The next is a transcript of an interview with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Nov. 17, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re joined now by Kentucky governor Andy Beshear who joins us from Lexington. Good morning to you, governor. You are a blue governor in a really pink state. How do you even start to strive uniting a rustic as united- as divided as this? Are there classes we will study from Kentucky?
GOV. ANDY BESHEAR: I feel there’s absolute classes that- that we will study from Kentucky, a state the place, final yr, I gained as a Democrat by 5 factors and Donald Trump simply gained by 30. And I feel it principally boils right down to each operating and governing, the place folks get up within the morning and what they fear about once they go to mattress at night time. And that is not the subsequent election. It is their job, and whether or not they make sufficient to help their household. It is the subsequent physician’s appointment for themselves, their mother and father, or their children. It is the roads and bridges they drive on daily basis. It is that public college they drop their children off at, and it is public security of their group. The purpose right here is to give attention to all of these issues, the place, if folks do not feel safe in these areas, they do not get to the rest. They do not get to the loopy factor that some politicians mentioned final night time or this morning, they do not get to that subsequent piece of coverage that is on the market. So it is a- it is a few relentless give attention to folks’s on a regular basis wants and their on a regular basis life.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah. We’ll take a break, come again and have the remainder of the dialog on the opposite aspect of it. All of you, please stick with us. Extra from Andy Beshear in a second.
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MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome again to “Face The Nation.” We return to our dialog with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. Governor, Kentucky has a variety of coal. It is obtained pure gasoline. Mr. Trump has chosen Chris Wright, the CEO of Liberty Vitality, to be the subsequent Vitality Secretary, if confirmed. He is additionally chosen Doug Burgum, the governor of North Dakota, to run the Inside Division, and he is promised to open up extra federal lands to drilling. Do you could have any concept what the affect could be in your state from the alerts being despatched with these alternatives?
GOV. ANDY BESHEAR: Nicely, we’ll see. I imply, I noticed the feedback not too long ago from the CEO of Exxon, which was slightly completely different than what we would count on, speaking about needing to maneuver to greener kinds of- of power, no matter what the coverage of the day is. And I actually see from corporations which are coming into Kentucky every day, we simply introduced a brand new industrial battery facility that is going to create 1600 new jobs. They demand a sure portfolio of power. Sure, the lights have to return on, however particularly over time for his or her prospects, they need a specific amount of renewables. So what I’ve seen as governor is a personal sector push that I don’t assume goes to alter calls for positioned on states, calls for positioned on utilities, and the non-public sector finally transferring us to a extra various and cleaner portfolio. So right here in Kentucky, sure, we’ve got many conventional types of power, and so they have actually good jobs, and we need to ensure that we by no means look down on and- and we help every of these jobs. However my purpose is to diversify our manufacturing as a lot as we will in order that we’ve got the roles of the current and people jobs of the long run.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You mentioned Kentucky has one thing like 10,000 jobs associated to electrical automobiles. You actually made a giant push on that through the marketing campaign. Mr. Trump vowed to undo the “electrical automobile mandate,” that is what he known as it, and he will, he says, repeal the legislation that features credit for inexperienced tasks. Are you aware at this level if Republican leaders intend to maintain elements of that? And are there projections on what repealing that legislation totally would do to the job creation in your state?
GOV. ANDY BESHEAR: Nicely, it is actually regarding. You take a look at a state like Kentucky that voted for President-Elect Trump by 30 factors, and it is 10,000 EV associated jobs on the road, and people are solely rising. Go as much as Ohio and take a look at that $20 billion chips manufacturing unit, which I am slightly bit jealous of, however glad for the folks of Ohio and- and what that may imply in one other state that voted for the president-elect. So that you take a look at all of those jobs and jobs of the long run which have come to what- what the administration will most likely view as pink states. It is necessary that these tasks proceed. Bear in mind, a variety of the folks taking these jobs, jobs that help their households, voted for President-Elect Trump as a result of they thought that may enhance their job, that he was centered on their job. So I hope that he’ll get good recommendation, and I will do the whole lot I can to get my message out by way of our federal delegation of how necessary these jobs are. They usually’re not in city Kentucky. They’re in rural Kentucky. They’re sport altering investments that- which have created a brilliant future right here, and I am actually going to do the whole lot I can as governor of Kentucky to guard them, and never as a result of I am a Democrat, however as a result of I’ve proven my folks that each single day I will attempt to create a greater life for them, and that is what these jobs do.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah, 14 billion between now and 2030 was what was promised to your state. I ponder in the event you simply assume Democrats did not do a great job of explaining that?
GOV. ANDY BESHEAR: Nicely, I actually do not need to do any finger pointing, as a result of the- the Vice President had 107 days, and she or he did her best, and I proudly crisscrossed the nation in help of her. However what I do know is, going ahead, over the subsequent couple years, we’ve got an opportunity on daily basis, each second, to point out the American folks that we’re laser centered on jobs, on their well being care, on their infrastructure, on their children’ schooling, just- simply these on a regular basis worries, and with this administration, at the very least proper now choosing some very excessive appointees, it is an opportunity to make an actual distinction, to actually present folks that- that we’re the place their primary wants are.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, however there was, as you recognize, some evaluation after the very fact amongst Democrats concerning the give attention to some tradition battle points, or so to talk. Congressman Seth Moulton mentioned, of transgender points, “I’ve two little women. I do not need them getting run over on a taking part in subject by a male or previously male athlete. However as a Democrat, I am alleged to be afraid to say that.” He says he is “talking authentically,” and mentioned Democrats ought to do extra of it. Do you assume Democrats have been out of contact on a few of these issues that clearly resonate in states like yours?
GOV. ANDY BESHEAR: Nicely, I feel that- that each one candidates ought to get up for- for his or her beliefs and that- and that we do not have to desert these beliefs. You already know, I vetoed one of many nastiest anti-LGBTQ payments that my state had ever seen in my election yr, but- however I did two issues. Primary, I talked about my why, for me, that is my religion, the place I am taught that each one youngsters are youngsters of God. And I needed to stay up for some youngsters that had been being picked on in a reasonably tough invoice. However the second factor is, the- the voters in my state knew the very subsequent day, I used to be going to be engaged on jobs. I used to be going to be opening a brand new well being clinic, first hospital in our largest African American neighborhood in 150 years, we simply reduce the ribbon on. We have created two pediatric autism facilities in- in Appalachia, so that individuals do not must drive two hours. So it’s- it is each sharing your why and your genuine why for- in your views, but- however the different piece is about that focus. As a result of bear in mind, if we’re speaking about this subject of the day, after which we’re speaking about what Donald Trump mentioned final night time, after which we’re speaking about jobs. We’re solely spending a 3rd of the time speaking about what persons are nervous about and what impacts their life essentially the most.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor, thanks for becoming a member of us right now. We’ll be proper again.
