave their kids better off. That's the party that [7:57] we have to be, one that spends 80 percent of its time focused on things that matter to 100 percent of [8:02] the American people. Yes, we should stand up for all our principles. Yes, we should push back against [8:07] discrimination every time we see it. But 80 percent of our time spent on things that matter [8:12] to 100 percent of the American people. That means voters can say, I might not agree with you on this [8:16] or that issue, but I know you're going to work hard to make my life better. [8:20] Let me ask you about this nationwide debate over redistricting, including South Carolina, [8:25] which will, of course, be one of the first states to vote in 2028. Efforts to redraw South Carolina's [8:31] maps ahead of the midterms failed this week, but it does not eliminate the chances of redistricting [8:38] in 2028. Do you support a national ban on partisan redistricting? I do. But let me first say, [8:47] I'm proud to be in South Carolina, the state that said no thanks to Donald Trump's redistricting, [8:51] and yes, please, to more governance by Jim Clyburn, the soul and the conscience of the U.S. Congress. [8:59] Having his voice there is so critical. And the idea that basically through cheating, [9:05] you would try to eliminate that important member of Congress. And by the way, he would have won [9:11] in any district, but proud of the state for what it did. You know, I think it's time for more than [9:16] just banning partisan redistricting. I think it's time for a fix the darn country constitutional [9:21] amendment. That way we can enshrine in our constitution that you're not allowed to draw [9:25] districts this way. We can overturn Citizens United and get big corporate money out of politics. [9:32] We ought to have term limits, even for the Supreme Court, so that we don't see what we are seeing [9:37] right now and people trying to game when they retire to have somebody else on for 30 or 40 years. [9:43] People deserve better governance. And what we've seen is our three branches of government on the [9:47] federal level break down. It's time to take some bold action to where our people can see and can trust [9:53] this system. And I misspoke. I think I said your state of South Carolina. What I meant to say is [9:58] you've been in South Carolina this weekend, including for Jim Clyburn's fish fry this weekend, [10:04] historically, of course, a gathering for presidential hopefuls before they announced that they're [10:09] running for president. I've asked you this question before. You have not ruled it out. Where are you in [10:15] your decision-making process, Governor? Are you leaning toward a run? I'm the same place that I've been, [10:23] fully focused on 2026, because as the head of the Democratic Governors Association, [10:28] we're going to elect Democratic governors where people aren't expecting it, and we're going to [10:32] change the map for 28. When we flip Iowa, Iowa's in play in 28. When we flip Ohio, [10:37] it's in play in 28. I was just down with Doug Jones in Alabama. The primary turnout there for Democrats [10:43] doubled from four years ago. Keisha Lance Bottoms won a primary going away and is an incredibly strong [10:50] candidate. Governor, you sounded a lot like a candidate in South Carolina. Is it fair to say [10:56] you're thinking about it seriously? Well, I haven't ruled it out, but I haven't sat down and had [11:02] that conversation with my family. I'm trying to fire up Democrats. To be a voice of reason in the [11:07] chaos, it is so important that we win right now. And let me just say, as a Southern Democratic [11:12] governor, to be able to give voice to Southern Democrats being left out, left behind, sometimes [11:17] looked down on, but scrapping our way back to a seat at the table, three Southern Democratic [11:22] governors, two Southern Democratic senators, and another one on the way in Roy Cooper. So [11:27] whether I'm in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, like I am right now, I just want to make sure the [11:32] South has an important place in the Democratic Party. [11:34] All right. Governor Beshear, thank you so much for being here. Really appreciate it. [11:38] Thank you.