Throughout remarks at an AFL-CIO gathering in Greenville, Beshear touted his record in KY as a model for the country – promoting union membership, health care expansion, and taking shots at the landmark GOP policy bill passed last month, referring to it as the “big, ugly bill."
Beshear: “We have to make sure Americans know that right now, Trump Republicans are decimating Medicaid and food assistance, and that this big, ugly bill is the most anti-worker, anti-job, anti-rural, and anti-health care piece of legislation that we have seen in our lifetimes."
The red-state Dem’s remarks were also threaded with advice for his party, still grappling for a unified message following losses in 2024. He pushed back on what he called “advocacy speak,” saying that “the language that we use is a big part of” what the party needs to improve.
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“Take this big ugly bill. If we want to push back against it, if we want to try to undo it, we can’t say it’s going to lessen food assistance, or that it’s going to make more people food insecure – what it’s going to make people do is go hungry,” Beshear said.
Beshear: "At night when they’re going to bed. In the morning when they’re waking up. So making sure that we are talking to people in the same language that they do every day, Democrats can win again.”
Plain language — and standing up for rule of law and human rights. Hillary got us started with “women’s rights are human rights.” Let’s continue that with immigrants, migrants, LGBTQ+, prisoners, indigenous, poor, disabled, elderly, children, sick. Hell, we’ll even throw in men and Republicans.
During Q&A after his remarks, Beshear was repeatedly pressed about the 2028 presidential race. While parrying questions about his future, he acknowledged plans to travel “more” and be a “voice” for his party.
Beshear: "I’m traveling more because I’m trying to be a common sense, common ground, get things done type of voice that can pull not just Democrats back together, but hopefully pull Republicans and Independents together too"
Beshear is the latest 2028 contender to stoke speculation about plans with travel to South Carolina -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom swung through the state last week, while another Californian eyeing a White House campaign, Rep. Ro Khanna, is set to visit this weekend
Toward the end of his question and answer session, Beshear fielded a pointed question about the state and its spot in the primary process, asked if it should “remain first on the presidential nominating calendar?”
Beshear answered, "Well being a southern Democrat, I think that we need to make sure that the South is represented in the primary calendar, for the Democratic Party. For too long, the investments haven't been made in places like Kentucky and in places like South Carolina."
Beshear on SC's primary calendar spot: "Where South Carolina is right now makes sure that all potential candidates learn more about sometimes the unique challenges that we face, but also get invested in every single state.”