Andy Beshear Unpacks the War in Iran

Summary

---

Andy Beshear Podcast

Episode: Andy Beshear Unpacks the War in Iran

Date: April 23, 2026

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, Andy Beshear and his co-hosts dive into the escalating war in Iran, unpack the politics and real-life impacts of the conflict, discuss the U.S. administration’s handling, and explore related domestic issues like energy, missing scientists, and President Trump's historically low approval ratings. The episode also features a candid, engaging interview with actor and Kentucky native W. Earl Brown, and a new “Ask Andy” segment where listener questions prompt discussions on real-life concerns for Kentuckians and Americans.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Week in Review: The War in Iran and Its Ripple Effects

Ceasefire Confusion & Strait of Hormuz Crisis

• The U.S. war with Iran stretches on, with conflicting reports over ceasefires and the strategic closure/blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
• Andy Beshear highlights the complexity:

  “Originally, President Trump had said that they had reached a ceasefire... then Israel continued to bomb Lebanon... Since then, we have gotten a ceasefire, but the Strait of Hormuz... the US Is blockading it, which I guess makes the US Responsible for increased gas prices now.” [03:01–03:42]

• Multiple deadlines approach, with Wednesday as a “make or break” date—either a peace deal, or, as President Trump threatens, “bomb every power plant and every bridge" in Iran, which panelists note could be considered war crimes. [04:15–04:26]

International Negotiations in Disarray

• Questions about whether peace talks are even happening, confusion over Vice President J.D. Vance’s role, and skepticism about the prospects given Iran’s apparent refusal to attend talks. [04:46–05:17]

Economic Fallout–Gas Prices and Energy Markets

• Gas prices are spiking; Beshear and Rabinowitz discuss the direct impact on Americans:

  "I filled up today, John. It was 399, so a little bit below $4, but still outrageous." – John Rabinowitz [06:54]
  “This is a president that tanked the EV market... pulled out incentives... then takes action that significantly increased the price of gas.” – Andy Beshear [07:05]

• U.S. policy shifts are pushing allies toward Chinese renewables investment, potentially reshaping global alliances. [07:42–08:33]

Ceasefire Breached?

• A U.S. attack on a cargo ship raises the question of whether the ceasefire is already over:

  “If you use the words that they fired on a ship as part of a ceasefire, that probably means the six fire[s] are over.” – John McConnell [09:17]

Regime Change Realism

• Panelists critique the administration’s stated goal of “regime change,” noting the lack of realistic planning and potential for civilian harm:

  “If the president wants regime change taking out all of the power that the civilians need... doesn't seem like a constructive way to say to the people, we're vested in your future.” – Andy Beshear [09:39]

---

2. The Mystery of the Missing Scientists

• Wave of deaths and disappearances among U.S. nuclear and space scientists raises concerns and conspiracy theories.

  “It's a horrible situation, but what is going on here?” – John Rabinowitz [10:44]
  “As we start to talk about energy dependence, we start talking about nuclear energy and what these folks know and how to help us develop that, it's scary...” – John McConnell [11:03]

• President Trump promises answers “in a week and a half.”
• Panel references past coverups (Epstein files) and Congressional hearings are expected. [11:31–11:54]

---

3. Trump’s Record-Low Approval & Key Polling Numbers

• Trump’s approval drops to 37%, with 63% disapproval—lowest of his presidency.
• Just 32% approve of his handling of inflation; 52% strongly disapprove.

  "82% of independents disapprove of his handling of the war. You don't get 82% of independents all agreeing on... Anything ever." – Andy Beshear [13:00]

• 61% of Americans oppose “any further military action in Iran”. [14:13–14:21]

Contrast with Beshear’s Popularity

• Beshear: 60% approval in a Trump +31 state, asserting he’s vocal "not because he's a Republican, but because the things he's doing are bad for the people of my state." [14:56]
• Big emphasis on the real-life impact of administration policies on everyday families; empathy for farmers, hospital workers, and women facing healthcare access issues.

---

4. Kentucky, the Derby, and Hopeful Moments

• Beshear discusses recent speaking engagements in Michigan, record fundraising, and optimism in Democratic circles for brighter, less divided times.

• On award from the Victory Fund:

  “Pretty special to be recognized for just doing the right thing. I'm against discrimination. I don't like bullies. That's why I've done what I've done.” [18:02]

• Upcoming Derby-themed episode teased, listing high-profile guests from the world of horse racing and sports.

---

5. Guest Interview: W. Earl Brown (Actor, Deadwood, Mandalorian)

Small Town Kentucky Roots & Family Lore

• Born in Golden Pond, Kentucky—now under water due to Land Between the Lakes recreation area.

  "My pap had a grocery store... I was born in the Murray Calloway County Hospital... We basically just moved the other side of the river." [23:11]

• Family moonshining history:

  “Pap said six months in jail for moonshining. That was the big family skeleton... I take it as just a wonderful color from my Kentucky heritage.” [23:57]

Inspiration and the Acting Bug

• Formative moment seeing Star Wars in theaters:

  "Sitting there in that movie theater watching that Imperial Star Destroyer... I want to be a part of that." [24:33]

• Speech and debate team led to belief in his own talent; early performance of Hamlet’s Yorick speech was pivotal. [25:49–26:40]

Career Highlights & Artistic Fulfillment

• Deadwood is his favorite role, created by David Milch (connections to Kentucky).

  "Deadwood's my favorite thing ever... it was iambic pentameter... incredibly vulgar..." [27:41]

• Sheriff Country on CBS:

  “It's meat and potatoes TV. But in within that box, it's really good and it's doing well. So I feel blessed and grateful.” [28:14]

• Writes, acts, and produces; satisfaction comes from deep creative moments, not fame or finances:

  "Finding those moments... it transcended craft and became art... that's the reward." [31:28–32:16]

Hollywood Realities & Advice for Aspiring Actors

• Rejection is part of the path:

  “You need 10 or 12 of your buddies... have them kick you as hard as they can... If you get through all 12 without being in a ball of tears on the floor crying for mercy, you're ready to get started.” [45:00]

• On AI: skeptical of its ability to replicate soul, passion, or true art. [37:13–40:17]
• On streaming: Gives shows/movies a second life, but the sheer volume means many good works get lost. [33:29–34:32]

Family, Kentucky Roots & Staying Grounded

• Credits Kentucky background for work ethic and values.

  “There's a work ethic that was imbued in her and in me that you just keep going… I'm very proud of where I came from…” [46:42]

• Raising kids in LA: His daughter was never impressed by Hollywood; Beshear echoes that as a parent himself. [36:51–37:03]

Fandom, Mandalorian & Star Wars Nostalgia

• Playing in The Mandalorian was a dream come true; secrecy was intense, and he couldn’t even tell his friends.

