← Andy Beshear Podcast
Andy Beshear Podcast
Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice, Knowa De Baraso and Holding Nothing Back
01:10:16
With an alleged ceasefire in Iran, Andy Beshear sits down with former national security advisor Susan Rice, the only person in American history to serve as both National Security Advisor and Domestic Policy Advisor to the President of the United States for a sweeping conversation on the crises demanding America's attention abroad right now. They dig into the wars in Ukraine and Iran, the complicated history and future of U.S.-Cuba relations, the gutting of the Voting Rights Act, and what it feels like to be in the Situation Room in critical moments. Rice has advised two presidents, represented America at the United Nations, and spent decades at the center of the hardest decisions this country has had to make. And now, she's watching a very different White House's Situation Room and not holding anything hold back.
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- [00:02]
Commercial Announcer
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- [00:39]
Andy Beshear
Our guest today is one of the biggest we've had on the podcast. Ambassador Susan Rice is the only person in American history to serve as both National Security Advisor and Domestic Policy Advisor to the President of the United States. She's also a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a Rhodes Scholar. If that's not enough, she is a New York Times best selling author and one of the most consequential public servants of the last three decades. And she worked very closely during the Obama administration on all things dealing with Iran. So what a timely guest to have with Ambassador Susan Rice. Ambassador Rice, welcome to the Andy Beshear Pod Podcast.
- [01:28]
Ambassador Susan Rice
It's great to be with you, Governor.
- [01:30]
Andy Beshear
Well, we've got to start. Given your experience in dealing with Iran years ago, advising a president on it, your take on what we're seeing, because certainly from my perspective, it seems like President Trump started a war, eventually defined what success looked like according to him in the war, and then reached absolutely none of those objectives.
- [01:55]
Ambassador Susan Rice
Well, I'd agree with that, except it's not clear that he ever defined what success looked like. He definitely started a war that never should have been waged, that has set us back in terms of our strategic interests in national security quite dramatically and has not accomplished any of the myriad things he set out to accomplish. Whether that's regime change initially, dealing with the missile program, dealing with the nuclear program, none of that has happened. Helping the people of Iran achieve their democratic aspirations, that is also by the wayside. And what we have is a flimsy 2 page 14 point memorandum of understanding that is so thin that you might think it's innocuous. But if you read it carefully, you'll see that the Iranian negotiators did a bang up job from their perspective of achieving much more than they ever achieved in return for full implementation and faithful implementation of the 2015 Obama era nuclear deal. So in effect, the Trump administration has already, in that two page document made enormous concessions to the Iranians that far exceed what they could or should achieve after fully dismantling their nuclear capability and having it independently verified that that's what they've done. So when you actually look at it, whether you're Talking about what's already happened today, which is that they have now been let out from under completely all oil sanctions and sanctions on oil related products, which will net them tens of billions of dollars, 10, 10 billion alone in the first two months of this. By some estimates, the lifting of oil sanctions never occurred until after the full implementation of the Obama nuclear deal. If you take the access that they've been granted to all of their frozen assets, which will come, according to the letter of this MoU, within the next 60 days, provided that the Iranians uphold the MoU, which essentially their only obligation is to open the Strait of Hormuz, they will access tens of billions of dollars in frozen assets, again, a reward that they didn't achieve in 2015 until after fully verified implementation of their obligations. And this time, instead of the use of those frozen assets being restricted to humanitarian purposes, food and medicine, now the letter of the agreement says they can use that money any way they want, including for supporting their terrorist proxies, if that's what they choose, or rebuilding their military capacity. Then they get $300 billion of money in which, you know, Governor, would go an enormous distance in this country to provide people with health care or food security, housing, you know, so many of the needs that are unmet here in this country. $300 billion. And the language of the agreement says the United States and our Gulf partners will ensure that this $300 billion is provided at least, it says at least $300 billion is provided to Iran for reconstruction and development once this comprehensive agreement, if there ever is one, is achieved. In addition, they get to impose fees that they refuse to call, tolls, but fees are on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz after 60 days, something that never has been allowed up until now. I could go on and on about the number of ways in which this MOU is an extraordinary set of concessions for nothing. We lose the war and they win enormous benefits.
- [06:15]
Andy Beshear
And that's where I wanted to go. Most analysts and what I'm hearing from you believe that Iran is emerging stronger than before the war, maybe stronger than ever before, with these new assets that are coming in with an acknowledgment that they can have ballistic missiles, which appears to be written into that term sheet, or at least the President is now saying they'll have missiles because other people have missiles now, a tighter control on the Strait of Hormutz than before with. It appears that's going to be ongoing. And now I think some real questions that have been raised in the minds of our allies in the Middle East.
- [06:56]
Ambassador Susan Rice
Well, all of that's true. Let me just say this. First of all, I wouldn't say Iran is stronger in a conventional military sense. Certainly some of its conventional military capacity has been degraded, although not nearly as much as the administration tries to portray. They still have missile capacity. They still have missile launchers, they still have a very lethal drone fleet, and they still have fast swift boats, as they call them, that they're using to great detriment in the. In the Strait area. So they still have residual military capacity. And most importantly, they retain nuclear capacity that they had before this war started. But in addition to that, as you point out, now they have the ability and they have exercised the ability to control the Strait of Hormuz. It's an on, off switch. They can utilize it will and hold the United States and the whole global economy hostage. And not only have we acknowledged that reality, we validated it by conceding that they can charge these fees after 60 days. Our partners in the Gulf region are have experienced enormous economic damage, damage to their oil and gas infrastructure as well. And they've learned that the United States promise of security is not worth all that they hoped it would be. I think among the most damaging revelations from this war is that when you have the greatest military in the world, as we do here in the United States, combined with the highly skilled Israeli military, and we throw, you know, months of bombing at them at Iran, that that is proved insufficient not only to change the regime, as would have been predicted to, to leave the regime now intact and defiant. So we've kind of showed that the use of force in this context is not as daunting and intimidating as we found that the threat of the use of force was. And that's a fearful lesson for other potential adversaries to internalize around the world. And then we've alienated our European allies, who never were consulted about this war, were not willing to come along. It's putting enormous strain on NATO as a consequence. And that's before you get to the costs to the American people, the loss of our 13 servicemen and women, $50 billion or more in actual direct costs for this war. Again, money that could have been spent on domestic priorities. And then the cost of living, when you account for the cost of increased gas, food prices, fertilizer, all of that is another plus $50 billion for the American taxpayer. So this is enormously costly. And by the way, we've also strained and starved communities around the world that rely on fertilizer and fuel from the Persian Gulf. Area which they've not been able to access.
- [10:23]
Andy Beshear
I want to ask you more about the impact to the American people, because in my introduction of you to our listeners, I mentioned one thing that makes you unique, is that you have advised a president on both foreign policy and domestic policy. So first, before talking about Iran specifically, given that you've done both, how do you go about analyzing a foreign conflict, recognizing maybe the objectives that might be there, but also the impact that it can have on domestic policy?
