Deb Haaland in New Mexico, A Deadly Shooting in Minnesota and What's at Stake

Summary

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Andy Beshear Podcast – "Deb Haaland in New Mexico, A Deadly Shooting in Minnesota and What's at Stake"

Date: January 29, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of the Andy Beshear Podcast focuses on real-life issues at the intersection of politics, community, and personal experience. Governor Andy Beshear is joined by Deb Haaland—former Congresswoman and Secretary of the Interior, now a candidate for Governor of New Mexico. Their discussion covers Haaland’s background, her vision for New Mexico, challenges facing working families, and urgent matters like the deadly shooting in Minnesota and the Trump administration’s actions. The episode features honest conversations with listeners in mind, capped with segments on current events, community resilience, and Gen Z lingo.

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Featured Interview: Deb Haaland – Life, Fierceness, and the New Mexico Governor’s Race

[00:38–31:17]

Deb Haaland’s Background & Core Values

• Military Family Upbringing & Adaptability
  • Grew up in a military family; moved often, attending 13 public schools (07:43)
  • Value of service: “Seeing both of my parents get dressed every single day to serve our country… makes me believe very strongly that I have an obligation too.” (09:05)
• Overcoming Poverty and Single Motherhood
  • Relied on WIC, SNAP, Medicaid; worked multiple jobs, including cleaning childcare facilities at night to pay for daycare (00:38)
  • “It’s expensive to be poor. I’ll just say it like that. There were so many times when I had $1 in my bank account…” (13:02)

The Meaning of Being ‘Fierce’

• Definition Tied to Family Example
  • Haaland: “When I think about being fierce, I think about my mom… my mom stayed home for two years while my father was over in Vietnam, caring for four kids, a de facto single mom… She did that without help.” (04:19)
  • Fierceness today means “stepping out of your comfort zone” and “doing things by necessity to protect our democracy.” (05:30)
• Memorable Quote:
  • “It’s going to take all of us right now to protect our democracy, to stand up for our neighbors, to make sure that we are the voice for people who don’t have a voice.” (05:15)

Examples of Fierce Leadership

• Protecting Sacred Lands
  • As Secretary of the Interior, led the effort to withdraw a 10-mile radius around Chaco Culture National Historic Park from resource extraction despite heavy political opposition. (06:10)
  • “I got grilled when I went to hearings on Capitol Hill about that decision… I will go to my grave proud that I was able to do that.” (06:45)

On Patriotism and Duty

• Redefining Patriotism
  • “True patriotism calls on us to build a better country, one where everyone can participate.” (07:15; paraphrased by Andy, embraced by Deb)
  • “He [my father] was a true patriot. He loved our country, and he would have died for our country.” (08:13)
  • Obligation to give back, inspired by her parents’ service: “I have an obligation to always give back to my community and my country.” (09:25)

Responding to Minnesota Shooting & Government Actions

• Personal Reaction to Events
  • On ICE and Border Patrol presence: “It’s, you know, it’s devastating to think of… some people who are afraid to come out of their houses, who are hiding in basements because they’re terrified for them and their children.” (10:51)
  • “The things that the Trump administration is doing, it’s un-American. Full stop.” (11:42)
  • Commitment to solidarity: “I will do that every day in solidarity with the folks who are on the front lines in Minnesota.” (12:19)

Social Programs & Anti-Poverty Policy

• Defending Safety Nets
  • Personal experience with Medicaid, WIC, SNAP.
  • “Federal government making it harder for people to qualify for Medicaid… we’re sicker, hungrier and poorer under this administration.” (13:20)
  • Elections matter for protecting support systems.

Rural Hospitals, Health Care, and Community Initiatives

• Impact of Cuts
  • Medicaid cuts may close 5–6 rural hospitals in New Mexico, requiring residents to travel 100–200 miles for care (16:08)
  • “It’s really devastating… The president has cut thousands of jobs from our Veterans Administration as well as from the Indian Health Service.” (17:46)
  • Policy focus: propose community schools with wraparound services, more mobile clinics in rural areas.

Tribal Relations & Leadership

• State-Tribal Partnership
  • New Mexico: 23 tribes, including 19 Pueblos, Navajo Nation, and three Apache tribes.
  • Strong collaboration: “The governor meets yearly with tribes. There’s liaisons in every department… tribes have a real seat at the table before decisions are made.” (18:50)
  • Advocates for tribal advisory committee in her campaign. (18:31)

The Haaland Administration Vision

• Similarities and Differences with Outgoing Governor
  • Praises Michelle Lujan Grisham for early childhood programs and universal childcare. (21:05)
  • Unique perspective: “We’ve never had a Native American governor in New Mexico, and we’ve never had a Native American woman governor in the history of our country.” (22:12)
  • Executive experience: Oversaw 70,000 people, $18B budget at Interior.

Why the NM Governor’s Race Matters

• National Stakes
  • “Governors are the first line of defense against the worst policies coming out of this administration.” (23:53)
  • Pledge to build a robust, inclusive campaign—“bring back our Trump voters.” (24:30)

Personal Motivation & Superpower

• Why She Runs (Podcast’s “Why” Rule)
  • “I feel obligated to continue [Miguel Trujillo’s] legacy… that’s why I started in politics… registering voters, going out to rural communities and driving people to the polls.” (26:24)
• Secret Superpower
  • “I think my superpower would be building relationships. So when I was a member of Congress, I was the most bipartisan member of my class and I got five bills passed and signed into law by President Trump.” (27:50)

Favorite Part of New Mexico & Fun Facts

• The Mountains: “Every mountain in this state is amazing… I drove to Santa Fe this morning surrounded by snow capped mountains.” (29:34)
• Is a Marathon Runner—ready for any gubernatorial challenge! (29:55)

