Roy Cooper, Carlos Espina and Doing Things Different

Summary

Andy Beshear Podcast — “Roy Cooper, Carlos Espina and Doing Things Different”

Release Date: May 7, 2026
Host: Andy Beshear
Guests: Roy Cooper (Governor of North Carolina, U.S. Senate Candidate), Carlos Eduardo Espina (Content Creator, Advocate)

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Episode Overview

This episode brings together two major voices from very different corners of the Democratic sphere: Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina and candidate for U.S. Senate; and Carlos Eduardo Espina, a 27-year-old Houston-based Spanish-language content creator with a massive following in the U.S. Latino community. The conversations go beyond politics—touching on bipartisan governance, the human side of public service, immigrant identity, the impact of digital platforms, and hopes for a more inclusive America.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Roy Cooper: Governing in a Divided State and the Fight for the Senate

Timestamp: 03:43 – 29:10

Roy Cooper’s Approach to Bipartisanship and Effective Governance

• Working Across the Aisle
  • Cooper shares strategies for making government “work for the people”—focusing on consensus, compromise, and empathy.
  • On governing with opposition: “When you're in the situations that we've been in, you don't have a choice but to be either bipartisan or nonpartisan.” — Andy Beshear [03:53]
  • Major successes achieved (e.g., Medicaid expansion) only happened by listening to Republican constituents and finding practical points of agreement.
• Medicaid Expansion in North Carolina
  • Tells the story of securing Medicaid coverage for 700,000+ residents after years of Republican resistance.
  • "We finally got a Republican legislature and a strong bipartisan vote to vote for Medicaid expansion... I'll never forget handing Penny the very first Medicaid card. There were tears in her eyes and admittedly tears in mine." — Roy Cooper [06:37]

Confronting Federal Attacks on Health Care

• Cooper vows to protect and expand access if elected Senator, citing harmful cuts linked to the Trump administration and the need for bipartisan answers:
  • “They’ve made significant cuts to Medicaid that won't take effect until after the election...I want to restore these cuts and provide the subsidies back to people.” — Roy Cooper [08:18]
  • Urges consensus-building and a pragmatic approach to health care reform.

Economic Pressures & National Policy

• Discusses the real-world impact of rising costs (healthcare, groceries, gas), blamed in part on Trump’s war with Iran and tariff policies.
  • “This war has already cost $25 billion, and estimates are that it's about a billion a day. Think what we could do with health care in this country with that kind of money.” — Roy Cooper [12:10]
• Frustration with the legislative branch ceding power to the executive, promises to restore constitutional checks and balances if Democrats regain the Senate. [21:26]

Personal Motivation & Humanity in Politics

• Roy Cooper shares the personal “why” behind his public service, including stories of wiping out medical debt and being inspired by his parents’ values.
  • “I'd sit in church on Sundays...to whom much is given, much is required. I thought about all I'd been given in my life. My mom and dad...that was a real gift for me.” — Roy Cooper [17:30]
• Emphasizes the need for elected officials who listen and translate power into tangible improvements for everyday people.

Voting Rights and Redistricting

• Expresses deep concern following the Supreme Court’s latest blow to the Voting Rights Act, warning of a “new normal” of partisan gerrymandering. [25:49]
  • “It’s sad that this was...the third installment on the almost complete decimation of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.” — Roy Cooper [26:16]

Call to Action

• Urges listeners nationwide to support his pivotal Senate campaign, citing the closeness of the race and its national stakes.
  • “If we don't win North Carolina, we can't take back the majority. This is likely to be the most expensive U.S. Senate race in history.” — Roy Cooper [27:19]

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2. Carlos Eduardo Espina: Influence, Authenticity, and Latino Voices

Timestamp: 29:25 – 45:36

Origins & Purpose of Espina’s Platform

• Carlos’s journey: From grassroots activism (writing letters, supporting immigrants during COVID) to building a digital following of 20+ million, primarily Spanish-language and rooted in the U.S. immigrant experience.
  • “What I was realizing: you had Spanish speaking content creators in Mexico or Central America...or in the U.S., but no one speaking to the 66 million Spanish speakers here.” — Carlos Espina [31:50]
• Shares the anecdote of his rapid rise—100K followers in a month, nearly a million by year’s end.

Community, Recognition, & Representation

• His audience? The “backbone” of so many industries: restaurant, hotel, and service staff—people often overlooked.
  • “I go to a sporting event, it’s the people cleaning the stadium after. Those are the kind of people who follow me and trust me.” — Carlos Espina [32:49]
• He connects cultural shifts (World Cup, Derby) with immigrant labor—celebrating their vital, but underappreciated, roles.

Bridging Divides and Complexities in Political Identity

• Espina notes that while much of his audience isn’t overtly political, they appreciate helpful, practical content—but everyone is touched by the same issues, regardless of party.
  • “A lot of people come up to me, take a picture, and say, ‘I love what you do, but I'm voting for Trump.’ Politics is not always black and white. It's complex.” — Carlos Espina [37:27]
• Stresses the danger Democrats face in growing insulated and drawing the wrong conclusions from victories.

Future of Civic Engagement & Latinos in America

• Warns against complacency if Democrats win big, highlighting the “punishment vote” dynamic (el voto castigo).
  • “If [Democrats] promise too much and deliver too little, we'll be in the same position in 2028.” — Carlos Espina [41:11]
• Calls for a renewed focus on delivering real results and listening to community needs, rather than just talking at them.
  • “Talking at people instead of talking to them. And listening.” — Andy Beshear & Carlos Espina [42:50–42:54]

Philanthropy, Responsibility, and Using Influence for Good

• Shares about ongoing community support initiatives: paying people’s rent, youth programs, and his intent to keep leveraging his platform for direct impact.
  • “What good is being popular if you don’t make a difference?” — Carlos Espina [44:00]
• Plans for bilingual content to further broaden reach.

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3. Andy & The Johns: Panel on News, Economics, and Pop Culture

Timestamp: 46:34 – 61:06

Supreme Court & Voting Rights

• Panel breaks down the far-reaching implications of the Court's decision, predicting a “wild wild west” era in redistricting and erosion of minority representation.
  • “Welcome to the wild wild west...requirements for certain districts that would be a majority minority...is no more.” — Andy Beshear [47:32]

Economic Anxiety & Blame for Inflation

• Spirited discussion on the pain of rising gas and grocery prices, tracing most of the spikes to “Trump’s war with Iran” and poor anticipation from the administration.
  • “It’s tough...we just had the best first quarter for economic development...but the way gas is going up is making everything more expensive.” — Andy Beshear [50:34]
• Skepticism around government communication about ceasefires and the real state of the global conflict.

Kentucky Derby & Local Highlights

• Recaps the Derby’s historic moments, like the first female trainer to win in 152 years and a brother-versus-brother jockey finish.
  • “First female trainer to ever win the Derby. It only took 152 years…Now I’ll never have to answer that question again.” — Andy Beshear [57:26]
• Lighthearted advice on Mother's Day gifts (hint: Andy Beshear Podcast swag and his new book).