- [10:58]
Ambassador Susan Rice
Well, Governor, as you know, this is the most consequential decision a commander in chief can take is the decision to put the men and women of the U.S. military in harm's way and to engage in armed conflict. And that's a decision that should be taken only when necessary, when our fundamental and direct national interests are implicated, or perhaps some might argue, in a humanitarian context, when the risks are low and the benefits are potentially high. This is a case of neither. This was a war of choice that did not need to be waged. Iran did not pose an imminent nuclear threat to the United States or frankly, to anybody else. Their nuclear program had been contained and constrained until Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear agreement, which he did in 2018. Then they raced ahead. After that agreement had successfully constrained their program, they raced towards stockpiling nuclear material. Then Donald Trump comes in and last year and, you know, 1212 days claims to have obliterated it.
- [12:17]
Andy Beshear
Obliterated.
- [12:18]
Ambassador Susan Rice
It's obviously not obliterated. And we didn't succeed in re obliterating it, it would seem. And so this was a war that never needed to be waged. If you know anything about this problem, the obvious reality is that the only way to resolve it is through diplomacy, and you could say diplomacy backed by the threat of force, which yielded and by serious painful sanctions, which in 2015 yielded an effective agreement. This time we used force and it has set us back. And we're not even in a position to achieve at the negotiating table what we could have achieved in February before this war started. So you need to make the decision to use force very carefully, very judiciously. You need to plan for it. This administration didn't plan. They left our bases in the Middle east undefended. That's how we lost the 13 servicemen and women.
- [13:14]
Andy Beshear
They didn't do our people without travel plans.
- [13:16]
Ambassador Susan Rice
Exactly. Couldn't evacuate our embassies or American citizens in the region. They just didn't. They didn't think this was going to be a real war. They underestimated the Iranians. They obviously didn't read the war plan because as national Security advisor, I was very familiar with the Iran war plan. The administration did, you know, war games. We knew that closing the Strait of Hormuz was the obvious counter that the Iranians would move to very quickly. These guys in the administration, I don't know if they just didn't care or didn't study it or just thought they were somehow invincible.
- [13:52]
Andy Beshear
I think Trump admitted that he thought it was going to be Venezuela, which,
- [13:57]
Ambassador Susan Rice
like the ignorance of that is stagnant, and the hubris of that is staggering. But then, so you have to take these decisions very seriously because they always have significant ramifications for the American people, whether it's in lives lost, as in the enormous lives lost in Iraq and Afghanistan, whether it's direct military costs, tens, if not hundreds of billions of dollars in expenses, whether it's. Which come with opportunity costs. If you're investing in wars, you're not investing in priorities at home. And then in this case, the obvious inflationary consequences at a time when we were already battling inflation and then compounded by foolish tariffs that were rightfully ruled unconstitutional, you have a situation where we're just piling pain on the American people. And, you know, this is an administration that has, you know, prided itself through its one big beautiful bill, which I call, you know, the one big ugly bill.
- [15:03]
Andy Beshear
I'm with you.
- [15:04]
Ambassador Susan Rice
Cutting food stamps, cutting Medicaid, cutting rural health care, all of the things that. That people need and depend on the most vulnerable in this country, and not only lining the pockets of the very wealthiest, but then compounding the issue of the debt and the deficit with, you know, a war we didn't need to fight.
- [15:26]
Andy Beshear
You're listening to the Andy Beshear podcast. Our guest, Ambassador Susan Rice, who on this podcast coined the term re obliterated. I want to make sure you get credit for that going into the future. You know, when you're talking about the costs domestically to foreign conflict, it's not just Iran with this administration. There's Venezuela, there's what's going on in Cuba. Talk about the cumulative impact on our armed forces, I believe, especially parts of our Navy, have now been on some of the longest assignments that we've seen in the last several decades.
- [16:05]
Ambassador Susan Rice
Yes. In the military or in national security, we have, you know, term called military readiness. That is, you know, how ready are our forces to engage if called upon. And readiness can be degraded, you know, through underinvestment, through exhausting the force, which is what is what is happening now, as you point out, particularly with these naval deployments that have gone on, you know, well beyond six months, well beyond a year in some instances. So the pain and the, the consequence for our sailors and their families enormous. And then we've also depleted, in this war against Iran, critical munition, stockpiles, interceptors, other important elements of defense and offense that we need not only to have available for contingencies in the Middle east, but of course, in Asia with the Chinese threat and the potential of a Taiwan contingency in Europe, where the Russians are continuing to poke and prod and test NATO's resolve. So we have expended human capital, munitions and physical capital, and we're very broadly extended. And instead of concentrating our efforts in the regions where the threat is most significant, which I would argue is in the Asia Pacific and in Europe, obviously you always have to keep an eye on the Middle East. You know, we are expending resources in places where we have far less of a, of an urgent need.
- [17:55]
Andy Beshear
So we're talking about the Trump administration and how to do it wrong. Talk to us a little bit about how to do it right. From what you've seen, how should a president take advice from various advisors, come to these decisions? What does the right process look like?
- [18:14]
Ambassador Susan Rice
That's a great question, Governor, because I think a lot of what has gone wrong is a failure, not only of leadership, by the President who seems to make decisions based on the last person he heard from and what his own gut tells him by his own admission, rather than the informed advice of thoughtful and independent minded advisors. A good national security decision making process depends in the first instance on having cabinet secretaries in the Defense Department and the State Department and the intelligence community who know their briefs very well, who are not guided by politics or sycophancy, but are guided by the national interest and what serves the American people and our national security and who make thoughtful, informed recommendations to the President of the United States. That means the President has to hear from a Director of National Intelligence who actually faithfully represents the analysis of the intelligence community, even when that analysis is made to hear. We have had not had that throughout the duration of this administration. Tulsi Gabbard was clearly a political hack. And now we've got Bill Pulte, who makes Tulsi Gabbard, you know, look like, you know, one of our most experienced
- [19:53]
Andy Beshear
national security leaders, and Pete Hegseth hopped up on testosterone and Pete Hegseth, who,
- [20:00]
Ambassador Susan Rice
you know, is not only profoundly unqualified, but an ideological freak, I would say. And so, and then Marco Rubio's doing two jobs of National Security Advisor and Secretary of State. And having done one of those two, I can tell you either one of them is a full time job. And they don't seem to be willing or able to provide the kind of critical feedback to the President that may result in a consequential debate or may have the impact of influencing decision making, again, so that the national interest is the priority as opposed to the personal interests of leadership or some kind of preordained agenda. And so the decision making, to the extent we know about it in this case, seems to have been short circuited. And the analysis, the recommendations, the planning, the preparation, then the managing of the consequences of their initial mistakes, all of that seems to have been lacking. And then this MoU is the product of the negotiating experience of two people who have no business doing this, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who are real estate moguls, not national security experts. They have no background in intelligence or defense or diplomacy. And yet, you know, they are given the brief to negotiate with the very sophisticated Iranians on the other side of the table who have been negotiating with the United States for the last two decades. So it's like, you know, it's like taking a knife to a gunfight. And it showed up in the quality of that agreement to the extent that it failed to serve US Interests and greatly benefited Iranian interests.