Closing Call to Action

• “It’s so important that we get involved right now… We are fighting to ensure that our children have opportunities, that people can see a doctor when they’re sick, that we have a positive future for every New Mexican and every American.” (30:15)

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The Johns Segment: Minnesota Shooting & What's at Stake

[31:49–46:41]

Deadly Shooting in Minnesota

• Incident Overview
  • Border Patrol agents (alongside ICE) shot and killed Alex Preddy, sparking protests in Minnesota. Video revealed he had a cell phone, not a weapon. (32:15–34:11)
• Misrepresentation by Administration
  • “What I, and I think others, are getting fed up with is being told to ignore our eyes and ears.” – John McConnell (33:35)
  • “Just a search for any rationalization as opposed to doing a real investigation is what’s led to this argument.” – Andy Beshear (35:20)
• Escalation and Institutional Problems
  • Agents “are being encouraged to be aggressive… told they don’t have to follow the same rules about people’s rights as other law enforcement.” – Andy Beshear (35:35)
  • “It’s just a horrific tragedy.” – John McConnell (36:30)
• Need for Change
  • “It’s time that they pull back on ICE and the Border Patrol in our cities… that is not a border action. These people are not trained properly. They’re being encouraged to beat up Americans. It’s not right. It’s got to stop.” – Andy Beshear (36:30)

Impact and National Relevance

• “If it can happen there, it can certainly happen pretty much anywhere.” – John McConnell (36:47)

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Davos & Trump’s Global Conduct

[36:52–41:36]

Beshear’s Perspective from World Economic Forum

• Met with 16 CEOs, considered an efficient economic development trip. (36:58)
• Noted the “dangerous, disrespectful, and unhinged” nature of Trump’s speech, especially toward NATO and world leaders. (37:55)
  • “He called world leaders dumb. He… called out the Canadian Prime Minister. He said, if you are a Somali, you are of low intelligence. That’s more than just disrespectful.” (38:42)
• On Trump’s Greenland comments: “It actually caused me to curse on television, which I don’t do. And I called it dumb as hell because it’s dumb as hell.” (39:15)
• Other leaders now see no master plan, just “an angry, irrational president… willing to throw out insults, talk about his grievances and just rant.” (41:36)

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Severe Winter Weather and Government Response

[42:13–44:35]

• Winter Storm Fern swept the Midwest and Northeast; Kentucky faced heavy ice and snow.
• “It’s important that we have those 1400 utility trucks because it’s going to be almost negative 20 in wind chill tomorrow morning.” – Andy Beshear (44:07)
• Light banter and practical advice about prepping for winter storms and managing road conditions.

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Super Bowl & Football Banter

[45:02–46:41]

• Brief discussion and predictions for the upcoming Super Bowl (Seahawks vs. Patriots), team strengths, and how a two-week layoff affects game dynamics.
• Admiration for the Seahawks’ QB and historical Patriots’ dominance.

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Gen Z Lingo with Will Bashir and Shai: "Flow State"

[46:41–50:39]

Introduction & Explanation

• “Flow State” means being utterly ‘locked in’ or deeply focused. (47:01)
• “If you reach flow state, you’re like, so focused you lose, like, concept of time.” – Will Bashir (48:05)

Notable Exchanges

• Will Bashir: “I reached flow state when I went through the entire Andy Beshear podcast library and listened to them all in order.” (47:54)
• Lighthearted confusion and playful banter as the group pin down what constitutes “flow state” and compare related phrases ("locked in," "dialed in," "facts/no cap"). No real opposite exists for “flow state.” (49:40)
• “This is when it went off the rails.” – Andy Beshear (50:39)

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Closing Thoughts and Takeaways

[50:42–end]

• Andy Beshear reflects on the emotional, impactful nature of the discussion: “We had, I think, a very emotional conversation… about the things that are going on in the United States that I think we all view as un-American. That’s Democrats and Republicans.” (50:45)
• Encouragement to speak up, get involved, and support the country’s future: “This is your country. Speak up, speak out. Let’s stand up for who we are.” (51:13)

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Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• Deb Haaland, on Fierceness:
  • “It’s going to take all of us right now to protect our democracy, to stand up for our neighbors, to make sure that we are the voice for people who don’t have a voice.” (05:15)
• Deb Haaland, on Serving:
  • “I feel now, as a public servant, that people are relying on me, and I have an obligation to always give back to my community and my country.” (09:25)
• Deb Haaland, on Health Care:
  • “It’s expensive to be poor. I’ll just say it like that.” (13:02)
• Andy Beshear, on ICE/Border Patrol Conduct:
  • “These people are not trained properly. They’re being encouraged to beat up Americans. It’s not right. It’s got to stop.” (36:30)
• Will Bashir, on Flow State:
  • “If you reach flow state, you’re like so focused you lose, like, concept of time.” (48:05)
• Andy Beshear, on the Podcast’s Purpose:
  • “We love bringing you Prime for 2026 so you can see who’s next… Be safe. And remember, this is your country. Speak up, speak out. Let’s stand up for who we are.” (50:45, 51:13)

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For more information on Deb Haaland’s campaign: debholland.com
Get involved or follow the podcast: Available on all major platforms and SiriusXM.