  “So Favreau goes, all right, well, let's rehearse one... there's Grogu on a stick with a puppeteer. I'm just, oh, my gosh, that's the child. That's the child.” [42:32–44:02]

• Star Wars collection: "Well, now you ought to see my Star wars collection. It's pretty awesome." [44:52]

Notable Quotes

• “Computers don't have souls. They're never going to have a soul.” – W. Earl Brown [39:27]
• “I'm grateful for that. My wife too... you just keep the spade going until you're at the end of the row, and then you turn around and you come back up the other row.” [46:42–47:37]

Sheriff’s Country Viewing

• Fridays on CBS, 7 PM Central / 8 PM Eastern [47:42]

---

6. Ask Andy: Questions from the Street

On Kentucky State Employees and Cost-of-Living Raises

• For 13 years, no COLA for retirees; blames legislative refusal. Beshear highlights his advocacy and personal legal action to protect pensions.

  "It has been in my budget because I know how important it is... my legislature and many other Republican led legislatures... have actually attacked our state employees." [50:43–52:53]

Qualities of a Good Leader

• Must fight for the poor/middle class; should focus on affordability, healthcare, good jobs, and real opportunity for the next generation.

  “If people don't believe [in the American dream]... America stops being exceptional.” [53:00–55:39]

Support for Single Mothers & Families

• Champions pre-K for all, affordable childcare, and robust safety nets (SNAP, Medicaid), noting education and healthcare access as critical for lifting families from poverty.

  “Education breaks cycles of poverty. It makes intragenerational change.” [56:02]

---

Notable & Memorable Moments

• On American Discontent:

  “82% of independents disapprove of his handling of the war. You don't get 82% of independents all agreeing on anything ever.” – Andy Beshear [13:00]

• Moonshiner Family Lore:

  “Pap said six months in jail for moonshining. That was the big family skeleton...” – W. Earl Brown [23:57]

• On Acting and Failure:

  “You have to inure yourself to failure because you better make it your friend because you're going to face it a lot.” – W. Earl Brown [45:00]

---

Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Description | Timestamps | |--------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|--------------| | Week in Review | War in Iran, ceasefire, energy, Trump approvals | 00:38–21:38 | | Guest: W. Earl Brown | Kentucky roots, Deadwood, Hollywood, Mandalorian | 22:28–48:06 | | Ask Andy | Cost of living, leadership, single moms | 48:13–End |

---

Conclusion

This episode of the Andy Beshear Podcast balances sobering global events with local impacts and inspiring personal stories. Beshear’s empathetic, pragmatic tone comes through in both policy discussions and his approach with guests. W. Earl Brown’s segment stands out with warmth, humor, and Kentucky pride, providing human context amidst political and economic turbulence. The “Ask Andy” segment roots the show in everyday struggles of regular Americans, ensuring the episode’s focus remains on real people—and real solutions.

---

Transcript

[Mathnasium Advertiser]

Parents, have you heard your kids say I'm not a math kid? Well, with Mathnasium, every kid can be a math kid. They customize their math instruction so kids who are struggling are able to catch up and get ahead. And advanced kids are challenged to reach higher. Mathnasium makes math fun so kids learn to love it. Parents say that Mathnasium has not only improved their kids grades, it's given them a new level of confidence in math and in school overall. They visit mathnasium.com to find a location near you.

[Andy Beshear]

Welcome back to the Andy Beshear Podcast. We are excited you've joined us for this episode. In this episode we are changing it up with a new format. We're going to start with our week in review and that's when I talk to to our other podcast founders about all the things that have gone on this last week. We get an update on the war in Iran. We talk through whether the missing scientists are a conspiracy theory or might be real. We talk about the President's almost record low approval ratings and even give a preview to our upcoming Derby episodes. Then an all new Ask Andy where we have upped our game. Our producer Breland has been out and about in New York and in Louisville getting people to ask the questions that are on their mind. And then a special treat. Actor W. Earl Brown, originally from the Murray area in Kentucky, is our guest. He has been in movies like There's Something About Mary and a star role in Deadwood, both the series and the movie. He is now on Sheriff's country, one of the most popular popular shows in the United States. He talks through life. He talks through when he got the acting bug. He really gives us a perspective about how he sees the world. That is really interesting. Remember, you can download this podcast wherever you get your podcast, but also head over to YouTube at Andy Beshear Podcast and make sure you watch and subscribe. We are reading the comments. We might read a question that you post there or leave us a suggestion. We've enjoyed this podcast. We want you to love it too. So let's get to the episode. With our new format on the Andy Beshear Podcast. We are starting with Week in Review and that's when I go over the news of this last week with our other podcast founders, John Rabinowitz and John McConnell. John McConnell is remote today because he's trying to sell a house in Murray, Kentucky. John, how's it actually going?

[John McConnell]

So far so good. We've got a few people coming to look in the next day or two

[John Rabinowitz]

so, John, where's your Zillow post? That should be up right now.

[John McConnell]

Yeah, Breland's going to have to cut that in somehow.

[Andy Beshear]

All right, so we're going to start on some pretty serious topics this week. The U.S. s war with Iran stretched into yet another week. Biggest news is probably whether or not there is a current ceasefire and what's going on with the Strait of Hormuz. Originally, President Trump had said that they had reached a ceasefire, that certain things had been agreed to, and then Israel continued to bomb Lebanon. The vice president, J.D. vance, was asked if Lebanon was included, and he said, I don't know. Since then, we have gotten a ceasefire with those groups. But the Strait of Hormuz was supposed to be open. The Iranians said it was open. Then the president said, no, it's not open because the US Is blockading it, which I guess makes the US Responsible for increased gas prices. Now. Now the US has fired upon a vessel trying to go through. Where do you think we are?

[John Rabinowitz]

Well, we will definitely know by Wednesday because Wednesday's the day we have to make decision one way or the other,

[Andy Beshear]

because that is the new big threat deadline. Where it is, President Trump says he will bomb every power plant and every bridge, which many folks say would be war crimes.

[John Rabinowitz]

If Iran does not sign the deal, the whole country is getting blown up. So hopefully that does not happen on Wednesday.

[Andy Beshear]

That is a little more direct than when he said a civilization will die.

[John Rabinowitz]

Well, listen, the other thing I'm a little confused about is, are we going to have these negotiations or not? Is J.D. vance going to lead the negotiations or not?

[Andy Beshear]

That's a good point. And we know JD Vance failed the first time in these peace negotiations, doesn't have any experience doing it whatsoever, but that doesn't seem to be a prerequisite to getting a job in the Trump administration. But the Iranians are saying they're not even showing up, right?

[John Rabinowitz]

No confirmed attendance.

[Andy Beshear]

There was back and forth about whether J.D. vance was even a part of this negotiating crew. Now it appears that he is and might be on his way to a meeting that the other side won't even be at. John McConnell, what are your thoughts?

[John McConnell]

Well, and it seems like it's a race to see who could say there's a ceasefire first, and then who can say there's not a ceasefire anymore. Like what you just said, Andy. I mean, he's going to a meeting that the other side's not even going to attend. So what. What do we expect those results to be? And, you know, how does this end. How do we stop this?

[John Rabinowitz]

Well, it is interesting to watch the solution. Here's what we do know. Gas prices up, likely going to remain up, depending on who you talk to, whether the remain above $3 for the year.

[Andy Beshear]

One of Trump's secretaries said this week that they expected it to remain above $3 through the end of the year.

[John Rabinowitz]

And he disagrees. He thinks it'll go down before that time.