- [22:13]
Andy Beshear
And if it's even an agreement, because it opens 60 days to find a new agreement, let's switch to the Obama Presidential center opening. What? Just a couple of days ago in Chicago, as you look back, tell us something that you are really proud of. The administration accomplished. And if you could go back in time, what's one thing maybe you tweak or change?
- [22:40]
Ambassador Susan Rice
Yeah. Well, the Obama Presidential center opening was a really wonderful, moving occasion. And I really encourage everybody to go see the Presidential Center. I'll be honest, I was a little bit of a skeptic before I got there and saw it, because from a distance, the images don't do it justice. And it's an extraordinary campus because it's not just a building, it's a public library. It's a basketball court, and it's a garden and a full park. It's incredible. And the exhibitions are really, truly remarkable. And it was great to gather with friends and colleagues and to hear from President Obama and Mrs. Obama in such a moving way was a reminder that it wasn't that long ago when we had leadership that really was interested in bringing out the best in all of us and knitting us together and who are deeply tied to our founding philosophy that we are all equal human beings worthy of dignity and respect, and we each deserve a voice and a vote in this democracy of ours. So there's so many things, Governor, that I could point to that I'm proud of. We're talking about the Iran nuclear deal, which is something that was roundly criticized by many on the right in 2015 and thereafter. But the amount of painstaking effort and diplomacy that went into that, the more than 20 months of laborious negotiations of 150 page text negotiated in great detail by experts who really knew their brief had shown. I think the current circumstances have shown people who may not have understood it at the time, the value of that kind of careful, painstaking negotiate and resulted in a deal that was working until Donald Trump tore it up in his first term. Equally, the Paris climate agreement was an important milestone in tackling a critical national and global challenge torn up by President Trump twice. So, you know, I could go on and on. You know, the opening to Cuba, we haven't talked about that. You know, this administration's approach has been to literally starve the Cuban people to death with a blockade. And, you know, it's not yielding more freedom and openness. But, you know, the effort that we made in the Obama administration to gradually, you know, reopen relations, dialogue, tourism, travel, led to some very significant political liberalization within Cuba. Trump came in his first term and ended that and now has really gone to the further extreme of, of, of trying to, it would appear to starve the people, to topple the regime, which I don't think will succeed.
- [26:12]
Andy Beshear
And that's, that's not his first attempt to, to starve folks for leverage. I mean, during the government shutdown, he became the first president ever to, to not fund SNAP benefits. Now, you all had to deal with threatened shutdowns. I mean, I take it that never came up, that that was always off the table, that people were going to have enough to eat.
- [26:31]
Ambassador Susan Rice
No, it would never occur to any prior administration, Democratic or Republican, to use SNAP benefits and food stamps as a means of punishing people. And talking about star. The other thing was Doge decimating and ultimately eliminating USAID has led to hundreds of thousands of lives lost around the world.
- [26:59]
Andy Beshear
Talk to us about, you mentioned hearing about one voice, one vote at the opening of the Obama Presidential Center. Your feelings on the dismantling of the Voting Rights act and the impact it's going to have on our democracy.
- [27:18]
Ambassador Susan Rice
Well, as you might imagine, I'm profoundly angered and dismayed by this. I was born governor in 1964, the year of the Civil Rights act, one year before the Voting Rights Act. I was fortunate to be raised in an America where the rights of women, the rights of minorities, the rights of all of us, were finally achieved to a large extent. Whereas my parents, who, my dad in particular grew up in the segregated south and served in a segregated military in World War II, really experienced the brunt of racism in this country, I had a different experience. I've definitely experienced racism throughout my life and career, but nothing of this. Not state sanctioned racism, not Jim Crow. I never doubted that I would have the right to vote wherever I lived in this country, and that my vote would count as much as yours or anybody else's. And now we're in an era where that same promise can't be made to my children and one day, I hope, my grandchildren. And that's a very, very disturbing development. And it calls on all of us to stand up and stand together and insist that the words of our founding documents are actually preserved and validated. We are a country where, despite all of our historical failures and shortcomings, where each of us as citizens are meant to have an equal right to vote and to have that vote counted equally. And they're now, apparently, those who feel that adherence to that foundational principle of our democracy is somehow such a threat to them that they want to take it away. And it's not just taking it away from black people. They are trying to take it away from women, from Latino Americans and Hispanic Americans, from Native Americans, from disabled Americans. It is essentially a project to marginalize all but the most elite. And it sort of is. And actually, President Obama made this analogy in his speech at the opening of the Center. It's taking us back to a time where, in fact, at the very beginning of our country, it was only landed, meaning landowners, you know, white men who were allowed really to vote. So you had to be rich, you had to be white, and you had to be male. And, you know, when you think about today, you know, a world in which a very small group of people who happen to be close to the president, whether family or cronies, are amassing enormous wealth throughout, through the office of the presidency. When you think about some of the most wealthy tech oligarchs, people like Elon Musk, now the first Trillionaire, and those like him who control an outsized portion of our economy and technology, and people like Peter Thiel and others who openly talk about, you know, their disparagement of Democracy and their notion that only a small elite group should actually have power. It's very reminiscent of where we started. And I think, Governor, not only you and I and the people listening, but I think many people, the vast majority of people in this country are not interested in going back to a time only the very wealthiest men who are white control this country. Absolutely are a country of one person, one vote. And that's where it's got to remain.
- [31:57]
Andy Beshear
As we wrap up, we really like our audience to get to know a little bit about our guests personally. And so we always start with this question and it's what is your secret superpower? What is something that you are really good at that no one knows?
- [32:12]
Ambassador Susan Rice
Oh, my goodness. Really good at? I don't want to overstate it, but one thing I love to do that people don't know that I think I've got a little bit of game on, is poetry writing.
- [32:30]
Andy Beshear
Oh, okay. What do you write poetry about?
- [32:36]
Ambassador Susan Rice
I write about people I love and people I know. I write about nature and its beauty. I write about politics on occasion. I haven't published much widely and I'm not sure I will.
- [32:52]
Andy Beshear
I don't know. You're a New York Times best selling author. This seems like the next collection.
- [32:58]
Ambassador Susan Rice
Well, we'll see. So far I've stuck to publishing prosecutors there, but it, but that's something that I, that I do really enjoy doing. And you know, in a, in time like this, it's a, it's a good way to have, take some time to just sort of think about what matters.
- [33:18]
Andy Beshear
When you get a day or a night off, what do you like to do?
- [33:22]
Ambassador Susan Rice
I like watching sports. I'm a huge women's basketball fan.
- [33:26]
Andy Beshear
Who's your team sports team?
- [33:28]
Ambassador Susan Rice
Well, my team now is the Toronto Tempo because my niece Kiki Rice plays for the Toronto Tempo, but she was until recently a member of the UCLA national championship women's basketball team. So I've spent a lot of time over the last four years watching UCLA and following them around the country as they play basketball. So that's one of my passions. I also, I love playing tennis. That one of my favorite things. And then just, you know, like everybody else, I love being with my family and friends, hanging out and just chilling.