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Transcript

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[Andy Beshear]

Welcome to this episode of the Andy Beshear Podcast. We are in season two, which we are calling Primed for 2026, where we sit down and talk to leading candidates for governor, for Senate, for Congress that you're going to be seeing on ballots this year. Remember, you can download us on all major platforms including the Sirius XM app and you can listen to us on the Progress Channel on Saturdays at 11am on Sirius XM radio. Today's episode is a good one. We talked to former Congresswoman and Secretary of the Interior under President Biden, Deb Haaland. Deb is running for governor of New Mexico. She's going to talk about her background. She's going to talk about being a single mom. She's going to talk about the experience she brings and the vision of that she has for New Mexico. And she's going to talk about how much it hurts to see the things that Donald Trump is doing to the United States of America, especially having grown up in a military family. Then we're going to have our conversation with the Johns, where we have a lot of serious topics to talk about this week, including the most recent horrific shooting in Minnesota, along with a number of other topics. And then it's the return of Will Bashir. We're going to be talking Gen Z lingo. We're going to learn some new terms. So buckle up. It's another good episode. Our featured guest on this week's episode of the Andy Beshear Podcast is Deb Holland. Deb is a public servant whose life story reflects the resilience and and determination of so many Americans that she represents. Raised in a military family, she moved frequently as a child, learning the early values of service, adaptability and community. After getting Sober in her mid-20s, Deb returned to school in her late 20s, determined to build a better future for herself and her family. As a young mother, she relied on programs like wic, Snap, and Medicaid. She cleaned childcare facilities at night to afford care during the day. And she even ran a small salsa business to make ends meet. These lived experience shaped her belief that government can and should work for people who are doing everything they can to get by. Deb went on to serve in Congress and was the US Secretary for the Interior, where she is the first Native American cabinet secretary in U.S. history. A proud member of the Laguna Pueblo, she is focused on strengthening tribal sovereignty, protecting public lands, and bringing dignity and common sense to government, to things that government definitely needs. Deb Haaland's leadership is rooted in showing up for people and leaving the country stronger for the next generation. And that is why she is running for governor of New Mexico. Deb, welcome to the podcast.

[Deb Haaland]

Thank you. It's nice to see you. Thanks so much for having me.

[Andy Beshear]

You as well. And I'm really excited about your race. Season of the Andy Beshear podcast is called prime for 2026, where we are interviewing the most significant candidates across the country. So very excited about your race in New Mexico. As I was watching your launch video, which everybody out there should take a look at, it really gives a glimpse into you. What really struck me in your congressional race and in this race is you talk about being fear fierce. Tell our listeners what you mean.

[Deb Haaland]

Thank you so much. Well, look, first of all, you know, thinking about stepping up and running for office in the first place, Speaker Pelosi used to say, you know, being a candidate is not for the faint of heart. That's definitely the truth. And you know, when I think about being fierce, I think about my mom. My mother was a military wife. My father spent two years in Vietnam, and my mom stayed home for two years while my father was over in Vietnam caring for four kids, a de facto single mom of four. And she, she did that without help. Back then, they weren't giving military families a lot of support. And my mother was pretty much on her own. And I was raised watching my mom navigate that. I was, you know, now when I think about it would have been even difficult for me now, but she did that for us and she did that for my dad. And so when I think about her. But girls, especially during this time in our country with all the chaos and the cruelty happening across our country, people are having to do things they never thought they ever do. I'm reading about folks who are protesting who have ever thought about stepping out of their comfort zone ever. But we're doing things by necessity. It's going to take all of us right now to protect our democracy, to stand up for our Neighbors to make sure that we are the voice for people who don't have a voice.

[Andy Beshear]

Tell me about a time in Congress or as the Secretary of the Interior, that you had to do something that you would describe as being fierce.

[Deb Haaland]

Yes. Well, you know, right now, here in New Mexico, we're called the Land of Enchantment. And we have a national park called Chaco Culture National Historic Park. And we were able to, as a team, withdraw a 10 mile radius from around that park from extraction. Namely, because some places in our country, some places in our, you know, across our world, are sacred places that need to be protected in perpetuity. There were a lot of folks against that. I got grilled when I went to hearings on Capitol Hill about that decision. And I'll just say that I will go to my grave proud that I was able to do that, because some places are just too special, some places are too sacred to desecrate.

[Andy Beshear]

So you grew up in a military family, which you mentioned. So tell me, first of all, what impact that had on you. But then I'd also love for you to talk a little bit about patriotism, about the fact that I think patriotism for a while got hijacked by one political party. But I think true patriotism calls on us to build a better country, one where everyone can participate.

[Deb Haaland]

Absolutely. So my dad was a career Marine. My mother was in the Navy, too. And that's how my parents met. She was in the Navy, my dad was in the Marines. They met on Treasure island in San Francisco. And my dad was a drill instructor for a while at MCRD in San Diego. And we would go to his parades. We would go to the military parades where his troops would compete in obstacle courses and march in formation on the field. And he readied his troops for battle. He trained them so that they could not only survive, but as a team, protect each other. And he was very proud of that. I saw my dad perform. I saw my dad stand up and serve our country during many presidents throughout his career. And he never wavered. Never wavered. He was a true patriot. He loved our country, and he would have died for our country. And so when I think about my parents being raised in a military family, having to move every couple of years because that's what that requires. I went to 13 public schools before I graduated from high school, and so I had to make new friends. When you're a kid and you're the new kid in class, sometimes that's hard. But I ended up getting used to that and never complained. Right. You just do what your parents tell you to do. But I feel very strongly that seeing both of my parents get dressed every single day to serve our country, my dad in the Marines, my mother at the Bureau of Indian affairs, it makes me believe very strongly that I have an obligation, too. I have an obligation to my community, to my country, and I am always ready to step up. Our country needs each and every one of us, especially in this time of tremendous chaos. And I'm really proud of the service that my parents performed for our country. And in turn, I feel now, as a public servant, that people are relying on me, and I have an obligation to always give back to my community and my country.