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Memorable Quotes & Reflections

• On Bipartisanship:

  • “Compromise and consensus cannot be dirty words when you want to get things done. We need to put some of that in Washington, D.C...bring a little North Carolina common sense.” — Roy Cooper [07:25]

• On the Power of Digital Community:

  • “Each of those views is a real person with a real story.” — Carlos Espina [34:21]

• On the Current Democratic Challenge:

  • “A party that's supposed to be about inclusion can’t turn into one of exclusion. We’ve all got to give a little give and take.” — Andy Beshear [41:29]

• On the Personal Cost of Public Service:

  • “I'd sit in church on Sundays...to whom much is given, much is required.” — Roy Cooper [17:30]

• On Using Influence with Purpose:

  • “What good is being popular if you don't make a difference?” — Carlos Espina [44:00]

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Notable Timestamps

• 03:43 — Start of Roy Cooper Interview
• 06:37 — Roy shares moving story of Medicaid expansion
• 11:21 — Discussion of economic hardship and gas prices
• 17:30 — Roy explains his personal “why”
• 25:49 — Supreme Court and Voting Rights Act discussion
• 27:19 — Cooper's final national pitch
• 29:25 — Introduction to Carlos Eduardo Espina
• 31:50 — Espina on building a Spanish-language US platform
• 34:21 — When it all became “real” for Espina
• 37:27 — Relating to politically mixed audiences
• 41:11 — Warnings about reading the wrong lessons from election victories
• 44:00 — Influence & responsibility as a creator
• 47:32 — Panel on end of Voting Rights protections
• 50:34 — Gas prices and their impact
• 57:26 — Kentucky Derby history; female trainer milestone
• 60:45 — Mother's Day sign-off

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Tone & Style

This episode is earnest, empathetic, and solutions-focused—striking a balance of political strategy, grassroots activism, and personal narrative. The tone is down-to-earth and optimistic with a dose of realism about political challenges and the lived experiences of diverse Americans. Roy Cooper is pragmatic and passionate, Carlos Espina brings authenticity and grassroots wisdom, while Andy Beshear keeps the conversation warm, personal, and accessible.

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Bottom Line

A “monster episode” that combines high-stakes political drama, the voice of millions of Latino Americans, and thoughtful analysis of tough national issues—with actionable reminders of empathy, consensus, and genuine public service.
Tune in for:

• Practical ideas to bridge political divides
• Powerful stories of impact, both legislative and grassroots
• A window into the real hopes and anxieties facing Americans today

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Transcript

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[Andy Beshear]

There are episodes that inform, there are episodes that inspire. And then there are huge episodes that do both at once. This is one of those episodes, maybe our biggest ever this week on the Andy Beshear Podcast, I sit down with two of the most important voices in the Democratic Party today. First, Roy Cooper, the two term Governor of North Carolina who is in possibly the biggest U.S. senate race in the country. When he wins this seat, it may be the difference between Democrats versus Republicans holding the majority of the US Senate and being able to push back against this President. Roy is a four term Attorney General who took on big banks, drug companies and predatory lenders and put billions of dollars back in the hands of everyday people. He is a pragmatic people. First Democrat who expanded Medicaid to more than 700,000 North Carolinas and helped make his state one of the fastest growing and most business friendly in the country. Governor Cooper joins me to talk about governing in a divided state, what Democrats need to do differently to win back voters, and what he will do in the US Senate once he wins. Then my friend Carlos eduardo Espina, a 27 year old Houston based content creator who has built one of the most powerful platforms in Democratic politics. He has over 22 million followers, all reached through content created almost entirely in Spanish. He's the son of immigrants from Uruguay and Mexico. Espina has an audience that he has spent years building with authenticity and purpose. Carlos joins me to talk about influence, identity and what Latino voters actually want from Democratic leaders. Two incredible guests, two friends of mine, one shared belief that Democrats can and must do better. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe to our YouTube channel @andy Beshear Podcast and tune in on Saturday mornings at 11am on the Sirius XM progress channel. Let's get to this monster episode. Roy Cooper was born and raised in Nash County, North Carolina. The son of a public school teacher. He spent his entire career in service to his state. He served four terms as attorney general before being elected governor in 2016 and re elected in 2020. Both years, Donald Trump carried North Carolina. As governor. He helped make North Carolina one of the fastest growing states in the country, secured a bipartisan Medicaid expansion that has already covered more than 650,000 people and was named the best state for business three of the last four years. He's widely regarded as one of the most effective Democratic governors of his era. I had to throw in one of and he's now running for the U.S. senate. Welcome to the podcast, Roy.

[Roy Cooper]

Andy, I'm so glad to be with you, my friend. Well, I, you are there ineffective Democratic governors, let me tell you. And we both know how to work with Republican legislatures, that's for sure.

[Andy Beshear]

Well, you know, when you're in the situations that we've been in, you don't have a choice but to be either by bipartisan or nonpartisan. So let's start there because I think the American people right now out of senators or governors, just want somebody effective that's going to make their life a little bit better and a little bit easier. So how do you work with the other side to get things done?

[Roy Cooper]

Well, people expect government to work and I think that's one of the big frustrations now is that people have gone to their red corner or their blue corner and they spend time yelling at each other. When you're governor, you know that you gotta make sure that your schools are working, that your highways and bridges are being built, that you're making sure air and water is clean and you gotta get things done. What I've often done is try to imagine myself in the other person's shoes when I have a conversation with them. I also try to find areas where we all agree and it's amazing how many things you agree on, even if you may be on polar opposites politically. I mean, we want our kids to get a good education, we want to have a good retirement, we want to make sure our air and water is clean. We want good paying jobs, we want good roads and bridges. All of those things that people expect to have we can agree on. But the problem is how you get there. And you've got to be willing to achieve consensus and compromise. I'll just give you a great example of Medicaid expansion you mentioned. Kentucky already has done it many, many years ago and it's made a real difference for you. We were one of those southern states that refused to do it and that's because our Republican legislature had said it's Obamacare, we're not doing it. And When I got elected governor, they knew that that was one of the things that I wanted to get done for my state, and so they opposed it. My first few years, we finally went around to their constituents and we, at the end of the day, we had tough on crime, Republican sheriffs from rural counties telling the state legislature that a lot of people in their jail needed health care and not handcuffs. And we had Republican county commissioners telling the legislature that they needed to keep their rural hospital doors open. And one way to do that is for patients to have insurance so that the hospital can get paid. And we finally got a Republican legislature and a strong bipartisan vote to vote for Medicaid expansion. And now, as you mentioned, almost 750,000 people now have health insurance. And I will never forget handing Penny the very first Medicaid card. And there were tears in her eyes and admittedly tears in mine. And I went around the room that day for people who were signing up, and I'm thinking, we're the richest country in the world. We ought to find a way for everybody to have quality, affordable health care. And we got things done because we made it a point to work together to and to find those areas of common interest that we had with law enforcement knowing that so many people that they dealt with had addiction and mental health issues, and Republican elected officials knowing that it was important for them have the health care in rural communities. Those are things we all agree on. And finally, we agreed on Medicaid expansion as a way to do that. So you got it. Compromise and consensus cannot be dirty words when you want to get things done. We need to put some of that in Washington, D.C. amen. That's what I want to do. Bring a little North Carolina common sense to Washington. Let's make things work again.