- [34:05]
Andy Beshear
Finally, for those that are watching us on YouTube, I love your background. You've got to tell me about the quilt and the lion.
- [34:14]
Ambassador Susan Rice
It's not a, it's. This is, this is my office.
- [34:17]
Andy Beshear
Yes.
- [34:18]
Ambassador Susan Rice
It's a batik, actually. It's not a quilt.
- [34:21]
Andy Beshear
Well, we're from Kentucky. We make quilts.
- [34:24]
Ambassador Susan Rice
It's from it's a boutique that I got in Cote d'. Ivoire, the ivory coats back in the days when I used to travel a lot there and worked on Africa. The lion is a photograph that my son took when he was probably in his early teens. He's an avid photographer, mostly of of birds now, but also of wildlife in general and he took that picture on a trip in Africa.
- [34:56]
Andy Beshear
Ambassador Rice, it has been a pleasure. Thanks for joining the podcast.
- [35:00]
Ambassador Susan Rice
Thank you so much Governor. Great to be with you.
- [35:02]
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- [36:05]
Andy Beshear
Our next guest on the Andy Bashir podcast is Noah de Barasso. He is a 14 year old political influencer and host of of now youw Know with Noah de Barrasso. With a bold media presence, undeniable charisma you're going to hear about today and a natural command of the spotlight, Noah's quickly captured national attention. He blends pop culture appeal with a sharp sense of purpose, which has made him one of the most talked about voices in the country. His influence extends beyond politics, drawing fans from all walks of life and earning him constant features in outlets like Newsweek, msnbc, Variety, and countless others. Whether on television, on stage or behind the mic, Noah exemplifies how the next generation is actively engaging in political discourse and striving to shape a more equitable future. Noah, welcome to the podcast.
- [36:57]
Noah de Barasso
I'm on here with my favorite governors in the country. Now, don't make me give you an intro.
- [37:01]
Andy Beshear
Oh, hey, you're already my favorite guest, so thank you for that.
- [37:06]
Noah de Barasso
How are you? How are you, Governor? I'm doing good.
- [37:08]
Andy Beshear
I'm great. Now, tell me, you started out posting videos, I guess, playing Roblox at 7. And here you are getting invite after invite on outlets like MSNBC or with Variety and with you and now with the Andy Beshear podcast. So tell our listeners about your journey.
- [37:31]
Noah de Barasso
Yeah, absolutely. Well, look, it is an honor to be on here, my favorite governor in the country. I have always said that whenever, whenever doing an interview, it's more of a good conversation than anything. But really, like you said, from Roblox content now to politics, it is a need on social media for better information. And like you said, a more equitable future. A more equitable future is more sustainable by doing political content and protecting those that need protection.
- [38:00]
Andy Beshear
I mean, you've gone from Roblox video to interviewing Kamala Harris. And by the way, tell us what that's like. I mean, you are interviewing a candidate for the presidency of the United States.
- [38:13]
Noah de Barasso
Yes, like we're going to have today, Governor. It was a very natural and wonderful conversation. Auntie is what I call her. She's one of my favorite people in the world. And one thing about her is that it's never like any other interview that you could possibly name. It's always like a home conversation. And you honestly should have seen the conversation afterwards. It was even better. So it's like Kamala Harris is almost family. She's the best. She really is.
- [38:42]
Andy Beshear
So a lot of folks your age run away from politics. What convinced you to run right towards it?
- [38:48]
Noah de Barasso
Yeah, right toward it. So I always say that now is the best time to get involved. Not after you can vote, not when it's too late to vote, not when you're not able to vote because they did shenanigans with your voter registration. Now is the perfect time to get involved in learning because you are the person that's going to be affected. It's not going to be the people voting. It's definitely not going to be the people, people in office controlling the future. And so now is the time to get involved in anything. And honestly, Governor, I want to give props to the young people because if you look on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, they've been more politically engaged than ever out of outrage of what's on, going, going on right now. And I've been hearing that you got Aura. Governor, I want to hear more about a little bit.
- [39:26]
John Rabinowitz
A little bit.
- [39:27]
Andy Beshear
Now, since you brought that up, one thing I almost never ask creators is who are some of the other creators that you watch that you give credit to that are creating hopefully a way to spread correct information?
- [39:42]
Noah de Barasso
Yeah, well, one voice of misinformation I just want to start off with is to raw to Real on TikTok. Now, he has been a warrior for true information on social media since the beginning. In fact, he was the reason why I supported the Buying Harris ticket in the primary. His real information and the thing about these creators, well, hopefully most of them is that their information is googleable and that you can easily google anything that you want to know. Is it true that Biden did this and didn't do that? No, it's not. And so when these creators bring things to the the spotlight, it means the world to people that might be. Might have less political education or might be less politically engaged. And I think TikTok is the new way to get political information.
- [40:23]
Andy Beshear
So you catapulted to stardom for a number of reasons. But one was a line that you said, which is your source is trust
- [40:33]
John McConnell
me, bro, that's in your state. You want to know more in your state, they just found 250. 250, 57,000 votes. This happened last week. A judge ruled in Georgia that are missing from the 2020 election. This just came out. You're behind you. Shouldn't you.
- [40:48]
Noah de Barasso
So your source is. Trust me, bro, that's your source.
- [40:51]
John McConnell
No, the source. It's in your papers in Georgia. You need to read your news.
- [40:55]
Noah de Barasso
You haven't given me any last name.
- [40:57]
John McConnell
No. This is your Georgia news.
- [41:02]
Andy Beshear
Walk our listeners through how you ended up in a debate with the. The my pillow guy.
- [41:08]
Noah de Barasso
Well, you know, governor, life be life and you know, things happen. And so like you said, you never, you never run from a fight, run toward it. And so when hearing like nonsense come out of someone that is supposed to be credible and that's supposed to be a surrogate for a leading presidential campaign, you'd expect them to have their talking points on deck. But it appears that was not the case with our, with our bankrupted friend. And to that I will say his sources still trust me, bro, unfortunately.
- [41:39]
Andy Beshear
But what I love about that though is, is it cuts right into what is often in politics, a lot of sanitized phrases, sometimes some word salads and just gets directly to the truth or the lack thereof is, is that one of the reasons you think you've amassed the following.
- [42:01]
Noah de Barasso
I really think we need to speak more unfiltered like you said. Governor, let me tell you something. I was at your Now, I was supposed to go to the VIP reception, but I was late. But I was at the Jakarta Lewis Freedom Dinner where you spoke about speaking to people. Not at people. It's speaking not with your finger, waving your finger like that. And I think that's also how we ought to speak to our young people. And so in general, we do need to start speaking more plainly. That's what I try to do on the podcast now. You know, speak with people and have a conversation with the guests. They're not talking to me, and I'm talking to them. It's a real home conversation.
- [42:34]
Andy Beshear
How much better off do you think we'd be if folks in elected office or running for elected office actually listened to our young people instead of just thinking they knew what was right?