[Andy Beshear]

Yeah, I was thinking about how your parents served, and so many different people have served so that this could be the land of the free, so that we would not have armed military walking through our streets. That that would not be who we are or who we would ever be. So, you know, growing up with, With. With that sacrifice by your family, how does this almost occupation of Minnesota, but certainly having armed, aggressive ICE agents stopping US Citizens and anyone else they so choose in the streets, how's that currently hitting you?

[Deb Haaland]

Well, of course, it's, you know, it's devastating to think of. And I've read so many stories about what is happening in Minnesota. And I'll tell you what, I feel really proud of the community who is stepping up to protect their neighbors. You know, as I said earlier, folks who said, I never thought I would be doing this, but I'm doing it right. Taking hot coffee down to the front line so that protesters can stay warm and making sure that folks have some shelter to go to in that freezing cold weather here in New Mexico. I've been to three protests in the last three days. And so it's important that we are all standing up and using our voices, because there are some people who are afraid to come out of their houses, who are hiding in basements because they're terrified for them and their children. And so it's up to us to make sure that we are the voice. The things that the Trump administration is doing, it's un American, full stop. And so those of us who do serve and who have served and those of us who fought, you know, to be citizens of this country, we have an obligation to stand up. And I'll tell you, I will do that every day in solidarity with the folks who are on the front lines in Minnesota.

[Andy Beshear]

At the same time, the Trump administration is sending armed ICE agents who are acting aggressively inside our cities. He's Also making it harder for a struggling American family to get by. Having been a single mom that relied on WIC and snap, talk a little bit about how important those programs are, that they're not some handout, but a hand up. Thinking about your story and how that little extra help for your family has propelled you to the precipice of being governor.

[Deb Haaland]

New Mexico, thank you for that question. Yes, it's expensive to be poor. I'll just say it like that. There were so many times when I had $1 in my bank account and I needed to fill my car up with gas so I could make it to work for the week. Times are really tough right now. As I mentioned, or as I mentioned often, about 40% of our population here in New Mexico are Medicaid eligible. And the federal government making it harder for people to qualify for Medicaid were sicker, hungrier and poorer under this administration. Donald Trump promised to lower prices for people. He has not done that. Instead he has, you know, he is cutting healthcare for millions of Americans. He is putting people's health in jeopardy through them not having to be able to access the health care they need, but also the fact that SNAP benefits are also on the line. So elections matter. And so that's why I'm running for governor, because we need to make sure that we are in New Mexico sending our federal delegation back to Washington, D.C. so that they can continue to fight for us. Times are really tough and instead of making things more affordable like he promised, the president is so in chaos, he has the cruelest people working under him and it's really shameful.

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[Andy Beshear]

Talk a lot. I mean, talk a little about rural hospitals because in Kentucky we also have a large Medicaid eligible population. There are 35 of them that may close under the president's big, ugly bill. Each is the largest payroll in its county, in its community. And so what I've been talking about is that this big, ugly bill isn't just going to reduce health care, it's going to decimate the economy of rural America.

[Deb Haaland]

Absolutely. Well, here in New Mexico, five or six rural hospitals could close because, because of the Medicaid cuts. And if those hospitals close, then you have people in rural communities who would have to travel 100 or 200 miles just to see a doctor. And put on top of that, the fact that they may have that dollar in their account the same way I did, and not be able to afford to travel that distance to go see a doctor, it's really devastating. And so that's the reason why I'm fighting hard to be the next governor. We also want to implement community schools. We have an idea for community schools where kids can obtain wraparound services in some areas, food assistance, where if they need a sack of groceries on the weekend to have at home so they don't go hungry, or if we have a nurse or doctor that they have an opportunity to see while they're in school, these are things that we'll have to make sure we do so that we can face the terrible country that is Donald Trump. We also want to increase mobile clinics in rural areas, trucks that are outfitted to serve people in those communities so that they don't have to travel that distance. I'll also add on top of that that the president has cut thousands of jobs from our Veterans Administration as well as from the Indian Health Service. We have 23 Indian tribes here in New Mexico, and they rely on the Indian Health Service for medical care. And so these are all things that I'm fighting for, and we'll just keep working at it.

[Andy Beshear]

So, as I said in the intro, you belong to a tribe. A lot of our listeners may live in states that don't have a number of tribes. Talk about that relationship, talk about the interconnectedness between that and, say, state government and how it impacts New Mexico.

[Deb Haaland]

Absolutely. So we have 23 tribes here in New Mexico, 19 Pueblos. We have the Navajo Nation, and we have three Apache tribes here. And I'll tell you, we've been at it for a long time. I've been advocating for tribal state, you know, the tribal state relationship for a very long time. We were able to get a state Tribal Collaboration act passed in a number of years back when Governor Richardson was in office. And Governor Richardson actually elevated the Office of Indian affairs to a cabinet level position. So we have the Indian Affairs Department here at the state level. So Native Americans have worked really hard for a long time to ensure that the tribal state relationship is a good one. The governor meets yearly with tribes. There's liaisons in every department. We really make sure that tribes have a real seat at the table before decisions are made. And right now in my campaign, I have a tribal advisory committee that we meet with regularly to ensure that tribes have a say in the platform that I'll be putting out on how Holland administration would. Would work with tribes to move our stay forward. Tribal communities, they're rich. They have a rich culture. They have various languages that need to be respected and funding put toward native language revitalization so that their children can learn in the best way possible. I just feel that it's a win win situation, and so we should always ensure that. And I think any state building relationships with tribes is important and it's very valuable to the people of our state. Here in New Mexico, you are running.

[Andy Beshear]

To succeed Michelle Lujan Grissom, who is a good friend of mine and a favorite on the podcast. I actually think she should start her own podcast. She was so good. Tell me how a Holland administration will be like and then will be different from Governor Lujan Grissom.