[Andy Beshear]

Trump disagrees with his secretary.

[John Rabinowitz]

Yes, he came out pretty quickly today and said that. The other thing that's interesting is the stock market. So it tended to go up at the end of last week, but then wobbles today. And I think what we're really going to see is on Wednesday going to see jump or go down.

[Andy Beshear]

And I think it's really ironic that a president that promised to make life easier and prices go down is now the one responsible for the blockade, which is continuing to keep gas prices up. And as we all know, that increases the price of everything. So many goods are shipped across the United States that it's not just tariffs that increase the price of goods, it's an increased price of oil. And it appears that the American people are just getting hammered with this, that they are feeling it. It was already too much. And with the price of gas in front of them every single day are really pushing back.

[John Rabinowitz]

I will tell you, I filled up today, John. It was 399, so a little bit below $4, but still outrageous.

[John McConnell]

With you and the kids on the road, you've got at least three, four cars on the road.

[Andy Beshear]

Now, the other, the other irony is, remember, this is a president that tanked the EV market in the United States that came in and pulled out incentives under which companies had invested billions of dollars to create a car that didn't need gasoline. And when President Trump said, oh, no, we're going to have fossil fuels and the cost of everything is going to be low, you don't need EVs. He then takes action that significantly increased the price of gas.

[John Rabinowitz]

It's so funny you said that, because I have some friends, friends that have electric vehicles. And they were telling us on Friday they love to listen to us whine about the gas prices because it's not affecting them at all.

[Andy Beshear]

So the new repercussion that we're starting to see is where other countries are starting to turn for future investments in energy. You know, the United States under President Trump said they were going back to fossil fuel. President Trump pulled the EV incentives. He's also tried to stop a lot of wind and Solar projects. What we're seeing is Europe and other countries saying, wait a minute, if this is what happens with fossil fuels, there is not a long term future. But with the United States not in the renewable game as much, we're seeing more and more countries turn to China. And a big concern if other countries, our allies, are turning to China for their energy needs. What type of access, what type of relationship do they form with China?

[John Rabinowitz]

Yeah, that's really interesting, but I do want to, I want to bring you back to something you said earlier with the firing on the cargo ship. And depending on what you read, do you think that that is a violation of our cease fire?

[Andy Beshear]

Well, it seems that the President believes the ceasefire is separate from the blockade, that, that, that Iran says there's a ceasefire and there's no longer a blockade. But now they've come out and said with the US Doing this, we are now no longer allowing ships to go through. So we're right back at where we were before the ceasefire with Iran saying no ships going through and the United States saying no ships.

[John Rabinowitz]

You know, all I can think about is, go ahead, John.

[John McConnell]

If you use the words that they fired on a ship as part of a ceasefire, that probably means the six fires are over.

[John Rabinowitz]

I would think so. You know, but one thing I still have a vivid memory of, I mentioned this last time is again you mentioned bombing of bridges and plants. And I just remember them lining up those civilians on those bridges. And I hope to God we don't see that again on Wednesday.

[Andy Beshear]

And if the president wants regime change taking out all of the power that the civilians need, bombing the bridges, that would help them get away from the regime or that they might march over in terms of regime change doesn't seem like a constructive way to say to the people, we're vested in your future. We just need a new group of leaders. And I think, as we've said, regime change was never realistic. And it seems the President went in with that expectation, meaning he hadn't done the work, he hadn't studied the country, and he did this more on his gut than with wise counsel.

[John Rabinowitz]

Yeah, with that question. Now, John, I know you love a good conspiracy theory. And we have really something crazy going on right now with our scientists here, our nuclear scientists. I don't know if you've seen it, but our House Oversight Committee Chairman, James Comer from Kentucky, I think represents your neck of woods and maybe the whole state. If you look at the way it's.

[John McConnell]

It doesn't matter if I'm in Murray or if I'm in Frankfurt.

[John Rabinowitz]

Yes, he is your representative. He has warned, he warned on Sunday that something sinister could be happening after 11 scientists mainly tied to US nuclear and space research programs went missing or been found dead. It's a horrible situation, but what is going on here?

[John McConnell]

It seems like a lot of people tied to the same industry to disappear or die in just a sequence. So, I mean, it's something I think you have to look into, because as we start to talk about energy dependence, we start talking about nuclear energy and what these folks know and how to help us develop that, it's scary because we don't need to lose that, and we don't want people to disappear or die either way.

[John Rabinowitz]

Well, President Trump did say, we'll know in a week and a half.

[Andy Beshear]

It does sound like the X Files. It does sound like a conspiracy theory. But at one point, so did the Epstein files. And, you know, the President pushed back against that so much, he convinced me that there were a lot of files and a lot of information. And then, guess what? When it was published, we saw that, indeed, the administration was hiding a lot of documents.

[John Rabinowitz]

Well, they said there's going to be congressional hearings on it. There's no doubt many countries would love to know our nuclear secrets. It is just very odd how connected all these scientists are and these researchers are. So I guess we'll have to see, maybe in the next week and a half we'll know.

[Andy Beshear]

So, I believe it was yesterday we got the newest poll on how President Trump's approval is with the American people. And, well, it's taken a beating. He is the least popular president, I think, think of our lifetime right now, proving himself more unpopular than he was in his first term. Overall, 37% of adults approve of his performance. Just 37, 63% disapprove. So it's almost 1/3 approve, 2/3 disapprove. That is the lowest point of his second term, according to NBC News Decision Desk polling. Now, when you break it down further, you look at, especially the economy, that's

[John Rabinowitz]

what you're going to say.

[Andy Beshear]

Affordability, prices and affordability. And Americans give him even lower marks. Just 32% of Americans say they approve of his handling of inflation and the cost of living with 68% who disapprove. But here's the even bigger piece. So you always ask, approve or disapprove, and then you ask strongly approve or strongly disapprove. And that's when you can really break down some of the partisanship. 52% of Americans strongly disapprove of how he is handling inflation and prices. A majority in something like that is rare. Only 19% strongly approved. So while he seems to have this group that support him wherever he goes, you see that really breaking down in pocketbook issues. And then if you go to the handling of the war in Iran, here's one that struck me that I think that Republicans should be nervous about, especially with the midterms. 82% of independents disapprove of his handling of the war. You don't get 82% of independents all agreeing on independence. Anything ever. It suggests this war is really unpopular. And let me give you one final one. A sizable majority, 61% of adults, said the U.S. should not take any further military action in Iran.

[John Rabinowitz]

Yeah, listen, the only thing you left

[W. Earl Brown]

out do we know we have a

[John McConnell]

friend whose numbers look slightly different than that.

[John Rabinowitz]

Oh, there's no quote what I was going to say. I do want to hear your numbers. The only thing you left out was his fight with the Pope.

[Andy Beshear]

Yeah, well, they haven't done that yet. But if he has 33% approval in his fight with the Pope, I'll be shocked. I've heard you should never take on God.

[John Rabinowitz]

I mean, listen, affordability, the war, fighting with the Pope, none of these numbers are shocking. Now, on the other hand, as John was saying, you have some numbers. Tell us about where you're polling right now.