[Andy Beshear]

Let's stick with Medicaid expansion for a minute. Because you're right. I saw how transformational it was when my dad pushed it through. Now, that was through executive order. But then I, as governor during the pandemic, had those extra beds, had those rural hospitals. But that thing you pushed so hard to get through is now at risk because of the federal government that you're running to be a part of. Tell us how you'll fight for Medicaid expansion, how you'll fight for health care as the next US Senator from North Carolina.

[Roy Cooper]

It was hard to believe that you'd have a federal government in Washington that is trying to take health care away from people. But that's exactly what's happened. They've taken it away from people to create money to give tax breaks to the very wealthiest among us. And right now, we have already seen hundreds of thousands of people being hurt who had bought health insurance under the Affordable Care act marketplace. We've had a couple of hundred thousand just simply who could not afford it, and they've fallen off of the rolls and they've, they've had to go uninsured. We have hundreds of thousands of more people who have had to pay higher premiums for less coverage, and they're having to pay more out of pocket costs just because of what's happening in Washington. And on top of that, they have made significant cuts to Medicaid that won't take effect until after the election. And one of the reasons that the Republican incumbent who is in this seat right now, Thom Tillis, I'm running for the seat because he's announced he's not running again. But he stood up on the floor of the Senate and said, I can't vote for this one big, beautiful bill because I don't know what I'd tell the people of North Carolina. He knew we had just done Medicaid expansion. He knew that we had almost a million people who were getting care under the Affordable Care act, and that this bill hurt all of them and that it was going backward. So what I want to do when I get to Washington is at least temporarily, to restore these cuts and to provide the subsidies back to people and to restore the cuts to Medicaid and Medicare to protect what's already there. But then I think we really need to get down into health insurance and health care in this country and work to make it more cost effective, cut out the middleman, use technology to make it better, and really work to try to get more people covered with health insurance. It will make our economy better, and clearly it will improve the lives of people in this country. I think it's. Someone asked me the other day, what would you want to have happened when you leave the Senate if you get elected? And my response was just off the top of my head, I'd love for everybody to have affordable, quality health care. We've got to find some way to do that. And there are probably 25 ways that or more combinations of ways that we could do it. I want to try to find the consensus because it's going to have to be bipartisan for it to work. And we're going to have. We're going to need people on both sides of the aisle to step up to try and make sure that we get health insurance across my state of North Carolina and across this country.

[Andy Beshear]

So when struggling families right now are talking about the costs that are just killing them, it's health care. They talk about groceries. And they also, especially right now, are talking about the price of gas, which has skyrocketed after Donald Trump went to war with Iran. We're coming up on that deadline where he's supposed to go to Congress, and they're trying to create fake and false arguments why he wouldn't. If you were a part of that Congress, what questions would you be asking? What positions would you be taking?

[Roy Cooper]

Well, first, I know that from talking with Leon in rural North Carolina, who has a small sign business and a truck that takes diesel fuel, and he has to travel many miles to go from his place to place of business. He says it cost him 100 bucks to fill up his truck and that his profit margin has essentially vanished during this period of time since the war has started and the prices have gone through the roof. We know they're bad for gas. They're even worse for diesel. And in talking with people who are doing these long commutes in rural areas, some people are just not able to get to work now because stuff just cost too much. Clearly, the strategy going into this war was not planned. First, let me say I strongly support our troops and the men and women who risk their lives for our freedom. And we've got to make sure that we support them. But now we are in a position where we have no exit strategy. The war has already cost $25 billion, and estimates are that it's about a billion a day. And think what we could do with health care in this country with that kind of money. I'd be asking, what is next? How are we going to get ourselves out of this? Make sure our country is secure, but also focus on the people who are here. That was the promise of this administration, that they were going to work on the cost of living from day one. And now I'm talking to Stephanie, who's a schoolteacher in Wake county whose budget is being busted by grocery prices affected not only by this war, but also by the indiscriminate and chaotic tariffs that are being placed on people. I talked to Pender, who's a farmer in eastern North Carolina. He's seen his equipment costs and fertilizer go through the roof. He's seen trade agree agricultural trade agreements being destroyed. And my opponent, Michael Whatley, has been endorsed by this president and in fact, asked by this president to run. He's supporting all of these policies coming out of Washington that's hurting everyday North Carolinians. And he's going to do and say whatever this president tells him to do and say. And consequently he's going around talking about prices being down and we've defeated inflation. The people of North Carolina are not going to buy that. I mean, he's classic Washington D.C. insider who wants to help his buddies and not look after the North Carolinians he's supposed to look after. With me, you're going to get a strong independent senator who's going to put people before party, people before power, people before politics. And any of your listeners out there want to help us, you can go to roycooper.com you can help us financially. You can sign up to volunteer even if you live in another state. We really need your help because this Senate seat is so important for the future of our country.

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[Andy Beshear]

So we've been talking about the what about the different issues from Medicaid and the attacks on Medicaid and healthcare from this administration to the war in Iran. But know you but you just started to get into the why. The why it's so important. But I think one thing that people now want to know from people running for office is why they're willing to put up with it. Why are you willing to go through all the toxicity and you have given a lifetime of service. What's your why? Why did you get into it? Why do you continue to fight for the people in North Carolina?

