Gov. Beshear interviewed on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition

FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — National Public Radio (NPR) hosted Gov. Andy Beshear for an interview on Wednesday at the historic Governor’s Mansion to discuss the federal government shutdown, as well as being a Democrat governor in what host Steve Inskeep called “a deeply red state.”

NPR’s Morning Edition began the interview by asking Beshear how the federal shutdown would affect Kentucky.

“At a time when Americans are struggling with the costs of everything, I believe Democrats in Washington, DC, are trying to provide a little bit of relief,” Beshear said.

NPR reported that Beshear took note of President Trump’s threat to permanently fire federal employees as a way to pressure Democrats.

“If he fires a bunch of people, it’s not because Democrats wouldn’t reach a deal. It’s because the president decides and actually fires people,” he said. “People aren’t a negotiating tool. They are not a prop. And that’s how he’s treating these families.”

During the interview, Beshear told Morning Edition that he was living proof that Democrats can win elections if they invest across all of America, even in tough places.

“I think you’ll see next year, when we have 36 governors’ races, us competing in those states where we haven’t seen a Democratic senator or a Democratic governor at least in eight to 12 years,” Beshear said. “The people of the United States don’t like extremism, and so we’re going to we’re going to offer a candidate, again, laser-focused on the everyday concerns of the people in their state, and I think you’re going to see the map starting to change based on those governors’ races.”

Beshear told NPR that while he runs for office as a proud Democrat, once he’s elected, he works for all of the people of Kentucky.

When asked by Inskeep what Democrats should do for Americans if they are elected, Beshear said they should focus on the everyday concerns of families nationwide, regardless of where they align politically.

“I remember riding with a bus driver in Woodford County, not far from here,” Beshear told Inskeep. “She knew exactly how much her grocery bill was every month, that she could just barely afford, but she also knew how much the vacation was that she couldn’t. She, and other American families, ought to be able to pay that grocery bill and go on vacation.”

The full interview with Gov. Beshear can be found at NPR’s website.