[Andy Beshear]

For me, Most recently, it's 60% approval rating, right? About a 33% disapproval rating. But I'm in a Trump +31 state. And so to have that level of approval when I'm also speaking my mind, and you all know I'm not speaking my mind and my disapproval of President Trump because he's a Republican. It's because the things he's doing are bad for the people of my state and I think bad for the people of the United States. His refusal to focus on lowering prices, tariffs that have increased prices. This war that he didn't even explained to the American people in a State of the Union, what, four days before launching it, has raised prices even more. I'm worried about that person that is one paycheck and one bill away from not making it. And this president is hitting more and more and more of those people. I think about the soybean farmer that had to burn their crop this year and wonder if they're going to have any market to send it to next year. I worry about the rural hospital that's already thinking about the staff they have to lay off and that Kentucky woman that has to drive an hour and a half to give birth. I mean, I am being as vocal as I'm being because this president is causing more damage to the people of this state, and I think the people of the United States than any president in my lifetime. And we need him to stop and listen.

[John Rabinowitz]

I can definitely tell you're being vocal because I'm getting text messages from across the country. I just recently, this past weekend, you go to Michigan and then to D.C. and all my. I had many friends in Michigan, some of which saw you speak and said you did an unbelievable job. Tell us a little bit about that.

[Andy Beshear]

You're listening to the Andy Beshear Podcast. We are having our week in review. Just got back from Michigan, where we did their Democratic dinner. It was a tribute to Gretchen Whitmer, a friend of mine who is finishing out her last year of being governor of Michigan, where she's done a good job. We had 1700 people at that dinner that night, broke that record, raised more money for the state party than has ever been raised. But we're seeing that at all these things I'm going to, and probably a bunch of them that I'm not. We are just seeing huge amounts of energy coming off of last year. Coming off Abigail Spanberger's big win, coming off Mikey Sherrill's big win. Excitement about governors and the Democratic Governors association, but mainly wanting better for their kids and grandkids. Wanting a United States that's not always us versus them. Wanting a country where your neighbor is not the enemy from within. I just think people want better and they're willing to stand up, they're willing to go to events, they're willing to give. They're willing to volunteer to get the country back to where we have a level of stability that we enjoyed growing up.

[John Rabinowitz]

Hey, John, I also heard that in Michigan, he has his own billboards now. I don't know if you knew that or not. My lawyers are telling me they're seeing his billboards and we can't get them all from Morgan.

[Andy Beshear]

And Morgan. Yeah, I had one billboard. This guy's firm has all the rest

[John Rabinowitz]

except for that one.

[Andy Beshear]

But then, then, then flew very early in the morning, received an Award to D.C. and received the Allyship Award from the Victory Fund. That is an LGBTQ+ rights group that supports LGBTQ candidates. Pretty special to be recognized for just doing the right thing. I'm against discrimination. I don't like bullies. That's why I've done what I've done. But for a group of people to say thank you for standing up for us and a group that does really great work, you know, was a real honor. And Katura Herron, who's one of our state senators here in Kentucky, flew up and gave a really special intro about the fights that we've fought. And I think the thing that was most important to the people there is I was willing to do the right thing in a place that doing the right thing might be hard. But see, I think the people of Kentucky respect you doing the right thing. They might not always agree or disagree. They might not have had the exposure to some of the issues that I've had to make the tough calls on. But sitting here with a 60% approval rating while never throwing anybody under the bus, while making sure that I live out my faith and values of loving my neighbor as myself, accept each other as Christ has accepted you. Judge not lest ye be judged. Those are all, by the way, in the book Here We Go and Do likewise, available wherever you pre order your books. It'll be available on September 22nd.

[John Rabinowitz]

You know, I do say, John, and you and I have said this a few times, that even when we disagree with him on issues, we do believe he's doing it because he believes it's in the best interest of the people of the Commonwealth. So that's not a surprise. You got that award. Congratulations. And listen, here's the other thing. You got a busy week this week and then a really busy week next week with it being Derby week.

[Andy Beshear]

So Derby is upcoming and we are excited that the next issue, the next episode of the Andy Beshear podcast, will be from Churchill Downs. We're going to have great guests. We've got Brad Cox, who is a trainer from Louisville, Kentucky, that's going to have at least three Derby horses. He might have the top three favorites in the Derby.

[John Rabinowitz]

We'll also have Johnny Velasquez.

[Andy Beshear]

Yes.

[John Rabinowitz]

Again, one of the best jockeys in the world. And then a great new owner and a great advocate for our sport, Jason Worth, who also played a little bit of baseball.

[Andy Beshear]

Yeah. Ties baseball where I think with the Washington Nationals. He won a World Series to horse racing. So we'll ask him a lot of things, including for any tips for Will.

[John Rabinowitz]

It'll be a great episode.

[Andy Beshear]

Derby is a special time and a special place. I'll never forget when George Brett walked in to the room that we were in and getting to meet a Hall of Famer, learned that he likes cigars as well.

[John Rabinowitz]

John, do you have your outfit picked out yet?

[John McConnell]

You know, I mean, as Far as filming at Churchill Downs, I was going to just put a jockey outfit on.

[Andy Beshear]

Oh, I will pay to see that.

[John McConnell]

Try to get our horse.

[Andy Beshear]

Maybe AI can help us out on this one. Let's see in this episode if we can get a picture of that up on the screen. If not, that one is coming on Derby.

[John Rabinowitz]

We may not need AI guys, because I think I have silks I can bring John to wear during the episode if he's up for it.

[Andy Beshear]

Those are actual Derby silks. Those. Those might be a little tight. Johnny Mac, he's been working out.

[John McConnell]

He says, I've been working out. I think I can make them fit

[Goto Bank Advertiser]

this summer. Don't squeeze in. Spread out. Find homes big enough for your whole guest list on VRBox. That's vacation rentals done right.

[Andy Beshear]

Book your stay now.

[Mathnasium Advertiser]

Parents, have you heard your kids say I'm not a math kid? Well, with Mathnasium, every kid can be a math kid. They customize their math instruction so kids who are struggling are able to catch up and get ahead. And advanced kids are challenged to reach higher. Mathnasium makes math fun, so kids learn to love it. Parents say that Mathnasium has not only improved their kids grades, it's given them a new level of confidence in math and in school overall. Visit mathnasium.com to find a location near you.

[Andy Beshear]

You're listening to the Andy Beshear Podcast. Our guest this week is W. Earl Brown. He is a prolific American actor, writer and producer known for his roles as dan Dougherty on HBO's Deadwood. I love that one. Kenny in Scream and Warren in There's Something About Mary. A Kentucky native with an MFA from DePaul University, he's appeared in numerous films and TV series, including the Last of Us, Video Game Preacher, and the Mandalorian. Earl, welcome to the podcast.

[W. Earl Brown]

Thank you. I'm honored to be here.

[Andy Beshear]

Well, we're excited. You're a very famous Kentuckian that comes from a town that no longer exists. Tell our listeners about that.