[Roy Cooper]

So I got into government and politics to start with because I saw that I could make a real difference in people's lives and I could tell you story after story. When I was governor, we found an innovative way to eliminate medical debt for a lot of people. Hospitals had civil judgment. Some people, they really weren't collecting. And we were able to leverage some federal money and get all of our 99 hospitals to sign off on it. And we wiped away about $6.5 billion in medical debt for more than two and a half million people. And to have someone like Mary come up to me and say she had been paying $80 a month on her bill and it was really costing her, and she had a letter saying $54,000, that during the time that between insurance, between jobs, she didn't have coverage, she had a $54,000 civil judgment. It had been wiped away. Those are the kinds of things you say this is. This is why I am in it. But after I left the governor's office in January of last year, I really thought that I was done and that I was gonna do something else. And I thought about teaching and did. Actually did a little teaching. But then I continued to see probably two or three issues every day coming out of Washington, that each one of them reached a new level of chaos and horror that any one of which we could talk about for hours. And I would sit in church on Sundays, and I kept thinking about that verse from the Book of Luke, to whom much is given, much is required. And I thought about all I'd been given in my life. My mom and dad, my mom a public school teacher, even as governor. Andy. I'd have people come up to me and say, I want to pay you a compliment. I think it's about me. And they say, your mom was the best teacher I ever had. And I was grateful to have them and their guidance. They made me work hard on the farm every summer until I went to college. But that was a real gift for me. I got to practice law for 18 years in private practice and to meet a payroll. I got to serve in the state legislature for a while, where I was the Senate Democratic majority leader at a time our state house was Republican. So I had to, early in my career, learn about achieving consensus on important things like children's health insurance and early childhood education and teacher pay. That was a gift. I loved being attorney general and standing up and working with law enforcement. That was a real gift. And then for eight years, I got to get up every morning, leading the state that I love so very much. And I knew I had the best chance to win this Senate race, even though I looked up at all those committee chairs in the Senate and thought I might be a little young for this. But I still needed to step up during this time for my state and for my country. I told my kids that my parents had left me a better country and that we all had work to do in order to leave them a better country. And that's why I got back into this thing. And that's what I want to do. I want to continue to work to help people. I want to help to calm the chaos in Washington, get back the checks and balances. And right now, I'm on a make stuff, cost less tour all over North Carolina, and I'm listening to people about the challenges they are facing. Housing with high grocery prices, high rent, high child care, utilities going through the roof. They are struggling right now, and we're rolling out policy initiatives on things we want to try to tackle when we get to Washington. I want Washington to focus on those kinds of things instead of the power politics that's going in now, the look after your buddy insider stuff that's happening. It's time for all of that to change. My opponent would just continue down that road. I think people do want to change, and I'm ready to provide that change here in North Carolina.

[Andy Beshear]

I think people, if they're willing, recognize that Donald Trump's tariff policies and his war have caused this spike in prices, have made things tougher. What I'm not sure is that they think about is the fact that if we had a functional US Senate, if we had a Congress that would do its job, that a lot of this could have been prevented and how we could prevent pain from happening moving forward. Talk a little bit about that, about if Democrats win the Senate. I think they're definitely going to win the House. How different the country could be moving forward come January.

[Roy Cooper]

Well, the framers of our Constitution intended for. For checks and balances to work among the judicial, executive and legislative branches. Right now, the legislative branch of government, which is being led by Republican leaders in both the House and the Senate, are busily ceding constitutional authority to the executive. And when that's happened, what we've seen is everyday working families get hurt. What we've seen is prices going through the roof. What we've seen is a record high federal deficit. When all of that has happened, and I think it's important not just for Democrats to do it, but in the last two years of this president's term, I'm hoping some Republicans will come along with us and say, look, the legislative branch, for the good of the people, we need to take back our constitutional authority on trade and tariffs. We need to take back our constitutional authority on declaration of war. We need to take back our constitutional authority on budgetary matters. They've let this executive branch run wild with the budget, spending money in all kinds of places and making budget cuts that this Congress did not authorize. I think it's important for Democrats to work with Republicans to just at least systemically take back those constitutional powers and more. And I think electing someone like me who's had experience in the private sector, experience in the state legislature, experience as an executive in state government, both as attorney general and governor, who knows how things work on the ground, I think those kinds of people can be positive. And I think it's important for us to have people in Washington who will work to achieve consensus and who will work to stop this chaos. And that's what I plan to do when I get there.

[Andy Beshear]

We've talked about Roy Cooper, the governor. We're talking about Roy Cooper as the future U.S. senator. How about Roy Cooper, the human being? What do you like doing when you turn it all off when you go home and you just try to take a breath?

[Roy Cooper]

My family is the best, you know, and have met my wife, Kristen. I have three amazing daughters. We have rescue pets all over the place. And, you know, animals can be real friends, particularly in times of stress. And I'm always grateful to have them have a farm where I love to take long walks. I'm a big sports nut. So right now we're cheering for our Carolina Hurricanes. I don't know when your podcast is going to air, but right now we're in the second round of the Stanley cup playoffs, and I've been such a longtime fan and am excited about that. And I do podcasts and radio shows just about the current Hurricanes. We don't talk hardly any about politics. We talk about what's happening with the Hurricanes. Also, we love college basketball here in North Carolina, and I love to go to those games and taking these long walks is what I love to do. It's really important to try to disconnect. I'm not as good as that, as at that, as some people are, because it seems like I always bring it with me. But often in my quiet moments is when I get some of my best ideas about work and things that I that I want to do. So maybe it's good that I don't totally, totally ever turn it off as governor, as you well know, it's a 24, 7, you got to be ready all the time kind of job. But we're grateful for the help that we're getting from people across the country because they know that North Carolina holds the key. If we don't take North Carolina, we don't take back the Senate. And if you want to help us out, roycooper.com is a great place to go and see what we're doing and a great place to help us out.

[Andy Beshear]

Back to some of the current events. Just last week we got a terrible ruling, in my opinion, on the Voting Rights Act. Talk about that and redistricting. Is this our new normal, where we're going to do this every couple of years? And what's the ultimate solution where we can have better government, where people select their congressmen or women as opposed to those congressmen or women selecting their voters?

[Roy Cooper]

Well, it's sad that this was the third installment, this last decision this past week, the third installment on the almost complete decimation of the 1965 Voting Rights act, which has been so important for the people in our country. It was awful to see that. I was meeting with a number of older civil rights leaders the other day, and what impressed me was how determined that they continued to be, saying things like, we've seen obstacles like this before and we can overcome those obstacles. This makes it a lot harder. But I do have faith in people that we can bring this back.

[Andy Beshear]

As we're running out of time, give our listeners outside of North Carolina your final pitch about why they should donate to this race, why they should come and volunteer in North Carolina, why, why they should tell their friends about it.

[Roy Cooper]

This is the pivotal race. And also it's important to note that a Democrat has not won a U.S. senate race in North Carolina since 2008. And in almost 40 years, we've only had two Democratic U.S. senators. So even though we're a little bit ahead in the polls, at the end of the day, we have seen Democrats lose these Senate seats. And in fact, the current incumbent, Republican Thom Tillis, has won two elections in North Carolina and never, ever led in a public poll up to Election Day when he won on both election days. So this race is going to be very close. It's critical to taking back the Senate majority. It's almost universal. But people say that if we don't win North Carolina, we can't take back the majority. Politico has also predicted that this is likely to be the most expensive US Senate race in history. The Republican Senate Fund, the Senate Leadership Fund, has just announced they're going to drop 71 million on our heads trying to convince the people of North Carolina that I'm someone I'm not and that the lies will be sustained and numerous in these ads. And we need people's help to make sure we can set the record straight and to get our message out there. So we need your Support. Go to RoryCooper.com and help us out. It's important for us to make sure we take our country back. The people should take our country back. And one of the things you can do is help our race here in North Carolina for our listeners.