- [42:44]
Noah de Barasso
Well, Governor, you have young children, and so you kind of understand the urgency of what we need right now. And part of that is kind of understanding that young people are really stressed out about what's going on with the traffic administration. And we need a voice, a national voice. We're currently playing hide and seek for a national voice to speak truth to power. And right now, I think that is being carried by the people that are willing to speak unfiltered. And so hypothetically, right, one day that leaders woke up and started saying, hey, we're going to listen to our young people and not do things to the young people and actually have a conversation with the young people, which I think we're slowly starting to do now. They probably were in reelection like you did, and they would probably get to terms. They can do all they want in office while they're in office. They can stay the 15 years that they think they deserve.
- [43:27]
Andy Beshear
Tell us the top three issues or causes that you think people should be addressing to leave a better country and world for that next generation.
- [43:37]
Noah de Barasso
Yeah, I think we need to. Like you said, Governor, you always say don't throw people under the bus. I think we need to continue to protect people that are feeling left out. And particularly during this time in the Trump administration, we're seeing a lot of people are feeling thrown under the bus right now. And that is one message that you're saying that I really like. Another issue, aside from making sure people feel included, is that we're talking to everyday issues like the kitchen. Real kitchen table issues are more important than ever because people are really seeing the. Really seeing the effects of what's going on right Now. And number third, I really just say paying attention to what people are talking about. Like, when you get into office, make sure that you are accessible. Make sure that you are available. You're not there to add Hollywood. You're not there to be on television every day. You're there to do a job and you're there to talk to people while you're at it.
- [44:31]
John Rabinowitz
No John here.
- [44:33]
Noah de Barasso
Hey, John, got a question.
- [44:35]
John Rabinowitz
I think you're our first Gen Alpha guest. We've had to come on with us. So when you talk about straight talk and speaking directly to people, when you start to look at the followers you've started to amass and who've reached out to you, do you think that's the generation you're grabbing the most right now?
- [44:51]
Noah de Barasso
Well, yeah, I want to shout out the. And there's the broad coalition. I'm not a politician, but I do say a broad coalition of people. We have the black American aunties, the Jewish aunties, the young people. Everyone that is interested in hearing unfiltered real talk in politics is and is tired of the old school beating around the Bush. I had a woman at the Democratic National Convention tell me that she's just so tired of hearing politicians just talk. And that was during a speech at the Democratic National Convention where she wasn't really understanding what they were saying. So it's like older people, and not even just young people that are kind of tired of the politician talk. Let me be clear stuff.
- [45:33]
Andy Beshear
If you had a message to folks that feel burnt out or because of the constant barrage of news and stress, have kind of turned it off, what. What would your message to them be?
- [45:44]
Noah de Barasso
Yeah, there is work to do. That is a wonderful question. They need to know that there is work to do. It's not enough to just be stressed at home like we just had a runoff here in Georgia and elections in Georgia, if you're not, I really don't think that you're that concerned all about it. If you're not voting in these elections that are hyper political and hyper, you really have to be paying attention to even know that they're going on. And so I would just say, get out. Like, we cannot lose you to the couch. Especially in the November midterms, which I know Governor Beshear is going to be down here working hard for Mayor Bottoms to be the next governor. That's exactly right. And making sure we reelect John Ossoff and all the other governors in the country that are really doing the good work. Because one thing about public service that there's always going to be a Democratic governor paving the roads and making sure things are getting done.
- [46:28]
Andy Beshear
Since you brought it up, I want to get your take on Keisha Lance, bottom's point primary victory, because it's really impressive. I mean, she went up against some other top tier candidates and won big. I think won all but one county, which to me shows her strength going into the general.
- [46:46]
Noah de Barasso
Well, let me tell you this. I there are so many people across the state that were, that were supporting the other candidates. And one thing I love about Georgia Democrats that we're able to get behind a candidate. We're not like these, the other state party and some of the Republican state parties that are having trouble getting behind a guy because they, they didn't agree with him in the primary, especially with the president. We have now everyone just listen to what he likes. And so down here in Georgia, we know what time it is and that we have to all get behind Keisha Lance Bottoms. And so her primary victory was pretty huge. And now we're going to get her some similar in November.
- [47:18]
Andy Beshear
And a shout out to Georgia for being the only Southern state with two Democratic U.S. senators. North Carolina's gonna give us one too. Give us your prediction on the midterms.
- [47:29]
Noah de Barasso
Ooh, I love that question, Governor. I really do. Let me say, I know that Roy Cooper is going to be the next United States senator in North Carolina. I know we're going to elect Keisha Lance Bottoms to be the next governor of Georgia. I know that Jon Ossoff is going to win reelection. I know we're going to get all of these Democratic governors because I don't understand how people can see a Democratic governor and then see a Republican governor and say, I want this so we can't vote honestly with partisan lines. I really do hope to see people in red states electing Democratic governors because there are beautiful states like Tennessee that have so much potential, but they have Republican governors that are ruining everything. So if these wonderful states can get, can get off the couch and elect Democrats up and down the ballot, that'd be some really good things. So that's my prediction, is that we're going to see a lot of lot more Democratic governors.
- [48:16]
Andy Beshear
I got to go back to how you started. How did you determine your favorite governor?
- [48:24]
Noah de Barasso
So let me walk you through this. My favorite governor has to actually be doing work in his state. My favorite governor has to know how to speak with people and not at people. My favorite governor has to be the guy that protected marginalized communities during his time as governor. And now he's supporting what would be his. His successor up in Kentucky. And I think that my favorite governor in the country is Andy Beshear because of the work he's done in his own state. And now he's bringing it across the country, helping candidates up and down the ballot and doing this wonderful podcast that I think is so necessary at this time to talk to people and have wonderful conversations. So I hope. I hope you heard what you wanted to hear, John.
- [49:06]
Andy Beshear
I mean, a wonderful podcast podcast episode ever, ever, ever.
- [49:10]
John Rabinowitz
Was it peak? Yeah.
- [49:13]
Andy Beshear
Peak Cinema?
- [49:14]
John Rabinowitz
Peak Cinema right here. Peak Cinema.
- [49:16]
Noah de Barasso
How do you know about that?
- [49:18]
Andy Beshear
We just learned it because we do learn Gen Z Lingo. So right before you came on.
- [49:22]
John Rabinowitz
Yep.
- [49:23]
Andy Beshear
We learned Peak Cinema.
- [49:25]
John Rabinowitz
Here we are.
- [49:27]
Noah de Barasso
So this has to be some of the best podcast prep I've ever seen in my life.
- [49:32]
Andy Beshear
You know, we've got to be ready for the one term that when you hear it from us, you're just so taken aback because you're like, there's no way they can know that.
- [49:40]
John Rabinowitz
There's no way these guys know it.
- [49:42]
Andy Beshear
I'd like to think it's because we're listening, like we talked about in the beginning.
- [49:44]
John Rabinowitz
That's it. That's it.
- [49:45]
Podcast Co-host
But.
- [49:46]
Andy Beshear
But mainly the. The Gen Z Lingo part makes fun of us. So you're.
- [49:51]
Noah de Barasso
You're talking to. You're talking with people, not to people. That's right.