[Deb Haaland]

Yes, I agree with you. She would definitely have a great podcast if that's what she chose to do. So I'm so grateful for our governor and the state legislature who worked together to make sure that early childhood education was cemented in our state. As you mentioned, I used to have to clean at my child's preschool so that I could afford the bill. Now parents don't have to do that. They can send their children to, to an early childhood education, which I believe will help tremendously, will help them to read sooner, which will unlock this world of learning for them. Governor Lujan Grisham also announced several months back that universal child care would be there for every family. And I know that her and the legislature are working on that during this legislative session, and I'm very grateful for that too. Our children are the future. And, and I definitely agree with our governor that that is the case and we should do everything to ensure that our children have opportunities right here. Of course, we're different. We're different people. I just, you know, we just talked about me being raised in a military family and traveling all over the place. I also have experience as the Secretary of the Interior where I oversaw a workforce of 70,000 people and an $18 billion budget. And plus, I'm Native American. We've never had a Native American governor in New Mexico, and we've never had a Native American woman governor in the history of our country. So in that respect, our backgrounds are different. We're two different people. But I am going to do my best to ensure that we can keep New Mexico moving in a positive direction and ensure that our children have all those opportunities here.

[Andy Beshear]

But, you know, she has gotten some animals at the governor's residence and she plans on leaving them.

[Deb Haaland]

Well, I'll embrace the animals.

[Andy Beshear]

Somebody who's now served as governor for six years with about a $17 billion budget and 30,000 employees, I think your background is invaluable. I mean, coming in with that executive experience, but within government, knowing that it works a little bit different, I think will set you up for great success. Tell our listeners who are outside of New Mexico why they should care about the New Mexico governor's race.

[Deb Haaland]

Because governors are the first line of defense against the worst policies coming out of this administration. It's so important that we have Democratic governors across our country. And I want to keep New Mexico blue. I will say that, you know, since the 80s, this governor's office has flipped from Democrat to Republican to Democrat to Republican. This would be the year 2026 that a Republican governor gets in this office. And so I'm working very hard to ensure that I can continue the legacy of our governor with all of the reasons why I just stated. And so everybody should care. Our country needs to ensure that Democratic governors can push back on this administration. And it matters. New Mexico will be a, will have an outsized influence on so many states across the country. We generally will influence other states. Right. Arizona needs to elect Democrats, Colorado, Nevada, and I also want to bring back our Trump voters. In 2024, we lost 3% of our voters to Donald Trump. I am building a very robust field program that will take me to all of the places, meet voters where they are, ensure that their voice is important and that it matters and that we are giving them a reason to get to the polls and vote and tell.

[Andy Beshear]

Our listeners where they can go. To learn more and read more about you.

[Deb Haaland]

Absolutely. Just go to debhollen.com join us. I have 12,000 volunteers who have signed up on my campaign website. Even if you live out of New Mexico, you can make phone calls for us, you can cheer us on, and it's an all hands on deck moment.

[Andy Beshear]

So we like to ask all our guests A couple questions to get to know them a little bit better. The first is one of our podcast rules, and that's about finding people's why. What drives them to do what they do? What makes you willing to go through everything that you have to go through in politics? I mean, mines my faith and my family. But what drives you each day to want a better world for New Mexico and in your service as secretary for the United States of America?

[Deb Haaland]

Absolutely. Well, I think it boils down to. I think it boils down to our constitutional rights. So here in New Mexico, Native Americans couldn't vote until 1948. And that's because one man, Miguel Trujillo, who was a Marine Corps veteran and fought in World War II, came home from his service and couldn't vote. And so he sued the state of New Mexico and won us our right to vote in state elections. And so I feel obligated. I feel obligated to continue his legacy. I think that when people vote, they have a voice that we elect people who care about our issues and have values. And so I just feel, you know, that's why I started in politics. You know, registering voters, going out to rural communities and driving people to the polls. That's where I started. And I am. That's what I'm going to do here, as on my governor campaign, is ensure that we are going to all of those places to make sure people know that their voice and their vote matters.

[Andy Beshear]

What is your secret superpower, that thing that you are really good at that nobody knows about?

[Deb Haaland]

I think my superpower would be building relationships. So when I was a member of Congress, I was the most bipartisan member of my class, and I got five bills passed and signed into law by President Trump. Because I worked across the aisle, I built relationships. I found the, you know, I found the issues that we could agree on, and we move forward with those. So I think very strongly that building relationships is important. Communication, right? Communicating with people. My grandfather, he spoke something like four languages because he felt communication was important. You know, back then, there wasn't Google Translate or Rosetta Stone or any of those. He just learned other people's languages so that he could communicate. He was from Jemez Pueblo, he spoke Toa. My grandmother was from Laguna. She spoke Charis. So he learned Toa, he learned Charis, he knew English, he could speak some Spanish, and he had Navajo friends, too, that he could communicate with. And so I'll just say that we need to communicate more. We need to make sure we're clear on what we should be fighting for and what we should be advocating for that when strangers who mean to do us harm come into our communities, we can clearly articulate that we are standing out for the people that we care about.

[Andy Beshear]

What do you love most about your home state of New Mexico?

[Deb Haaland]

I'll have to say the mountains. Every mountain in this state is amazing. And right now we had a snowstorm over the weekend and I drove to Santa Fe this morning surrounded by snow capped mountains. I love our mountains.

[Andy Beshear]

I am told you are a marathon runner.

[Deb Haaland]

I am.

[Andy Beshear]

That is pretty impressive because and will come in helpful during the election. All right. Give our listeners one last reason to get involved. Give them one last pitch to support you in your race to be New Mexico's next governor.