[Andy Beshear]

I've known Roy Cooper for years. He is a friend. He was a great governor. He was a great attorney general. He will be a great U.S. senator. Roy, thanks for joining the podcast.

[Roy Cooper]

Andy, thank you. So thank you for your great leadership in Kentucky and look forward to your continued friendship and working together for the good of the people.

[Andy Beshear]

If you haven't heard of Carlos Eduardo

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

Espinha, you're about to. The 27 year old Houston native has quietly become one of the most in demand figures in Democratic politics. With nearly 20 million followers and a waiting list of potential 2028 presidential hopefuls eager to get in front of him for an audience. The son of immigrants, Espina creates all of his content in Spanish and has built a platform rooted in uplifting and empowering the Latino community. Carlos, welcome to the podcast.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Nice to see you again.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

Good to see you.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Good to be here. For the first time in my life, I've seen it on television, but it's something different in person.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

So while this isn't in our derby episode, we're filming this at Churchill Downs where you're going to get some, some concepts.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Yeah. So I, you know, I'm going to be honest, I don't know much about horse racing or any sport other than soccer. But I do know that there is a big amount of people who follow me who also are related to this, whether they work in hotels, restaurants, the back end, you know, the stables, taking care of the horses year round, who are really, you know, impactful in everything that's going on here. And so when I saw that connection, I was like, I want to be here and meeting some of my followers.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

And I will say what I love about being governor sometimes at the Derby is a whole lot of people are here from out of town and lately

[Andy Beshear]

they might know me.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

But the first couple of years, it's always the people working to make it special that day that I get to stop and say hey to ask them how they're doing because those are my fellow Kentuckians that are, that are living here, making it work.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

And so this is huge for the local economy, I'm guessing, right? It is the person at the hotel. When I checked in, they're like, you're here for the derby? I was like, yeah, I am. And they got really excited. Like, we have all these things planned out on Thursday and Friday and Saturday, and so it seems like it's a very welcoming environment. And obviously that's a huge positive, and I hope it's a success this year.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

We try. Now, you might not know a lot about horse racing, but you know a whole lot about building an enormous platform to communicate your thoughts and values through. How did it happen? I mean, how. How did you go from a law school graduate.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Yeah.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

If I remember right. To having just this enormous, important voice?

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Well, I think you got a special guest in. So that's. I'm kind of starstruck right now. But anyway, so what happened was I started making content during the pandemic. So during high school and during college, I had a project where I would write letters and send money to immigrants to attain a nice detention center.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

Was doing a whole bunch of community

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

work during the pandemic. Everything stopped getting organized in person. Couldn't do anything. I just graduated college, was figuring out what to do with my life. And I remember being on TikTok and I thought it was the dumbest app in the world, right? It was a bunch of dancing and singing. And I was like, I don't like this, but I got an idea. Why don't I do activism and social work on here? And the reason I did it in Spanish is because what I was analyzing and realized you had Spanish speaking content creators who were making content in Mexico or in Central America, talking about issues there, or you had Latinos here in the US but they were making content in English, and there was no one Speaking to the 60/6 million Spanish speakers here in the United States. So I was like, hey, why don't I start, you know, doing some of the stuff that I'm already doing, Teaching citizenship classes, doing all this other work that blew up overnight. Got 100,000 followers within a month. By the end of 2020, had almost a million. And then been doing that ever since. As you mentioned, I went to law school along the way, graduated in 2024. By that point, I had around 12 million followers and dedicated my life to making content.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

So I was taking notes here.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

And so you get an idea of who my audience is. Like, the other day I was in New Orleans, right? And I'm making a video in my hotel room, and someone knocks on my door. I open the door and it's the cleaning lady. She's like, oh, someone at the front desk said you were staying at this hotel and we wanted to come and meet you. And so can my friends come and meet you. And they're like, all 12 cleaning staff just came, take pictures with me. Have a good time. And so it's the same here, you know, when you go to every event, whether it's a restaurant, it's the people in the back end of the kitchen. You know, it's a go to a sporting event, it's the people cleaning the stadium after. Those are the kind of people who follow me and trust me, and I'm just so grateful for that.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

And I will say, you know, you're doing a great job as governor when it's those same folks that feel comfortable coming up.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

And that's why I was happy when you came, because, you know, you've really. I wouldn't say, built a brand because it makes it seem on a thing, you're just a person who understands the value of the people who make these things happen. Right. There's always a focus on, oh, who are the celebrities showing up and how much, you know, all these nice things that you can do. But there's very few people who highlight and really think about who makes this all possible. Not just at the actual event. You know, like I said, at the hotels, at the restaurants and everything around it, it's very comparable to what's happening right now with the World Cup. I'm going to be making a lot of content about the people working that. I think those are the people who deserve to be highlighted.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

Carlos, I've got one question.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Yeah.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

So when you started this out and all of a sudden you hit the first hundred thousand.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Yeah.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

Then the first million, at what point did you go, this is real?

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

All right. So I have a very interestal. This was all happening during the pandemic. Right. And I was living with my parents at that time, just graduated college, couldn't find a job as many people my age. During the pandemic.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

Yeah.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

And so I hit my first million followers without ever really leaving my house, because I was just inside all day. And so I remember once, you know, things started to calm down a bit, people started going out of social events. One day I'm in Dallas and I go to this, like this. I don't know how. It's. It's like a bazaar. It's like a place where people go. Go and sell, like a flea market, essentially. And so I'm just there, I'm shopping, and then people are just looking at me. I'm like, okay, what's going on here? And next thing you know, people make a line to take pictures with me. They're the guy from TikTok. And that was my first experience where I realized, like, you know, you see a video get a million, 2 million, 3 million views, but each one of those views is a real person with a real story. And those numbers started to. Because at first they were just numbers to me, right? It's like, it's very abstract. And then I was like, oh, wow, this is a lot of people. When you put even a thousand, imagine 20 million people in one room, that's more than entire countries.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

When you look at the Hispanic, Latino draw, the growth in the country. Andy, myself and John have talked about this, and we talked about it during the super bowl episode. We picked who was going to win. Andy picked Bad Bunny for the win. Bad Bunny won going away. So when you look at that change culturally, it's. It's real.