- [49:54]
Andy Beshear
So what, what, what would you like to see more from especially Democratic candidates for. For office? You've got a pulse, especially on what the next group of voters are going to vote for. So if you were given some. Somebody advice, not just for the midterms, but for the next six to 10 years, what would it be?
- [50:14]
Noah de Barasso
Yeah, and this time we're gonna. We're really gonna have to get out of our comfort zone. Like, we're used to just telling people we need to save democracy, or if you don't do this, this person's gonna do that. But we're seeing a time where data centers are making people's water brown, where people cannot cook in their kitchen that they have been cooking in since they were children. We're seeing people being forced out of their homes because data centers are running them away, and they're not paying them, paying anything of that. So what I would say is that we have to stop being lazy. I think the most lazy thing you can do on the campaign trail is just speak to issues that you know is like, how are you going to deliver on saving democracy? How do you prove that you saved Democracy. So if we're running on actual policy and not taglines, and I also think too many people think gen gen Alpha and Gen Z satisfied with, let's say a senator plays a video game. They're not going to be satisfied at that, you know, because they're going to remember the time that you voted to ban social media or voted to limit the future of children on social media. So when, when I see young, when I see senators and people that are running for office and that are trying to be, that are trying to get on the TikTok for you page, I say, hey, let me look at your record on what you've done for social media. Because if you don't tell them, I will.
- [51:25]
Andy Beshear
When you're not creating content, what do you like to do?
- [51:29]
Noah de Barasso
Okay, so look, that story that you told at the beginning, I still like Roblox and I still like creatively playing the game and staying safe while doing so. Another thing I like to do, I love to go outside. I did a breakfast club interview the other day, and I think a misconception of that, that was saying be on the phone creating content, researching all day, and instead of going outside. That was one misconception I want to clear up. I did not say don't go outside. I say going outside is not contradictory to being on the phone. You still need to take a shower until you go outside.
- [52:01]
Andy Beshear
It is helpful to take showers.
- [52:02]
John Rabinowitz
It is, yeah. So.
- [52:04]
Andy Beshear
So we ask all of our guests what their secret superpower is, something that you're really good about, good at, that your audience might not know.
- [52:13]
Noah de Barasso
So they know I can debate, they know I can do a little argument. But one thing they didn't know is that I believe that I can. I'm a true believer that I can convince. And I think debating and convincing is very different because when you can convince, when you're debating, sometimes you're debating to be argumentative or debating because you might not like the person or debating because there's really something wrong going on. But I think when you are, I think when you're convincing, you're doing it for a really good reason. Always. And so that might be a selfish reason or it might be a really good reason. And so I think usually it comes from a good place when you're convincing. So I think I can convince people pretty well. Like when I say, hey, you shouldn't vote for this person, you should vote for that person. I'm not guilt tripping, I'm just literally telling them why. So I think convincing is one tell
- [52:57]
Andy Beshear
our Listeners how to follow you, all the different platforms that they can jump on and hear your takes.
- [53:03]
Noah de Barasso
Absolutely. You can get on Twitter, Instagram, which I'm sure you're gonna see this on TikTok, oadebarosso everywhere. Do not. Another thing I want to say so progressives and Democrats across the countries don't delete your social media platforms on these apps because we need your voice. I noticed a lot of people. In fact, I think I lost like 30,000 people the day after the election because people were deactivating. So I want to say stay on social media because we need your voice, especially with this midterm coming up.
- [53:30]
Andy Beshear
Tell us about a post or content that you thought was going to kill, maybe to cook. Right. I'm getting all the words then. And it just bombed.
- [53:43]
Ambassador Susan Rice
Yeah.
- [53:43]
Noah de Barasso
So that is a excellent question, Governor. And I think doing interviews kind of gets me out of my comfort zone a little bit. Is what I will say is I often do not post and I move mysterious, which some will say is called moving, like playboi cardi, when I do not post because I'm scared of the results. Like, if you look at my social media, I don't keep things up that don't perform well. So oftentimes, hopefully during this year, during the midterms, I will get out of that comfort zone of only posting things that perform well. And I think a lot of social media users can agree that you delete things when they don't perform well. That is one policy I've always abided by.
- [54:18]
Andy Beshear
Okay, then, on the opposite side, what's one post that you thought, eh, maybe, maybe it'll work, and then just blew up?
- [54:26]
Noah de Barasso
Yeah. So this Scripps News interview I did promoting my candidate of choice for the Democratic National Candidates Convention, I just posted an interview clip like I always did, and it went crazy. Like, it was all over. Across entertainment lines, politics lines. I was like, why is this entertainment page talking about the Democratic National Committee chair race? And I think now more than ever, we are unified as a Democratic party and ready to pick the city of choice for the Democratic National Convention, which Andy Beshear told me he wanted to be. Atlanta.
- [54:54]
Andy Beshear
Andy Beshear, Am I lying if I'm your favorite governor? I want it to be during this episode where you want it to be.
- [55:03]
Noah de Barasso
Look, I love discovering countries, but Atlanta being the cradle of the civil rights movement and really having some good candidates to elect up and down the ballot, I think me and Andy Beshear have made our endorsement for where we want to be. And that is Atlanta, Georgia.
- [55:18]
Andy Beshear
I do think that the idea that it is a state that we have to win, and we have to win it in 26. What I keep telling folks is, yes, we've got to win the House, we've got to make a run at the Senate, but The map in 28 is decided by governor's races in 26. If you look at Arizona, Katie Hobbs is running against an election denier. Right. Biggs wins there. Arizona is off the map.
- [55:44]
Noah de Barasso
It's going to be bad. Like, we were very serious and vigilant about how not to elect Kerry Lake in 2022, and that felt like just yesterday. But now we have work to do against another crazy person. There might be some debates along the way we might have to conduct, but that's okay. That's what we're gonna do to reelect Katie Hobbs. And with you as the chair of Democratic governors, we're gonna get that done.
- [56:04]
Andy Beshear
Yes, we are. We probably won't win all 36, but we're gonna win a lot of them.
- [56:08]
Noah de Barasso
I don't imagine we will. We'll figure it out.
- [56:11]
Andy Beshear
Noah, thanks for being on the podcast. We look forward to having you back.
- [56:15]
Noah de Barasso
Absolutely, Governor. And I want to ask you one thing.
- [56:18]
Andy Beshear
Okay, Shoot.
- [56:20]
Noah de Barasso
Could you come on my podcast?
- [56:22]
Andy Beshear
Oh, I'm in.
- [56:24]
Noah de Barasso
I appreciate it.
- [56:25]
Andy Beshear
That may be the easiest question I've ever been asked on the Andy Beshear podcast. No, I think it's important. Right. My goal is to be the best governor in Kentucky for everyone and hopefully leading in the country for that. And your content reaches people across so many different demographics, but it also directly reaches an audience that not many people do. And it's so important has that critical information, especially directly from people. So I look forward to it.
- [56:56]
Noah de Barasso
I appreciate it, Governor. This is a wonderful conversation. And shout out to John.
- [56:59]
John Rabinowitz
Hey, thank you. I appreciate that.