[Deb Haaland]

Thank you so much. I'm so honored to be here and thank you all for watching and listening. This is an important election. This 2026 election year is finally here. This will determine the future for our children. It's so important that we get involved right now. You might think I'm not a voter in New Mexico and I'm going to worry about my own state. But we all have to worry about each other's states. So I will ask you to go to debholland.com, take a look at our campaign, see what we're up to. Know that we are fighting to ensure that our children have opportunities, that people can see a doctor when they're sick. That we have a positive future for every New Mexican and every American.

[Andy Beshear]

Former Congresswoman and Secretary of the Interior Debt Holland, who has a great chance of winning this election and being the next governor of New Mexico. Keep being fierce and thanks for being on the podcast.

[Deb Haaland]

Thank you.

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[Andy Beshear]

Our next segment on the Andy Beshear Podcast is my conversation with the Johns. We created this podcast because there are a lot of difficult things happening out there in the world and one way that we deal with them is is by talking them through with our friends. And that's what this portion is. I talked to John Rabinowitz, who is an attorney and small business owner, and John McConnell, who owns an insurance agency along with a number of other things that he's involved in. This is our chance to try to process some of the news that you are also dealing with. And this week, we start with a really tough one. One, because I think a lot of Americans and certainly a lot of people in Minnesota are hurting after there has been a second horrific shooting that has left an American dead. On Saturday, Border Patrol agents shot and killed Alex Preddy. And what happened afterwards from the administration was the same that we've been seeing. And the video and the multiple angles of the video that came keep coming out make this more and more and more concerning. For instance, the administration said he approached them with a gun. He had a cell phone, not a weapon, as the video seems to prove. So, first, John McConnell, tell me your thoughts on this.

[John Rabinowitz]

Well, at some point, the administration has to listen to common sense, watch the video and see what's actually happening. You've got thousands marching now to protest, Basically, the Border Patrol being there alongside ice. And how many times does this have to happen? What is that number?

[John McConnell]

Absolute heartbreaking tragedy. Watching the video is horrific. What I, and I think others are getting fed up with is being told to ignore our eyes and ears. We're being told to. That's not what the video shows, when clearly that's what the video shows. To me, it did not look like somebody that was being aggressive towards those officers. They were. They were on top of it, and they had it pinned down. I just can't understand the need for the level of force that we all witnessed on that video.

[Andy Beshear]

He was steps away from them. They sprayed him with mace and took him to the ground. It looked like he was trying to help someone, somebody else that was interacting with them. You know, my concern is, again, before they have any idea what happened, members of the Trump administration will call somebody a domestic terrorist. And by the way, these are Americans they're calling domestic terrorists. I mean, Trump promised he'd be America first, but how many Americans is he willing to allow to die to deport? I guess a certain number of illegal immigrants. That doesn't sound very America first to me.

[John McConnell]

And it was interesting, too, to hear the people that. I think the NRA came out and had a statement because they started attacking, basically, gun rights. And so it was really interesting to see the flip flopping back and forth. And I think as we sit here today, we're learning more and more evidence. We just learned that the governor of Minnesota and Trump, I guess, spoke and have some sort of agreement. And, John, I think you saw somebody is being removed From Minnesota?

[John Rabinowitz]

Yes. I think the director of the Border Patrol, I believe he's being removed right now or asked to come back.

[Andy Beshear]

And John Rabinowitz, you had referenced the NRA and gun rights activists. This person was legally armed but not holding his weapon. The video makes it look like he was disarmed before the shooting. But just a search for any rationalization as opposed to doing a real investigation is what's led to this argument. But what I've concluded is these agents are being encouraged to be aggressive, and that is not something we can allow in a form of law enforcement. And they're being told they don't have to follow the same rules about people's rights as other law enforcement. They've been told they can enter someone's house without a warrant issued by a judge.

[John McConnell]

And we were talking about this earlier, and, you know, we've seen the video. We don't know what happened maybe before or after, but the level of escalation, how quickly it turned violent and deadly, I just can't comprehend. And in my opinion, if you look at the video afterwards, I think some of those officers are stunned at what just happened. They can't believe it. And so it's just a horrific tragedy.

[Andy Beshear]

It's time that they pull back on ice and the Border Patrol in our cities, that is not a border action. These people are not trained properly. They're being encouraged to beat up Americans. It's not right. It's got to stop.

[John McConnell]

And if it can happen there, it can certainly happen pretty much anywhere.

[John Rabinowitz]

Yep. Well, let's. Let's talk about Davos. A big deal. Eddie just got back.

[Andy Beshear]

It's the World Economic Forum. It is a meeting between top CEOs around the world, as well as leaders, presidents, and prime ministers of most major countries are there. It was intended to create dialogue, to bring people together so we could hopefully find some common ground. Last year is the first time the governor of Kentucky, I think, has ever been invited, and it's the most efficient economic development trip you can take. So you meet with, say, I think, 16 CEOs from four different continents that would take five or six trips to otherwise do. And I know we're going to bring back jobs. But it was also really striking to me.

[John McConnell]

Well, I was going to say, listen, super impressive you met with all these businesses, but I have one question. Were you in the room when Trump gave that speech?

[Andy Beshear]

I was 30ft from him. And that speech was dangerous. It was disrespectful, and it was unhinged. It was dangerous because he Kept calling into question our NATO alliance, which has generally kept us safe and our families safe and the world as stable as it can be for our entire lifetime. Now, the reason that other countries don't overstep is that they know that the NATO alliance is something that we are all committed to. But over and over and over, the President brought it into question. Then it was disrespectful. I mean, he called world leaders dumb. He called, he specifically called out the Canadian Prime Minister for standing up to his country. He said, if you are a Somali, you are of low intelligence. That's more than just disrespectful. There's something else going on there too. And finally, it was unhinged. He was talking about Minnesota. He kept talking about sleepy Joe Biden. In his terms. He said that the election was rigged. I mean, get over it, you're president again. My goodness.