[Andy Beshear]

Yeah.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

And it's very interesting because it's like a cultural change, but it's also very similar to the culture that already exists here. And I say that because, you know, I always tell people there's a very, like an idea, right, that Latino immigrants are coming to fundamentally change the United States. But I think most of us have the same interest and the same values that people that have been here for a long time, you know, religious, hard working, family values, we care about the same things, value the same things. So I think once you break that language barrier, maybe that, you know, racial barrier, you're like, hey, we're actually, we get along pretty well. And so that's what I've really enjoyed doing, highlighting those positive things. And then also, you know, I'm a big advocate for trying to do things the best way possible in this country. You know, for example, that's why I like to highlight people who are working hard, paying taxes, because small business. Yeah, exactly. Small business owners. You know, all those people. I love to support them, I love to highlight them, and I think they're really doing a great job in this country. And, you know, it's an honor for me to have the support of so many of them.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

You also talk a lot about the challenges facing the country right now and who creates them. Tell me, is it empowering? Is it challenging to do you get blowback from that.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Well, so it's very interesting, right, because you would think I make a lot of, like, political and social content, but most of my audience is not very political in the sense that for Many of them, maybe my content is the very little political stuff that they consume day to day, because as I mentioned, you know, my content was not like super political when I started. It was mostly about helping people. One of the initiatives I did early on in the pandemic, which made me go viral. So I had this project where mixed status families couldn't get a stimulus check. Like, if you had an undocumented person in your family couldn't get a stimulus check. So we had this initiative where citizens who were getting a check, who didn't need it, maybe because they were already well off, were actually finding sponsor, like, families to give that check too. So little things like that. We were teaching citizenship classes, do a lot of social work, but nowadays you realize them, you know, whether you're a Democrat, Republican, whatever it may be, you're all facing the same issues.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

That's right.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

And we want to move forward. And I think also people are just yearning for a time where we can all kind of just get along a little better than we have historically. You know, I have a lot. It was really interesting. And you probably get this a lot, too, I would assume, right? In a state like Kentucky, during the election, I would get a lot of people come up to me, take a picture with me and be, I love what you do, but I'm voting for Trump. But I really love what you do. So I get a lot of that

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

split it as well. I get, I like what you do. I voted for you, but I'm voting for Trump.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Exactly. So it's like, politics is not always, you know, black and white. It's not always, like, divided among. It's complex. And you wonder, what do I do that people like and also like Donald Trump. You know, it might not make sense, but you start to realize that people have very complex ways of seeing the world. And it's very hard to reduce people into certain groups or, hey, you think this, you're that. You know, that's why I like interacting with people. Because, yes, on social media, you can see the numbers go up, but when you speak to people face to face, you realize, hey, well, I'm starting to understand why they think this way or why they do this or why they do that.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

So I'll tell you, Carlos, we are going to make it our mission to make sure you understand everything about horse racing by the end of the week. You don't want to listen to John's bets. Maybe today, he's saying his success today.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

So what I'm going to do is bet the opposite of Whatever you're doing

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

right now, I'm winning.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Okay. Okay.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

And to your point, one thing we'll show you is that each one of these horses, we think as a business, so there's teams of people that are working with them that really, I think it's over 60,000 jobs in our commonwealth related to equine, but on a much different. Tell me what excites. I have three daughters, one in college, one going to be. What excites you most about our future when you're going to talk to the youth?

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Well, so it's very interesting, right, because so most of my audience is actually older than I am. It's people who, you know, so what happens is super old people's. People's consumption habits have fundamentally changed in this country. Right. Like, people are working longer hours, so therefore they have less time to watch television. They're watching social media. And so I have a very big diversity. I have people as young as, you know, 16 who are following me all the way to 80 years old. And what gives me hope and optimism is you talk to people day to day, and despite, like all the things they're going through, they're still pretty positive. You know, people are excited to see you. People are excited to be here. You know, you see the excitement here, not just the people who are attending everyone, you know, it's a positive environment.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

So they want to be good.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Exactly. A lot of times, you know, you can turn on the news or you can see things that you think the world is falling apart, but you start talking to people, hey, we're still celebrating life. You know, we're still having good times. We're still getting together as a family. And yes, we're all struggling in different ways, but I think that's what keeps me going forward. It's like the human spirit that will to want to continue to be good people to each other despite everything is going on. It's like, hey, you know, things will be all right.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

Amen.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

All right, give us your predictions. Coming up on 26, you're knee deep in all these races.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Well, so I think right now it's very hard with all the gerrymandering and all those things. And I'm going to be honest, I'm against all of it. I think there should be some sort of national ban and say, okay, you know, Republicans have done a Democrats constitutional amendment. Yeah. Some sort of, some sort of amendment that says, okay, let's put.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

And let's get rid of dark money. At the same time, I do think

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

it's Very interesting Democrats. I'm worried right now. I think they're going to win the House and potentially the Senate, but I think I'm worried that they will draw the wrong conclusions for that. In Spanish, there's a term, it's called El voto, el castillo. It's like the punishment vote. And that's what I think took Donald Trump to the presidency. Not so many people that love them. It's just, I'm tired of what's going on right now. I'm going to vote for the other guy. And I think we're going to see the inverse effect of that. But if we draw the conclusion right then, oh, now this means everyone loves the Democrats. It's like that's not necessarily the case. It's about who's going to be the party that's not just going to win, but then also deliver results. Because that's what Donald Trump, I think

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

the mistake he made promise, he promised

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

too much and delivered too little. And if Democrats do the same, promise too much and deliver too little, we'll be in the same position in 2020.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

And I would. And I would call it falling apart.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Exactly.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

Wondering if every interest group is going to say, oh, we won this because of me.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Exactly.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

And then they're going to try to put that same litmus test where you got to be 100% pure.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Exactly.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

Or you're out. And a party that's supposed to be about inclusion can't turn into one of exclusion. We've all got to give a little give and take. So I agree with you. I think 26 is going to be strong. But the question is, can Democrats afterwards be hyper focused on people's daily lives, make things a little bit better and

[Andy Beshear]

a little bit easier?

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

And the reality is, at some point they will have to work with this administration because even if they win back the House in the Senate, the presidency is going to stay the same. So I would hope, right, that this was bringing some sort of balance. Like there's a lot of common sense solutions, like even on immigration and other topics that I think even the Trump administration is now realizing, hey, maybe we went too far. That's why they fired Gregory Bevino and Kristi Noman. So how can we capture this sentiment to bring some sort of change and deliver real results? But that's also why I love governors, because they don't have to wait to see what's happening at the federal level. They can deliver results today. And I would say you're doing a good job, otherwise you wouldn't be Getting reelected. Right.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

So in Kentucky.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Yeah, exactly. That's. And it seems like you have a good vibe and you really understand. But I think more important than whatever the result is is who's going to be those candidates that are going to go back to the communities and listen to them and say, hey, how are you feeling? What can we do better? Because I feel that's been lost in the Democratic Party. We've become very insulated. I wouldn't include myself, but as a party become very insulated to what's going on on the ground. And that leads to you drawing the

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

wrong conclusions too often. Talking at people instead of talking to them.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Exactly.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

And listening. So. So in what you do, you've got to be there in the moment. Yeah, but what do you see for yourself in the future?