- [57:01]
John McConnell
All right.
- [57:02]
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- [58:06]
Andy Beshear
You're listening to the Eddie Beshear Podcast. Now my conversation with the Johns. When John Rabinowitz, lawyer, small business owner, and John McConnell, also a small business owner, and I break down the news of the week. We do this almost every week and gentlemen, we're starting to talk about the same topics every week because it seems that we're not getting any real improvement or advancement on a number of things occurring in this administration.
- [58:34]
John Rabinowitz
It would be nice if we could turn the page on a few of these things, but I mean, I mean just stays where it's at.
- [58:40]
Podcast Co-host
Well, listen, I ran again to kick it off for the probably fourth or fifth straight week. We now have a plan for a plan.
- [58:48]
Andy Beshear
It's like how we used to talk about tariffs. It's ground, it's very simple. So every episode that we, we, we shoot, we, we believe we're going to be talking about some new step. But what's happened is the ceasefire has been broken. Except they claim the ceasefire has not been broken. And this is most recently on this claimed 14.2 page deal that they claim is ending the war. They'll really only open 60 days for negotiation. It's supposed to cease the hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, which it has not.
- [59:22]
Podcast Co-host
Which, by the way, that's what we talked about last week. We said the elephant in the room
- [59:27]
Andy Beshear
is what Israel and already Iran is saying they're closing the Strait of Hormuz because of that. So I'm not sure we've had it open for an hour or a day, but here's where I am. And Ambassador Susan Rice, who helped negotiate a real Iran deal in 2015, went through some of this. We have a president who started this off saying he wanted regime change. Did not happen. He then said he had to take out all the ballistic missiles. Did not happen. Then said was going to get all of the nuclear material out of Iran and did not happen. Then said is going to have to eliminate all of the drone and navy. Did not happen. So here we are, not having achieved any of the goals that he threw out, seemingly, I hope close to the end of this, but with a stronger Iran and maybe in the international stage, a weaker United States, that is a total blunder foreign policy.
- [60:29]
John Rabinowitz
And when you add on to that, I mean, Susan also mentioned in there that the billions of dollars that we are going to unfreeze for Iran, and on top of that, for the next 60 days, which has not happened in a long time, the treasury is going to allow them to sell oil in dollars. So they are going to be able to bring American dollars directly in instead of having to funnel at different places.
- [60:52]
Podcast Co-host
So it is pretty interesting. I mean, Iran definitely gets some huge wins out of the proposed resolution. I do think it's also really interesting that now it appears Trump has to find a way out because the midterms around the corner and prices aren't going down. So the solution is we have to get out. Again, we've said this. I think we're all aligned. We can't have a nuclear Iran. Like, they cannot have access or the ability to purchase.
- [61:20]
Andy Beshear
But they are in the same spot with that that they were before and probably in a worse spot than when Trump tore up the 2015 agreement in 2018. And now.
- [61:31]
Podcast Co-host
Well, now it's actually kind of worse. Because of the strait.
- [61:34]
Andy Beshear
Yes.
- [61:34]
Podcast Co-host
Like, are we going to toll the strait now?
- [61:37]
Andy Beshear
Because that agreement seems to indicate that in the future Iran will do that again, a stronger Iran than we had before. And remember, just the idiocy of all of this is if you go back to when we bombed Iran but didn't go forward with everything we've seen since, they said that we had destroyed all of their nuclear capabilities. And apparently the exact opposite became what they used to try to justify this war.
- [62:11]
Podcast Co-host
So you fast forward to today, which is Monday the 21st or 2nd. 22nd. 22nd. Two days before my birthday. And I'm the same age as you. That's really disturbing to me.
- [62:23]
Andy Beshear
But then share your wisdom.
- [62:25]
Podcast Co-host
I know, I know. I'm gonna try. But Vance was over in Switzerland. Right. We had more negotiations to. To resolve this. And what came out of this? It appears that the UN Is now allowed to go into Iran to inspect, but we don't know really what the terms of that are.
- [62:42]
Andy Beshear
And of course, there were inspectors before. I mean, it seems like Vance is trying to negotiate his way back to the status quo in 2015 through 2017 or even before this happened. But I do want to pause for a second and say JD Vance has absolutely zero experience negotiating deals like this or anything other than maybe a book deal. I mean, this was not his gonna have.
- [63:13]
Podcast Co-host
If you hear what Trump has said many times, he's gonna have to own this.
- [63:18]
Andy Beshear
Go ahead, tell our listeners what Trump is saying about Vance in this negotiation.
- [63:21]
Podcast Co-host
I mean it sounds like if it's successful, he'll take the win.
- [63:25]
Andy Beshear
Trump will.
- [63:26]
John Rabinowitz
Trump will.
- [63:26]
Podcast Co-host
That's correct. And if it's not, if it's not, it's on Vance.
- [63:29]
Andy Beshear
He's gonna blame J.D. vance and he's, he's saying it like it's a joke. It is not with Donald Trump. You know that that is, is going to happen. And this just follows up and Ambassador Rice talked about this, talked about how they had people who dedicated their whole lives to knowing everything about a country, how they negotiate that had been through all this training. And Donald Trump sent two real estate developers to try to do this against people in Iran that basically have been raised since birth to engage in these negotiations.
- [63:59]
John Rabinowitz
And I think we're seeing the results of that right now. Well, and when you look at the neighbors of Iran that are some of our allies and Trump says he's not worried about the missiles anymore, they're nothing big enough that's going to blow up the world. Think about those countries around Iran now that are saying, okay, well I guess missiles hitting us is not the worst thing that's ever going to happen.
- [64:18]
Podcast Co-host
Why do you guys think Rubio wouldn't be the one that owns this? It's weird because he's kind of, it's a little quiet on everything now.
- [64:27]
Andy Beshear
He's supposed to be the Secretary of State but it's more like he is the secretary of state of the Western hemisphere and that Vance is given the jobs in the other part of the
- [64:37]
John Rabinowitz
world or
- [64:40]
Andy Beshear
the real estate developers or his son in law sent over to negotiate these deals. But speaking of ants just put out a book and is now doing something in between a reinvention and I guess this would be like his 40th reinvention. Maybe he's going to change his name again. And almost an apology tour where he talks about a sometimes lack of humanity by the Trump administration, but then gets up the next day in the White House and says the exact opposite. Is it just totally fake?
- [65:11]
Podcast Co-host
Listen, I gotta admit I was shocked to see him on the View. I know you went on there so you could talk to us a little bit about that experience. I think a much friendlier. He was not in that bubble of friends. So that was pretty, I have to, you know that's pretty impressive that he went on there to field questions. I'm sure it's for PR reasons.
- [65:27]
Andy Beshear
He went on to sell books.
- [65:29]
Podcast Co-host
Right. But the. I will say I'm all about people finding their faith, coming into Catholicism, showing grace. I think that's all important things to promote. But.