[W. Earl Brown]

I was born in, well, I was actually born in the Murray Calloway County Hospital. My family lived in Golden Pond, Kentucky. My grandfather ran the pool hall that was there in Golden Pond and when I was four is when it was turned into the Land between the Lakes recreation Area. So we were bought out and we moved at that point. We lived right by the Egner's Ferry Bridge and my pap had a grocery store which I remember and remember numerous memories. So he bought a store over in Callaway county near the lake. So we basically Just moved the other side of the river. But that's where. That's where I was originally.

[Andy Beshear]

Sprouted and maybe the most stereotypical Kentucky fashion. Golden Pond was a rough and tumble moonshining hub during prohibition.

[John Rabinowitz]

Yeah.

[W. Earl Brown]

Yep. Well, I think I can tell the story now because my granny has passed away, but years ago. And some. Some man, I don't forget what it was, but I kind of spilled the beans publicly that pap said six months in jail for moonshining. And that was the big family skeleton in the closet that I drug out under the spotlight. And that was not appreciated. So I take it as just a wonderful color from my Kentucky heritage. But.

[Andy Beshear]

Well, you got to think in Kentucky that might be a badge of honor.

[W. Earl Brown]

Absolutely. But not to my granny, it wasn't.

[Andy Beshear]

When. When did you get the. The acting bug? When was this something that. That you thought you want to do?

[W. Earl Brown]

I always love movies, and I. The freshman year before I started high school, we were in vacationing Daytona Beach, Florida, and my mom, very Kentucky. My mom allowed me to bring my best friend with me down there. And of course, we're pubescent boys. And I'd heard about this movie and chess, what we want to do for the day. And I said, I want to see that space western. It's called Star Wars. So my mother drove us to the. Dropped us off at the mall. And then. So she got to spend the day on the beach without pubescent boys in her hair. And sitting there in that movie theater watching that Imperial Star Destroyer fly overhead. And I felt the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stand up like I want to be a part of that. So then that's what lit it. And then we didn't have a theater department. We didn't have that. I did a class play and in the eighth grade. But we had a very active speech and debate team at Callaway. We were state champions three of my four years. That's right. So I was on that. But I never. Still didn't think it was possible, you know, that a kid from rural Kentucky could do that. Then I just. I went to Murray State because I didn't know, you know, I was the first in the family to go to college and took an acting class on a whim at Murray State. And it was in that because I was intimidated as could be because all my classmates had these numerous credits from regional theater and whatnot, and I didn't have any. But we were doing. Our first assignment was a Shakespearean soliloquy. And I literally chose The Hamlet Yorick speech, because I knew it from Gilligan's Island. I'm not kidding. So I read because we'd had to read Romeo and Juliet in high school, but I kind of skimmed my way through it and. But I read Hamlet, and it was like. It spoke to me, like, the depression that the young man was dealing with. Like, oh, I understand that. I understand. So we had to do the assignment. And I remember once I finished it, I looked around the room and I'm like, all these people that intimidated me. I'm better. I got nothing to be intimidated by. So that's. I started doing plays.

[Andy Beshear]

So that's the moment you knew you had the talent?

[W. Earl Brown]

The moment I knew. We did a production a few years later of that championship season in October of 1984. That was the first time in my life that it transcended craft and became art. I mean, it really emotionally and spiritually affected me. You lose sense of yourself, you lose sense of time. You lose. You're so immersed in that moment. And I remember as the curtain fell on that I had the most exhilarating, spiritual, transcendent feeling. And I've never felt that. I never felt that from anything in my life. And I remember thinking, I have to do this. I have to do this for the rest of my life. And so that's what I've been chasing. I felt it a couple of other times in the course of my life, but that was the drug that addicted me.

[Andy Beshear]

What professional role has come the closest to getting you back to that moment?

[W. Earl Brown]

Dan Dougherty and Deadwood.

[John McConnell]

Yeah.

[W. Earl Brown]

Deadwood's my favorite thing ever. And I will watch my language as I sit here. For anyone who hasn't watched it, there was a very broad palette of expression. Yes, it was iambic pentameter, so it's Shakespearean. It was incredibly vulgar. But we.

[Andy Beshear]

It was in iambic pentameter.

[W. Earl Brown]

It is. It is in meter.

[Andy Beshear]

Wow.

[W. Earl Brown]

And I became friends with so many musicians, people that I admired, who loved the show. And I think even if they didn't recognize iambic, their ear picked up on the language.

[Andy Beshear]

Was the movie in it, too?

[W. Earl Brown]

Yeah. David Milch created it. David Milch is the alpha and the omega. And David, actually, I said, he took me under wing, and I got on the writing staff of the show, and he mentored me in writing and language. His mentors, he had gone to Yale. Robert Penmorin and Clanth Brady Brooks. Robert Pen Warren is from Guthrie, Kentucky. Cleanth Brooks is from Murray, Kentucky. Yeah. And he found. He realized I was from Murray and I said, I think he recognized the dirt under my fingernails. So those men taught him. He was the grad assistant at Yale. And so, yeah, I wouldn't take anything for that. I'm actually on a show right now on CBS that's. It's a hit. It's. We're in the middle of our first season. We've completed the production, but it's airing. It's called Sheriff country on cbs. It's really good. It's meat and potatoes tv. But in within that box, it's. It's really good and it's doing well. So I feel blessed and grateful.

[John McConnell]

I think on that show, I think I saw your character is the sheriff's father and then you're kind of out also growing some different herbs around.

[W. Earl Brown]

Morena Backren Play It's a set in a small town in Northern California. It's a spin off of Fire Country Small Town, which there are very few shows that really deal with what it's like living in rural America. She's the town sheriff who's grown up. Her mother had passed away, her father went away to prison. And so she needed order in her life and she started working in law enforcement. She ends up winning election. Well, then she has a daughter who's having problems. So she goes and finds her ex con father. It's a scene in the first episode where she says, you know, sky really needs. She needs guidance. She needs positive influence. And you want me to move into town? Well, I just positive, you know, she needs reinforcement. She needs. And you. You think I'm a positive influence? So that's the setup of the show. Yeah. I was an illegal weed grower who went to prison for it.

[Andy Beshear]

So what attracts you to a role? As you're looking through all the different scripts, what typically grabs you?

[W. Earl Brown]

It's the writing. I don't used to. When I started, there was a big differentiation between television and film. Like, film was much. You are much greater.

[John McConnell]

That's.

[W. Earl Brown]

The Sopranos erased that line. It changed everything. And I actually think now, like, now I think the best writing is in television because it's like comparing. Nick Pizzolatto said this. I didn't coin this initially the guy that created True Detective, but he said what Sopranos proved is like a great movie, is like a great short story. It's two hours. It's a great immersive short story. A series is a great immersive novel because I can take 12 hours to tell you the story so we can dig deeper. So it's always the writing. Because if you don't have that, you don't have a foundation.

[Andy Beshear]

As you look at all the different roles that you've played, you've directed, you've written, you've acted. What gives you the most satisfaction?

[W. Earl Brown]

Finding those moments like I described in. In that championship season. And it's, you know, and I really appreciate meeting fans because I've been that fan. There were those movies, there were those books that taught me that changed the way I saw the world. And I just feel such gratitude to. To be able to tell stories that affect people's lives. You never know how anything's going to turn out. You never know how any audience is going to respond to what you've done. I've done great things that nobody watched, and I've done things that weren't so great, that were. That were hits. So the rewards, the creative experience, when I work with people that I love and we can find some new angle on something or some moment, that's. That's the reward.

