Andy Beshear, the Democratic Governor of the red state of Kentucky, blasted President Trump’s Vice President J.D. Vance, on the podcast Raging Moderates with Fox News star Jessica Tarlov.
Beshear described Vance, who is expected to run for president in 2028, as “a guy who made his money talking down about people in Kentucky that he doesn’t fully understand. He called us lazy, he said addiction was our fault. He is wrong. And he should not be judging us, or anyone else.”
Note: Vance, who was born and raised in Ohio, spent summers with relatives in Jackson, Kentucky (population 2,237) during his childhood, scenes which he depicted in his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy. According to Forbes, in 2024, Vance was worth an estimated $10 million, mostly owing to sales of the book, which has sold over 1.6 million copies and was produced as a film by Netflix. (Note: Vance also worked as a venture capitalist.)
Andy Beshear on JD Vance: “A guy who made his money talking down about people in Kentucky that he doesn’t fully understand. He called us lazy, he said addiction was our fault, he is wrong. He is the most conceited elected official that I have ever heard speak” pic.twitter.com/4bgMkossEj
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) March 15, 2026
Beshear added of Vance, “He is the most conceited elected official that I have ever heard speak, and that’s incredibly dangerous because if you think you know it all you’re going to make some really bad decisions because you’re not listening to some smart people you should put around you.”
Beshear, who told Tarlov, “No one would work harder against JD Vance than me,” has said he is open to a presidential run in 2028.
A number of MAGA supporters responded to Beshear’s comments by noting that Beshear, son of former Governor Steve Beshear, didn’t have to suffer like Vance during his childhood.
Note: According to Finbold, Beshear’s estimated net worth is $5 million. For each year he has been in office, Beshear has released his tax returns to, according to him, continue to “earn the trust” of Kentuckians.