[John McConnell]

And I think it was, you know, to me, obviously the most interesting thing was he's not going to take Greenland by force. Not that we believed that that was ever going to happen. But what did you think of the windmill comments too?

[Andy Beshear]

Well, the Greenland, the Greenland thing is so dangerous and so dumb, it actually caused me to curse on television, which I don't do. And I called it dumb as hell because it's dumb as hell. And sometimes you just gotta call a spade a spade. But they, the windmill stuff, Yeah. I mean, first of all, he said that China's figured this out because there are no windmills in China, but they're selling it to everybody else because windmills don't work. By the way, if you drive through Indiana, Republican led state packed with windmills in the north, if you go through Oklahoma, whose governor was there, ton of windmills. And they use it for companies that say, we want a cleaner energy portfolio. They say, come to our state and we'll sell that. But just the amount of time sitting in front of all these world leaders that he was just ranting about windmills was embarrassing. This is the President of the United States. And just watching all of it hurts me because I've always taken pride that we are the leader of the free world. And he's turned us into the bully on the playground. He called Greenland our territory because it's in our hemisphere and was basically saying we can have it because we can take it.

[John McConnell]

And China does in fact have windmill farms. John, they do have windmill farms. So what is your response though, guys, when you hear that this is just part of his negotiation strategy? You hear this over and over again. This is he always ends up where he wants to be. And this is, this act is part of the negotiations.

[Andy Beshear]

Well, what came out of it was we're going to be able to put more assets in Greenland. All we had to do was ask. This is trying to save face. This is having gone too far and Europe was going to stand up to us. But the damage that is being done to the reputation of the United States of America and our ability, the next time we need help, to ask others. Could you imagine if we needed to build a coalition for an international conflict? Right now, we are less safe as a people because of all of this conduct.

[John Rabinowitz]

And when you're, when you're another world leader and you're sitting in those rooms, you have to wonder if you're next up. I mean, between Canada, France, Spain, Switzerland.

[John McConnell]

What did other foreign leaders and CEOs, did you have discussions with them? What was their response?

[Andy Beshear]

They are finally coming around to there's not some secret plan. There's not anything that, if you can just figure it out, you can understand all their actions. You have an angry, irrational president that is willing to stand in front of a room of 1000 CEOs and world leaders and throw out insults, talk about his grievances and just rant.

[John McConnell]

What was the weather like in Switzerland, by the way?

[Andy Beshear]

Cold.

[John McConnell]

How cold?

[Andy Beshear]

Pretty cold.

[John McConnell]

I mean, are we talking negative? What, five or six? We're expecting tomorrow.

[John Rabinowitz]

Yeah. Was it Winter Storm Fern?

[Andy Beshear]

So that takes us to. We are in our new studio in Frankfurt just in time because Winter Storm Fern, and that is a dumb name, has, has swept through. We've got all hands on deck. I've been at the eoc, the Emergency Operations center, all day, but, you know, we got a, a little more than three quarters of an inch of ice in part of our state. That's, that's really tough. We got a lot of snow in the, in the northern side, but we've gotten really good at responding to snowstorms.

[John McConnell]

I mean, the size of this storm was impressive. I think it was from New Mexico to Maine. Nashville, my Nashville offices were getting hammered.

[Andy Beshear]

Hit, hit by a whole lot of ice. The ice, the ice in Nashville is, is similar to our 2009 ice storm, which is one of the biggest we've ever had.

[John Rabinowitz]

My mother and stepfather, they're in a hotel right now because they've lost power at the house, so they had to leave.

[Andy Beshear]

But, you know, when, when these things happen, it's incredible the number of resources that are out there that you put to work. We have over 1,000 transportation trucks out working on the roads. We have an extra about 350, 50 contractors that are there. You look at utility crews, and I think we're over 1400 different utility crew trucks that are out there with more coming in from states that got snow but didn't get ice, so it didn't knock down the power. You look at the number of 911 calls, Kentucky State Police have helped more than 400 stranded motorists. So what you see is a government that sometimes seems like they do different things and different services that all come together to try to operate as efficiently during this period of time. And it's important, it's important that we have those 1400 utility trucks because it's going to be almost negative 20 in wind chill tomorrow morning. And we want as many people to have power as possible.

[John McConnell]

John, I think in the future, when we know these storms are going to come a week in advance, we're doing the podcast. We need to give some instructions on when is the right time to put the salt down and the ice meltdown and when is it effective and not effective. Here I am, like, I thought I did the right thing. I clearly did not. It's like an ice skating rink around my place. So we just need some more tips.

[Andy Beshear]

So if the salt's down right now, the sun came out, even though it's only about 11 degrees, if that sun shines on those surfaces enough, it can work normally. Got to be a decent amount warmer than that. And that's why this next week is going to be tough. But as you can tell, being governor through 15 federally declared weather disasters has turned me into something between a meteorologist and a road crew foreman.

[John Rabinowitz]

Well, I've got a question. There's going to be a football game coming up. I think it's going to be the Super Bowl.

[John McConnell]

So, you know, I was hosting this game, Seahawks and Patriots, but okay, I was hoping our Rams would pull it off at the end. I. Tyler Higby is a friend of our. Of ours and so. But he didn't. He's already won one. But the Seahawks look awful strong. But to see the Patriots back again is. This really is pretty amazing. I don't think either team, either one of those teams last year made the playoffs. So it's amazing the parody in the league.