[Andy Beshear]

What's the one that got away? The role you still wish you would have grabbed.

[W. Earl Brown]

Oh, I don't want to talk about those. Not in a public forum. There's a Ray Wiley Hubbard lyric that landed with me in Mother's Blues. Ray sang, the days that my gratitude are higher than my expectations. I have good days.

[Andy Beshear]

Tell us then, about the movie or show you were in that you thought. Thought should have been a hit that

[W. Earl Brown]

just somehow didn't, you know, There have been a few. I mean, although Bloodworth, the show that I did with Corky Taylor, was an executive producer on it. His son Shane directed it. Shane and I produced it together. It was an adaptation of William Gay's Provinces of Night, which was a book that really spoke to me. We sold it. It got an audience. I wish it had, you know, gotten a bigger audience than it did. But just the fact that we got it distributed was a mark of success. So that another little movie I did called Dunsmore, that streaming now, I've heard. Those are great small films that I think, really, I was proud of how they turned out.

[Andy Beshear]

Does streaming give some of these movies a second chance?

[W. Earl Brown]

Yes. But what you're stuck with stream, there's so much out there. It's really. It's easy to get lost. How do you initially find. I don't. I don't know. I don't. You know, before movies were released and how they did in theater like I did. There's something about Mary.

[Andy Beshear]

Yes.

[W. Earl Brown]

And I played Warren, her brother. Well, both that And Scream, which were a year and a half from each other, they were studio movies, so there was some money there, but it wasn't like we had a huge budget. So also we didn't have all those expectations and we didn't have execs and marketing people breathing down our necks. So both of those.

[Andy Beshear]

Do you think that would have changed? There's something about Mary. Yeah, Yeah.

[W. Earl Brown]

I don't, I don't know.

[Andy Beshear]

There seem to have been a lot of, a lot of risks for that age. Some of the comedy.

[W. Earl Brown]

Oh, believe me. And there's some of the stuff I, I remember some of the prosthetics, which we can't, we can't speak of fully in mixed company. Some of those prosthetics were hanging in our makeup trailer and I remember looking at that mock up thinking, there is no way that they are going to show this. That on the. Well, they did.

[Andy Beshear]

Yes, they did.

[W. Earl Brown]

But that movie came out, it was before social media, you know, and we are the only movie ever to hit number one after seven weeks in the theater. So it was all a word of mouth experience. And so it builds this organic, you know, movement. Just like I've heard about Star Wars. Well, now social media changes all of that. It's instantaneous, you know, and so how something breaks out of that, it's above my pay grade. I don't know. I just want to focus on doing things I care about and with people I love working with. And that's my reward.

[Andy Beshear]

What's it like raising a family in and around Hollywood?

[W. Earl Brown]

When I was in theater school, my goal that I set for myself is I want to. I want to have a comfortable middle class existence doing the things I love and being able to raise a family. So my wife is also from Murray. Well, she was still in high school when we started dating. We were able to do that. And we had one daughter who's 28 now. So it was a great blessing. And it's real easy to let success, people think that fame is going to fill a void that you have within yourself. And I've seen people crash and burn when they get it. They grab the brass ring and they still feel terrible. That void's still there and then there's nothing else to grasp for if great success had happened early in my life, I don't know that I would have handled it well. I just, I feel blessed that things have unfolded in my life the way they have. The greatest exposure I've had is happening now because of Sheriff's country, which continues to grow so that and my daughter, that's what she grew up in. She didn't think anything was different. Like most of my buddies are musicians, like hearing people on the radio or what. She didn't think it was anything odd until she went away to University of Oregon and then realized, oh, everyone's dad's. And she was not impressed by anything that I did.

[Andy Beshear]

I understand that with my own kids.

[W. Earl Brown]

There you go.

[John Rabinowitz]

Oh, big Mr.

[W. Earl Brown]

Governor.

[Andy Beshear]

16 and 15.

[W. Earl Brown]

Oh, yeah.

[Andy Beshear]

I know. Nothing to them.

[W. Earl Brown]

Oh, dude.

[Andy Beshear]

Yes.

[W. Earl Brown]

Oh, man. I know exactly what that feels like.

[Andy Beshear]

They do join the podcast. They teach us Gen Z lingo at different times, which makes us look 100 years old, or at least John McDonald's

[John McConnell]

just a tiny couch. Look a hundred years old. It happens.

[W. Earl Brown]

Yeah.

[John McConnell]

But, Earl, one thing we do talk a lot about is, like, current events. Things are out there in the news, and we've had a lot of conversations recently about AI and kind of how that looks. And you've experienced the strike firsthand. So just give us some of your thoughts and your impressions.

[W. Earl Brown]

Well, that. That was one element of the strike. Wasn't the only one. I think there was a lot of business things came into play. And this is. Again, this is just my opinion, but what happened is everyone was getting into streaming because they realized we don't need a middleman. We don't. And Netflix realized that. Reed Hastings, I think is his name, the CEO of Netflix. He saw the future. He saw it streaming. Well, when we lose our licensing for these movies that we've licensed from Disney or Fox or Paramount, whoever, we don't have a library. So they put together this enormous billions of dollar production fund. So they're making things hand over fist, and they're number one. So I think when the studios came into the game, they saw that's how you do it. You have to have constantly new. So everybody's pedal to the metal with production content. Yeah, well, eventually you hit the wall on that. And the first quarter that Netflix showed a drop in numbers, that's when Wall street panicked. So they're all trying to slow up. So that came into play. And then AI was in its infancy, and so actor concerns of that. So my. My feelings on hi or AI are really more from a consumer than. Than an actor. We spoke briefly. I was in the van in with my driver up in Toronto, and he asked, he says, you like soul music? I said, Love 60 soul, Southern soul especially. And he put on his play. It sounded like 60s soul. I didn't recognize it, didn't know the song. But like something like I didn't. Something felt weird about it. And it was AI it was an AI created song. Computers don't have souls. They're never going to have a soul because it's computer. And those things that have affected me as a listener or as a reader or as a viewer, they touch that. They touch my spirit. So I don't think that's ever going to go away. But for background noise or for passing entertainment, maybe. But I don't think you can ever replace a spirit and a mind. You can mimic them, but something's always going to be lacking. I know there's this new movie that they've gotten val, you know, they'd signed off on and I don't know the particulars of it. I just don't see. I see, you know, clippets of stuff that they've created, like explosions in action and stuff. Okay, you could do that. But a lot of that CGI anyways. Yeah, Special effect. But those are the movies I love because movies I grew up on are practical effects.

[Andy Beshear]

Yes.

[W. Earl Brown]

And I prefer practical effects because it's just. It's more fun to me after.

[Goto Bank Advertiser]

Breathe in. Feel the sense of calm that comes from having up to $300 in overdraft protection with Goto bank. Now. Did you say $300? Yes. Now back to our breathing. So if I overspend my balance, Goto bank has my back up to $300.

[W. Earl Brown]

Yes.