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Well, so I didn't expect social media to like drag on. So when I started going viral in 20, I think something exciting is going. I think, oh, there's happening. So I'm starting to feel the vibe, you know. But Churchill, you know, when I started on social media, I thought it was just like a one year, two year thing. You know, there's a hype and then it dies down. But now it's gotten to the point where like I, maybe I won't even post for a year. And people still know who you are.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

Right.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

It's like people recognize you. And so what I love to do is use my platform to help other people. Right now I have an initiative, for example. I pay a lot of people's rent every month. We help a lot of different people maybe who have lost their job for different reasons. Help them get on their feet. I have a program back in Houston where we take 150 kids to every Houston Dynamo game. Soccer, if you're not. Yeah, that's their soccer team there. We do a lot of different initiatives like that because I think having a lot of followers is cool. Right. But if you do nothing of value for those people, it's like, it's almost

[Andy Beshear]

like in a way an approval rating.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

That's my say.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

What did you say the other day? You said to me, what good is being popular if you don't make a difference?

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Exactly. Like just having power, just having influence for the sake of having power. And influence is like, that makes no sense. Right. Like you can do real change to people's lives. And at the end of the day, social media is very much like politics in the sense when someone opens up their phone, they choose to watch you. Right. And so you need to do those Things that want make people continue to watch you. Right. And they like the fact that I'm helping people, advocating for others. So I'm going to do that as long as I can. And then whenever that falls through, you know, I have my law degree, so I'll just go be a lawyer or something.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

Morgan and Morgan.

[Andy Beshear]

Okay.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

That I'd love to talk to you

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

about in the future. So, Carlos, if any of our listeners aren't already following you, please tell them how.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

So you can just find me as Carlos Eduardo Spina on all my platforms. And I'm gonna try to make a lot more English content. So the reason I've never done it just because it's like double the work. So you kind of just get comfortable. But I do feel like, you know, I would love to make more content. So I'm gonna probably open up an English account. Probably like Carlos in English. Hopefully if someone doesn't take the handle, if I say it before actually getting

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

the account, somebody jump on.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

But it's actually interesting.

[Roy Cooper]

John, hurry up.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

Let's go.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

It's actually interesting. I don't know if you've noticed now on like Instagram, for example, if you get a reel or a video from another language, it'll automatically translate it. So there's a lot of people who watch my content in English, like, because the platforms are automatically translating. I'm not sure how I feel about that. It's kind of weird, but your voice sounds like. No, it happens. It happens because you'll see, like, the mouth is moving different, but they're speaking in English. Like, what's going on? But yeah. Carlos Eduardo Espino, you can find my content and then I think all the platforms will automatically translate.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

Carlos, thanks for being at derby and

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

thanks for coming on the podcast. It's a huge honor and hopefully I make some money over the weekend.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

Let's go win some races.

[Carlos Eduardo Espina]

Welcome.

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[Andy Beshear]

Next on the Andy Beshear podcast, it's my conversation with the Johns. This is when we go over the events of the week. And there was a lot of news since the last time we had this segment. Let's start with the Supreme Court's decision on the Voting Rights Act. This was really this conservative Supreme Court removing the last major pillar of this act that so many worked so hard for. In many ways, this was the result of the foot soldiers in Selma demanding protections, demanding representation. And now the requirements for certain districts that would be a majority minority would ensure that there is minority representation in Congress is no more. And it further opens up redistricting across the country, almost unlimited. It can be fully partisan. I mean, welcome to the wild wild west.

[John (co-host or guest commentator, second voice)]

So am I understanding this correctly, that for minority districts in a lot of states, this is just going to open it up, that the redistricting is just going to be a free for all?

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

Almost. Now they, they could lose their chance to be fairly represented? I think the way I saw it was, and I'm on a high level, race can't be the main reason to draw a line, more or less, number one. Number two, you have to prove that the map makers intentionally discriminated in drawing the line, which is going to be a tough hurdle. And you're allowed to draw political lines.

[Andy Beshear]

And apparently it's not discrimination if you're doing it on a partisan. In other words, if you say we want more Republican districts, which is what Trump calls for, you could chop up a minority district simply because you think that a Republican would be more likely to win.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

You know, Andy made me think when you interviewed Clyburn and I've read somewhere they're going for his district. I'm like, that would be horrible. What a legend he is. And to have the wisdom that he has and just because politically they can maneuver around that. I hate gerrymandering for political reasons, for race reasons, anything about it. We should check these maps when the census happens. Like only.

[Andy Beshear]

Well, this idea that we're getting back to the law being colorblind. The country hasn't been colorblind in its history. I mean, the whole reason the Voting Rights act exists is that African Americans primarily were discriminated against in terms of voting, could not register in many parts of Alabama, and then had very little representation in D.C. and are we going to fall further back and do we Want redistricting? What, every year, other year, every election?

[John (co-host or guest commentator, second voice)]

What stops it from not happening every year? Is there something in place that.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

Well, right now, I think what stops it before the midterms is timing. I think many states will try to enact something, but they won't have the time to do it. But I think it's a real problem for 28.

[Andy Beshear]

I agree. And with this decision, I think the only thing, the only. I mean, you could see an act of Congress, but they can just undo an act of Congress if they're worried that the party that's in control is going to lose. And now has Donald Trump created a new normal of just calling for redistricting because you're worried you'll lose? If that's the case, it's going to have to be a constitutional amendment. Just like if you want to get dark money out of politics, just like if you want term limits. Or as I'd put it, if you want to fix the federal government, it's going to take a constitutional amendment without question.

[John (co-host or guest commentator, second voice)]

Well, the economy, always part of our conversation when we sit in here and, you know, gas, gas, gas. Seems like every time we turn around, something goes up. And it seems to be gas, gas and groceries, gas and groceries. 30 cents a gallon in the last week, if think I'm correct. You know, where, where does this start to slow down and the pressure on families just continues to ratchet up?

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

I mean, I think you're seeing it now. Yeah, I mean, it's affecting everyone.

[Andy Beshear]

It's. It's tough because in Kentucky, we just had the best first quarter for economic development ever, the best first four months ever. Our wages are going up faster than most of the rest of the country. The average new wage in Kentucky for a new job was $30 an hour last year almost, and we're over that this year. But the way that gas is going up is making everything more expensive. It's connected to the transportation of almost everything in our economy. So when it goes up and it stays up, that just eats away at the dollars that people have. So they start canceling vacations so they can't purchase as much in the economy that impacts other people's jobs. And really, gasoline is, when you look at inflation, you see it on every corner, on every single corner. So it's not just hitting you really in the wallet, it's hitting your psyche, too. It's just showing you how expensive it is over and over and over. And this is one that is almost singularly caused by President Trump's war with Iran.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

Yeah, and it's not like stocks are up either. As we sit here today. At least they continue to go down as prices go up. And you look at the three classes. We were talking about that earlier, right, John? It seems like it's getting harder for the lower class and better for the highest of classes. I don't even want to say upper class because it's classes beyond the upper class.