- [65:39]
Andy Beshear
But what I'd say again, promoting a book which is Go and do likewise, coming out in September, wherever you pre order your books is mine is about using your faith to help people and not hurt people, and certainly not to judge people. All right. The idea that my Christian faith tells me that you're to love your neighbor as yourself. And there are no exceptions, no asterisks, no comma, unless. But what we see in JD Vance is a constant judgment, putting other people down, being superior, which is exactly what I think got Jesus so mad he flipped over the tables in the temple.
- [66:13]
Podcast Co-host
Do you think. I know we were saying it's to promote the book, but do you. I mean, it also has to be to start becoming more likable, to try to get some votes in the midterm. So he's got to get. And maybe even the presidential election. 28.
- [66:27]
Andy Beshear
That's a good, at least discussion point in that if he's trying to create space and be kind of the kinder, gentler. Is Trump going to allow that?
- [66:37]
John Rabinowitz
Well, I think the view called him out of it when they said, are you the vice president? Are you Trump's interpreter?
- [66:42]
Anna
So President Trump has called affordability a hoax. He said that, not me. He's pouring money into this ballroom of his and the Reflecting pool. Oh, don't forget the Arch de Trumpet, I call it. And a White House cage. A White House cage. Match all these things. Why is he doing them when you just. Everybody knows that Americans are struggling. What is he spending all this money for?
- [67:07]
Cabinet Secretary
Well, I got to defend the president on the hoax point. What the president said is the idea that Republicans could caused the affordability problem is a hoax. And I think that's true. If you go back to the Biden administration, inflation got up to 9% under the Biden administration.
- [67:22]
Andy Beshear
Okay.
- [67:23]
Cabinet Secretary
Right now is at 3.5%, by the way, too high. We're doing everything that we can to bring it back down to two and a half percent, which is where most people would like to see it. But we inherited an affordability problem. We're doing a lot to make it better. It's going to take a little bit of time. There's a lot more work to do. But the president knows that a lot of Americans are struggling. In fact, he, he ran on that, he talked about it, and we've done some things and made some good progress on that point.
- [67:45]
Anna
Just said he loves the inflation.
- [67:48]
Cabinet Secretary
What he said, Anna, what he said is that he loves the fact that the inflation is going to come down when this war is over. That's. That's what he said.
- [67:56]
Anna
That wasn't a direct. Are you his interpreter or are you his vice president?
- [68:02]
John Rabinowitz
Which one are you sitting here in front of us?
- [68:04]
Andy Beshear
Well, and that's got to be tough being one of his cabinet secretaries for so many reasons. But how many times have they come out and tried to rationalize an irrational decision that Trump has made and then he just runs over them with a metaphorical truck saying, no, no, that's not at all. I meant what I said.
- [68:21]
John Rabinowitz
Yep.
- [68:22]
Podcast Co-host
I haven't. Has he respond. I have not seen a response to. From Trump to the, to the Vance interview.
- [68:27]
Andy Beshear
To the View.
- [68:28]
Podcast Co-host
The View. But I don't know if you guys have heard or seen anything.
- [68:30]
Andy Beshear
We know he watches a lot of tv. Let's go to another unmitigated disaster since we've talked about Iran and J.D. vance. The reflecting pool renovations. The reflecting pool is now green. And apparently Donald Trump believes that vandals have caused the algae.
- [68:48]
John Rabinowitz
It's got to be somebody else.
- [68:49]
Podcast Co-host
I mean, as somebody who grew up in Florida where you didn't have to close a pool and then reopen it, like I have some sympathy as now a pool owner every time we have to reopen this pool. I didn't know it was actually there's a term called what New Pond syndrome. Like I didn't know that was what I see when I opened it up. And it's green.
- [69:10]
Andy Beshear
It's not Gen Z lingo, but we're learning a new phrase, New Pond syndrome.
- [69:13]
Podcast Co-host
I also didn't know that I could like hire somebody to put nano bubbles in my pool to clean up. Yes. This is apparently something that's going on that's going to save the reflecting reflecting
- [69:24]
Andy Beshear
pool Lingo by John Rabinowitz.
- [69:26]
Podcast Co-host
Listen, I have some real sympathy because I spend weeks at times trying to turn my green pool blue.
- [69:32]
Andy Beshear
Yeah. But remember, it wasn't green before he decided he was going to do renovations and then they rushed it out in a no bid contract. And look at what's happened.
- [69:41]
Podcast Co-host
I think it was blue for like a day.
- [69:44]
John Rabinowitz
Right. For a day or two.
- [69:45]
Podcast Co-host
Trying to bring it back.
- [69:46]
John Rabinowitz
The algae had to take hold.
- [69:48]
Podcast Co-host
I will say this. Has anybody seen one of the company owners, the picture of the company owner? Because if not, you've got to put that picture up. It. It kind of reminded me if you Guys like, watched wrestling back in the day. The undertaker's Paul Bearer guy, he looked just like.
- [70:03]
Andy Beshear
So not surprising that it turned green.
- [70:06]
Podcast Co-host
Listen, that does not look like a guy that I would ask to do my pool.
- [70:09]
Andy Beshear
All right, so from things, from, from things tearing the country apart to things bringing them together, let's talk about the World Cup.
- [70:17]
John Rabinowitz
Oh, the World cup, obviously. My sports, soccer, watching the US with the opportunity this week to have their first 30 run in the group round and they're already through.
- [70:27]
Podcast Co-host
So listen, my daughter's over in Scotland for the summer and she said the vibe over there is awesome that the. The whole country's come together, that, that they stay up. Their game started one, the first game started at two in the morning. I told her she can go to that. She told me she didn't. I'm sure she did. Then the other one starts at 11. But it really is amazing how all these countries are coming in and really getting to see how great our country is.
- [70:54]
Andy Beshear
Yeah, it has, I mean, really unified, I think, at least in these moments. The United States behind our team. I'm also watching all the other games. It's really fun to watch some of these countries that wouldn't have made it but for the expansion of the World cup compete and maybe even advance.
- [71:13]
Podcast Co-host
I saw some interviews with fans from different countries that all only had the Trump perception of America like that this is how everybody was going to act and treat foreigners and being here. Yeah, they see, they now see, they're like, this is the greatest place in the world.
- [71:28]
Andy Beshear
We are more than just our president and that's good for the world to see. Now I got to give one special shout out to Seattle. If you watched the pregame of that game, that city was just off the hook in support of. Of the USA team.
- [71:46]
Podcast Co-host
It really is amazing. All across the Canada, US Mexico looks. It's just amazing.
- [71:52]
Andy Beshear
All right, go Team usa. Thanks for joining us for another episode of the Andy Beshear Podcast. Having Ambassador Susan Rice on this week was incredible to hear firsthand from the person who advised the President of the United States on how to do foreign policy right, as opposed to what we see right now, which is how to do foreign policy entirely wrong. Remember, you can download the Andy Beshear Podcast wherever you get your podcasts or tune in to listen to us on Sirius XM radio on the progress channel at 11am on Saturday mornings. Finally, head on over to our YouTube channel at Andy Beshear Podcast. Make sure you subscribe and then leave comments because as you remember last week. We read a whole bunch of them. We'll see you next time.
- [72:45]
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