[Goto Bank Advertiser]

Can we breathe out now? Less worries, more zen. With over $300 in overdraft protection, tap to open an account today. Eligible direct deposits and opt in required for overdraft protection fees. Terms and conditions apply.

[Mathnasium Advertiser]

Parents, have you heard your kids say I'm not a math kid? Well, with Mathnasium, every kid can be a math kid. They customize their math instruction so kids who are struggling are able to catch up and get ahead. And advanced kids are challenged to reach higher. Mathnasium makes math fun, so kids learn to love it. Parents say that Mathnasium has not only improved their kids grades, it's given them a new level of confidence in math and in school overall. Visit mathnasium.com to find a location near you.

[Andy Beshear]

Getting into movies after watching Star Wars.

[W. Earl Brown]

Oh yeah.

[Andy Beshear]

What's it mean to be in the Mandalorian?

[W. Earl Brown]

I get a call from my agent and he said, what's your feeling on prosthetics? I know you said you hate them because I'd been on a show. I was a demon guest star on a show. And it was not a pleasurable experience for A number of reasons. And I said, nope, I ain't doing it. I don't care what they offer me. I don't care what they pay me. He said, well, you have an offer. It's from Disney. I'll let them know, you know, it's some Star wars thing. I said, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Jon Favreau, Star Wars Mandalorian. Yeah. Jon Favreau's. It had not premiered yet. They were already shooting season two. So, yes, I'll do it. Yes, absolutely, I'll do it.

[John Rabinowitz]

Yes.

[W. Earl Brown]

So my wife works for Disney, and at that point, she was head of. Of internal comms at streaming. So my NDA was 14 pages long. Wow. So all I want to do was call my high school buddies, go, guess what I'm doing. Guess what? So they're super duper. Super duper secretive.

[Andy Beshear]

So I get off a reality show. You can't tell anybody, Joe.

[John McConnell]

Yeah.

[W. Earl Brown]

So Tatooine was an actual set. Most of it was done on the volume, you know, which is that there's a thing about how they do that. Well, our tattooing was actual. It was a set. So I got off the van the first day, and there's a Bantha, and I'm just, oh, my God, I just can't believe. So you only got the scenes you were in? And my scene said the child. Now, mind you, it not premiered. I'm shooting Thursday. It's premiering Friday. So I knew Pedro and Tim. I was friends with those guys and playing Star wars with my buddies, and we're having a laugh, talking about Deadwood. It's a story that's inappropriate, so I won't go into that part of it. But the props guy comes in, and there's a baby Yoda on the props cart. Well, I just thought, oh, that's so cute. The props guy made himself a little Yoda. So Favreau goes, all right, well, let's rehearse one. Well, I still think, well, where's the child that's in this? Where's the. So me and Tim Oliphant. Talk, talk, talk. Pedro enters. Well, there's Grogu on a stick with a puppeteer. I'm just, oh, my gosh, that's the child. That's the child. So I get home that night. We're at the dinner table. Cause again, I could not call my high school buddies. I couldn't call. And so I get home, and there's a bantha, and it's Tatooine, and my wife's sitting across the table from me. And I said, and there's a baby Yoda. It's not Yoda. They're a race of beings. But he's not really a baby because he's 50 years old and they age differently. And my wife has this kind of smirk on her face. And I went, you, you've known. You do you know, you knew with perfect timing.

[Andy Beshear]

How could you keep this from being exactly. She said, we're married.

[W. Earl Brown]

She said, you're not the only person in this house with a non disclosure agreement. And then. So she had known for two weeks. So they. The next day the show premieres and by Monday, Grogu's everywhere, ubiquitous. So that was my experience, and it still feels like that. And Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, who run those shows, they're my age, a couple of years younger. So it's like playing Star wars with your buddies, which I desperately wanted to do in 1978, but I was in high school. Like, I wanted the toys, but I was in high school and thought, you know, nerd culture didn't exist. The con culture. Like, I can't get those toys. Like, there's girls. What if a girl sees me playing with those? Well, now you ought to see my Star wars collection. It's pretty awesome.

[Andy Beshear]

What, what advice do you give actors, huh? Or people who think they want to become an actor?

[W. Earl Brown]

Trying to think how to say this in a proper manner. I came up a few years ago. I was asked that question in a French in front of a class of aspirants, and one of the kids asked me that question. It came to me, full form, so I'll repeat it in a more dignified manner, I hope. I said, you want to be an artist? This goes to any creative pursuit. I said, you're going to need help. To prepare yourself for a professional career. You need 10 or 12 of your buddies. I said, you invite them over, you line them up one after the other, you face them with your back to the wall, spread your legs and have them kick you as hard as they can. If you get through all 12 without being in a ball of tears on the floor crying for mercy, you're ready to get started. So that's what it's like. You have to open your spirit up to create. And when your ego gets involved and you're told no, and you're told rejection, because you're going to face that a whole lot more than you're going to face success, a lot of people can't deal with that. And there's so many things that are outside of your control. You don't know what's going on backstage. And doing that movie with Shane Taylor from here when we were casting, you know, our movie, there's the more famous you are, the more saleable you are. So they need names and stars to justify your budget and they have formulas they work by. So I understand that it's not always easy to deal with, but that's what you have to do. You have to inure yourself to failure because you better make it your friend because you're going to face it a lot.

[Andy Beshear]

What do you tell people in Hollywood about Kentucky?

[W. Earl Brown]

That I love my home state. That the cliches that you think there's an element of truth to them, but there's a whole lot more to the state in the area than what you think. When I tell people that I ate squirrel for dinner many, many times in my life growing up, they think I'm lying. Nope. I'm very proud of where I came from and the people I came from because it weren't for what they sacrificed, I wouldn't be where I am. So I'm grateful for that. So my wife too, is she. There's a work ethic that was imbued in her and in me that you just keep going. You keep, you keep the spade going until you're at the end of the row and then you turn around and you come back up the other row.

[Andy Beshear]

So that tell our listeners how they can watch Sheriff's Country.

[W. Earl Brown]

Sheriff's country is on CBS Friday nights at 7 o' clock Central, 8 o' clock Eastern.

[Andy Beshear]

This has been our conversation with W. Earl Brown, a Kentuckian who is a great actor, Hollywood, from Golden Pond, Kentucky, which sadly no longer exists, but a proud graduate from Murray State University and

[W. Earl Brown]

Callaway County High School.

[Andy Beshear]

Thanks for being on the podcast.

[W. Earl Brown]

Thank you.