[Andy Beshear]

And you look at the Seahawks quarterback now, two straight years, two different teams leading them to a good record and the playoffs.

[John McConnell]

So do you have a pick right now, John? I mean, who are you leaning?

[Andy Beshear]

I mean, I'll go back on my.

[John Rabinowitz]

Football knowledge I know the Patriots lead appearances in super bowls. I think 11 now this will be 12. So I think I'm just going to let history repeat itself and probably go with the Patriots.

[John McConnell]

I think the Seahawks came out early as the favorites. I think it's between three and five points. So, you know, I want the Patriots to win, but I think the Seahawks look awful good this year.

[Andy Beshear]

If they were playing this coming weekend, I think that would matter a bunch, you know, in how hot a team is. But we've seen with the super bowl, with that two week layoff, a team that was unstoppable. You look back at the Randy Moss Patriots that were just unbeatable, and then the Giants, who had stumbled into the playoffs, make it all the way through and beat them.

[John McConnell]

Two great quarterbacks, great receivers, great defenses. It'll be a great game.

[Andy Beshear]

In a triumphant return to the Andy Beshear podcast, we have Jen Z. Lingo, we have Shai, who taught us clock it several episodes back. And we have the originator, Will Bashir.

[Will Bashir]

I'm really excited for this word today. Shai, do you want to explain?

[Shai]

Yes. So today's word is flow state.

[Andy Beshear]

Flow state, yes. So in trying to figure out what this is, should I focus on flow or state?

[Will Bashir]

Think about flow. Like it's focusing really hard on something. So what is an example in your life where you focused on something, like, immensely?

[Andy Beshear]

Well, I got to do that most days. So is flow state being locked in?

[Shai]

Yes.

[Andy Beshear]

Okay, so it's. So it's being really present for something you're dealing with.

[Will Bashir]

Very. Yes.

[John Rabinowitz]

Okay, so going with the flow, like on the podcast, we said we go with the flow and lock in. In that state of mind.

[Andy Beshear]

I'm not sure you got that at all. So use flow state in a sentence. It's like John just missed the explanation.

[Will Bashir]

I reached flow state when I went through the entire Andy Beshear podcast library and listen to them all in order.

[Andy Beshear]

Wow.

[John McConnell]

Wow.

[John Rabinowitz]

Really?

[Andy Beshear]

Did you take breaks?

[John Rabinowitz]

Did you, like.

[Will Bashir]

No, it was just if you reach flow state, you're like so focused you lose, like, concept of time. And so you're just so locked in that you don't even realize, like, how much time it takes.

[Andy Beshear]

Okay, when was the last time that you were in flow state?

[Shai]

Well, a couple minutes ago while I was producing the podcast, I just reached a flow state where I was just cutting the cameras at the perfect timing. So that was just me not consciously thinking about being in that flow, being in the rhythm.

[Andy Beshear]

So to connect this to the last time you taught us Lingo like if you're in flow state, right, you're dialed in, you get a great result at that point. Do you clock it?

[Shai]

Yes, you have to clock it.

[Andy Beshear]

So will. What other Gen Z terms if somebody's talking about flow state. Because what I see with Gen Z is like someone uses a term and then the other one has this direct response to it, like facts.

[Will Bashir]

I think you already kind of mentioned it. Like locking in. Like if you're like, man, I'm in flow state on like this schoolwork or something, my friend or something would be like, oh, so you're locked in on whatever you're doing. So it kind of all connects, but at the same time it doesn't at all.

[John Rabinowitz]

I'm concerned I don't have the ability to get into a flow state.

[Andy Beshear]

You don't have to.

[John Rabinowitz]

I'm just too jittery and I just don't know if I can get there.

[Will Bashir]

It's okay. Joan Joker.

[Andy Beshear]

Oftentimes when we talk about these Gen Z terms, there is also an opposite, like facts and cap. What would be the opposite of flow state?

[Will Bashir]

I don't think there is an opposite to flow state.

[Andy Beshear]

So this is like a unicorn, like a unique term that there is only one of.

[Shai]

Yes. So you're either locked in or you're not locked in with flow state.

[Andy Beshear]

Now, is flow state being locked in, you know, more significant than being dialed in? I don't like.

[John McConnell]

What do you mean?

[Will Bashir]

It's the same thing.

[Andy Beshear]

So being dialed in, being locked in, and being in flow state are all the same thing?

[Will Bashir]

Basically, yeah.

[Andy Beshear]

Then why do we have three terms for it?

[Will Bashir]

Well, I mean, why do we have three terms for. I mean, there's other things we have three terms for, right?

[Andy Beshear]

Facts.

[Will Bashir]

Yeah, I mean, facts.

[John Rabinowitz]

No, Cap.

[Will Bashir]

John, I think next podcast you need to come up with three things that are like the same. Like there are three. Wow, this is really hard to say. Three. Nevermind. Just end the, end the segment.

[Andy Beshear]

And this is when it went off the rails.

[John Rabinowitz]

I was almost in the flow state. We were so close.

[Andy Beshear]

We hope you've enjoyed this episode of the Andy Beshear podcast. We love bringing You prime for 2026 so you can see who's next. We had, I think, a very emotional conversation with the Johns about the things that are going on in the United States that I think we all view as un American. That's Democrats and Republicans. And then we learned that we've been in a flow state this entire time making this podcast. So we'll see you again next week. Everybody out there. Be safe. And remember, this is your country. Speak up, speak out. Let's stand up for who we are.

[Shai]

Cloudless skies in the midday sun Bees are buzzing now that spring is done the bird song blows as the tide rolls out these memories are what.