[Andy Beshear]

And next on the Andy Beshear podcast, in my Kentucky accent, we are filming and recording this episode on 4Now, as the former attorney general, as the highest ranking law enforcement official in the state, you might think it's a little strange. I'm talking about 420. But I'm also the governor of Kentucky that got medical marijuana passed. And I've now seen firsthand the good that it can do for people. I've seen a veteran who suffered from PTSD who was on 12 different prescriptions that couldn't hold down a job that had been suicidal. I've seen his life turned around. I've seen him to get back with his family. I've seen him get down to one prescription. I've seen what this can do for his life. I've seen so many people get off opioids, dangerous prescription drugs that could lead to more addiction in the future. I sued more opioid companies than any other attorney general in the country years ago because of how they flooded so many of our communities and how so many people died. Anyone that we can move off an opioid to medical marijuana, that is a win for all of us. And finally, I think about folks that are suffering from stage four lung cancer from other very difficult diseases, and what this can do for them is pretty special. Yes, I had to change my mind about a lot of things. But today we're seeing a thriving new industry growing in Kentucky. We have strict rules and procedures in place to make sure that it's not abused, that it's truly used as medicine. And I'm just excited that those folks that were suffering from those conditions, that weren't seen, that weren't heard, now have true options. So to everybody out there happy. 420. Next on the Andy Beshear Podcast, our segment called Ask Andy and this episode we are stepping up our game. Our producer Breland has been out in the wild out and about asking people on the street what questions they have for me. So let's queue up the first one.

[Breland]

Hi Ms. Dallander. So tell me, you know we got Andy here. You know what's one question you'd love to ask Andy?

[Andy Beshear]

I want to know why Kentucky state

[Breland]

employees have not had a cost of living raise at least for the last 13 years.

[Andy Beshear]

State employees in Kentucky and across the country are so important they deliver critical services. Think about transportation cabinet employees that make sure our roads are safe and ultimately build those new roads that might save you 20 minutes each way, 40 more minutes with your family. Think about those that inspect our buildings that are being constructed to make sure that they are safe, to make sure that the fire suppression equipment is in. Think about our law enforcement, our Kentucky state police that protect our families all across the state. When our folks put in a lifetime of work, they then get a retirement. And for many years we had a great pension in Kentucky that unfortunately is no longer available to employees. Sadly, our state legislature has refused budget after budget after budget to give a cost of living adjustment to those retirees on that pension. It has been in my budget because I know how important it is. But it shouldn't be a surprise because my legislature and many other Republican led legislatures around the country have not only refused to provide those cost of Living adjustments. They've actually attacked our state employees. You know, during the last governor's tenure, he went and got that same legislature to pass a bill that would have ended people's ability to get a pension even if they were say, 12, 15, 20 years into their service. I went to court to stand up for every police officer, firefighter, teacher, social worker, every city, county and state employee. And thankfully, one, I argued that case in front of the Kentucky Supreme Court myself. Even though some said that, oh, that that could be a risk to your career. Well, folks, I never got in this for a career. I got in this to do what's right. One of the things I'm proudest of is, is keeping a promise that Kentucky made to our retirees and even having to push through a governor to get it done.

[Breland]

What are some of the qualities that you look for up in New York for someone who's going to lead your country, country and city to a better place?

[Andy Beshear]

Someone will fight with the poor and real middle class rather than just the upper 10%. I think any good governor, any good public servant right now is focused on creating a better life for the people of their state or of their country. When you think about the real middle class, it's been losing ground for so many years. Everything's getting more expensive, but wages haven't caught up or at least aren't going up in the way that they need to. Right now, the Average age for first time home ownership in the United States is 40 years old. That's wrong. We've got to defend and support that American dream that says if you work hard and play by the rules, you can get ahead. If people don't believe that's possible, they stop trying. They believe that the system is broken and then America stops being exceptional. So we've got to make sure that the jobs we're recruiting are good jobs. I'm proud that last year in Kentucky, our average wage for a new job was almost $30 an hour. We got to have jobs of the future to make sure that when somebody learns that new skill set that they can do that job for years to come. We've got to believe in the dignity of all work and being, supporting those high school students that are studying welding or nursing or robotics and support each and every one of them. And then we've got to make sure that no, we're not given handouts, but we're given hand ups. That those that are struggling have a path towards a better life. It's why we waived the GED testing fee for first time test takers because just $200 was preventing people from getting that credential that they need to get a good job. It's why I believe in SNAP benefits, because first, nobody should go hungry. That's the lesson of the fishes and the loaves. But somebody going hungry is not going to be able to get out there and get a job. It's why I believe that people need to be able to see a doctor in their own community. Why I expanded Medicaid to cover vision, dental and hearing. Because, listen, if we want somebody to work a job, they got to be able to see well enough to drive to the job. So let's get them a pair of glasses. I think all of those. It's not left and right and it's not necessarily just trying to look out after one group. It's being smart. It's giving people the tools to ultimately better their lives. Because I believe most Americans want to be better off, want to make sure that their kids are better off. And if we're just more pragmatic, if we can see struggling people as children of God, then we can put the right plans in place to make real progress.

[Breland]

What's going on, everybody? It's Breland here, the producer of the Andy Beshear podcast. And I have a guest today for our Ask Andy segment. You mind sharing your name?

[Podcast Guest]

Hi, I'm Cody. So I was previously a single mom for a couple years, so that support is really important to see in our community. So what is Andy looking to do for single mothers or low income families in the area? What kind of resources can they look into?

[Andy Beshear]

Well, first to that mom, thank you. Thank you for the work you've done to better your family. I'm sure that it wasn't easy, but thanks for being a great example. Listen, we need to support our single moms, but it's okay to also recognize that even families with two parents right now are struggling to get by. You know, it needs to start with affordable childcare. And one of the ways that we can at least ensure that that is all over this state for a period of time is we should have pre K for all four year olds throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the United States of America. I mean, when kids come into kindergarten not ready, they sometimes never catch up. They know fewer vocabulary words, they don't know their colors. Some of them aren't even potty trained in. How does that kindergarten teacher ultimately teach to everyone when they have that extra burden? We need to make sure we have a childcare system that works in the United States of America. And I think single moms feel the lack of it the most. And then we've got to make sure that we have those safety net programs, especially for somebody who's trying, who's trying their hardest. We don't want that mom penalized and we don't want those kids penalized either. So remember, the big ugly bill is going to remove food from that family. That child is more likely to be hungry. Remember, the big ugly bill is going to kick a lot of people off Medicaid and half of Kentucky's kids are covered by it. These programs aren't just things that we should be debating. They're not things that should just be supported by one political party. If you believe in people having a path to opportunity, then they need to be healthy enough, they need to have enough food, and there needs to be real opportunity for good jobs and quality childcare. That while that single mom works hard to support that child, that child is ultimately getting better off getting ready for school, getting a better education. Because we know that education breaks cycles of poverty. It makes intragenerational change. I've seen it in my lifetime with my dad's generation being first time college graduates. And that's a wrap on this episode of the Andy Beshear Podcast. Remember, next week is our derby episode that we are filming at Churchill Downs with trainer Brad Cox, with former MLB player and horse owner Jason Worth and so many other guests. Remember, download the podcast wherever you can, but watch us on YouTube at Andy Beshear Podcast and head to the website andybashearpodcast.com to buy your swag. Remember, we now have Winnie Schwag. That's right, the dog that helped us launch it. The dog that sells a whole lot more things than I ever could now has her face on Andy Beshear Podcast Swag. We'll see you next week at the derby. Boom. Clock it.

[Podcast Guest]

You're never just one thing. You're the boss. Hey, Google, when's my next meeting? The athlete that class wrecks me and their mom. Everyone in the all new Mazda cx. Five more to move every side of you. Learn more at mazdausa. Com Google is a trademark of Google llc. Sequences shortened and simulated.