[Andy Beshear]

And normally that might be complicated politically, but I don't think it is to the American population right now because, again, gasoline is tied to. To the war with Iran, to the closing of the Strait of Hormuz and the failures, because I don't think there's any other way to say it right now, of the Trump administration. The failure to recognize Iran would close the Strait, the failure to recognize that there wouldn't be some big upheaval and people would rise up against their government or those that are in charge of. And now the failure by J.D. vance and others to be able to reach any type of negotiated resolution.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

I have to tell you guys, I am a little confused. As we sit here, Monday, May 4, do we have a ceasefire? Because as I was walking in here, I heard that Iran shot at some of our vessels. We may have shot back. I don't. I just. I'm a little confused. Is it 60 days stayed? I have no idea.

[Andy Beshear]

They talk about this war like we're dumb. You know, there's a ceasefire, and then they say they fired upon different vessels. The Iranians say they're going to undo the blockade, and Trump says, oh, no, I'm going to do my own blockade. And now we have a double blockade. This idea that there's a ceasefire, so it means there's no longer a conflict. Wait. A ceasefire by definition means you are in a conflict, but you are not going to shoot at each other for a period of time to try to negotiate.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

But I heard something as I was walking in. It really didn't jeopardize the cease fire because they were just taking defensive measures. And so I, again, was a little

[Andy Beshear]

bit more confused, which of course means someone has gone on offense. Right. And today there's also been some attacks, it looks like on the uae. There's been some schools that had to go on lockdown. I believe they've shot down some. Some drones. So the idea that there is a ceasefire is fictional. Now, if, if they want to say that there is so that there's nothing, bigger hostilities, then okay. But don't act like we are not still in this conflict when it's Costing us billions of dollars per day. And good Lord, if Congress won't at least do this, I mean, if Congress won't do their job when it comes to war, then we just need.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

I was going to ask your thoughts on the War Power resolution. Whether you think they're in violation or you believe our Defense Secretary that everything is paused when there's a ceasefire.

[Andy Beshear]

I rarely believe the Secretary of War. You know, it always seems that his press conferences, like he's hopped up on testosterone and wants to go after reporters more than actually provide real answers to the American people.

[John (co-host or guest commentator, second voice)]

Do you feel like it's almost every week that Trump goes into a press conference and whether it's total annihilation or whether it's a ceasefire the next day, it's just whatever can be said to get. Get in the news and make something happen to them.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

I think we're being told that's part of his negotiation style to message, that

[Andy Beshear]

he has convinced himself that he has the best gut, the best judgment without having to read or learn. He admitted that he thought this would be like Venezuela, where if you knew anything about this Iranian governance, the fact that it's so connected to religion and the army, that there are representatives of this group down in every single village, I think they should have known that they weren't going to get this. Now they're saying there's total regime change and it's the guy's son who the United States killed, who is probably more radicalized than he was before. And that's saying something.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

I will say, though, if what we're being told on the 14 point proposal from Iran to US is accurate, I don't think we can agree to some of the. I mean, there was no. They still will keep enriching uranium. They want us to pay a toll to go through. I mean, we can't accept terms with those in them.

[Andy Beshear]

I think we have to make sure that we get all of the uranium that's there. If they have zero stock and if we've eliminated their ability to enrich, then we've got at least something that we can say was productive that came out of this war. Because I think this President is going to have a hard time explaining that it's anything but a loss for him and was a hardship on the American people.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

So a fan, John, or not a fan of the Operation Freedom that I guess it's called Operation Freedom. I heard that that's coming in right now where we're guiding ships through the strait in hopes that gas prices will go down.

[John (co-host or guest commentator, second voice)]

My Guess is this probably has something to do with people being shot at at some point today.

[Andy Beshear]

And remember that the experts have said even when this thing is over and when everyone says the strait is open and that it's going to take at least six months to get all the mines that have been placed up. So, you know, every day that President Trump doesn't get this thing done is another six months and one day of additional hardship.

[John (co-host or guest commentator, second voice)]

Talking about a big day. A big day in Kentucky just happened. We've all been on a couple of days.

[Andy Beshear (interviewer, second segment)]

You like that?

[John (co-host or guest commentator, second voice)]

Yeah, Just rolled right into it.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

Listen, few from Friday and Saturday, Kentucky Derby.

[Roy Cooper]

That's right.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

From Iran to Louisville. Listen, I thought Oaks and Derby were awesome. I think Churchill did a great job. I think the gov here did a great job. It went off knock on wood flawlessly. Record set, history set. Yeah, it was just a great, great two days.

[Andy Beshear]

Yeah. First female trainer to ever win the Derby. It only took 152 years. So again, those that want to claim that everything is fine and everyone has equal opportunity in this country, 152 years ought to probably tell you something different. But she couldn't have been more excited. I loved her comment on it. Now I'll never have to answer that question again.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

You know, it's funny, she's been great for quite some time and it was a matter of time. But it was so great for the game in the sport to watch her reaction and to watch the reaction of the owners. The passion shows you so how hard it is to. To win and to even get there.

[Andy Beshear]

And the jockey, Jose Ortiz came down the stretch against the favorite that his brother was riding, his brother against brother all the way down to the end. And you know, losing brother took it pretty well. He was pretty proud.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

It was funny. If you watch the race from overhead, you can see that Jose is following Irad as they're kind of the path as they're leading around the last turn and they just catch up.

[Andy Beshear]

Amazing race in how far behind the winner was and how far to the outside. Actually ran a much longer race than others because had more track being being that far on the outside. Now I will say the second place horse, Renegade, drew the first post which is incredibly hard to do and got

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

crushed when he came out of the gate.

[Andy Beshear]

And so, you know, if that, if that horse had come out of the fifth or the sixth spot probably would

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

have won without question. We'll see. We'll have to see who runs in the Preakness next. I think Renegade could easily win that race and we'll see if it's. It's a shorter race, so I don't know that we'll see the same horses.

[Andy Beshear]

To those that don't follow horse racing, the Preakness is about a month after the Kentucky Derby, which for most of these horses, because they're young, because their legs are pretty thin, generally have a tough time being sound enough, being healthy enough to run in a race as big and important as the Kentucky Derby, and then to run one month later. So we've seen a lot of horses that have won the Derby skip it for the Belmont. Remember, they're also so valuable at this point if they've won a Derby, that you don't want them to get hurt and to put that future at risk.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

So how many miles did you walk that day?

[Andy Beshear]

I think I was about six and a half on Derby this year, so had a lot of opportunity. As we close out, we're coming up on Mother's Day. If people are listening to this on Sirius xm, it's Saturday morning. Mother's Day's tomorrow. Go out and get those flowers. If you're from Kentucky, go to Kroger, get the cards. Find. Find what you need to make sure that you give your mom, or if you're a guy like us, your wife a good Mother's Day without question.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

And buy podcast Swag. Right.

[Andy Beshear]

See, nothing says. Nothing says I love you, mom like an Annie Beshear podcast tote, because Mom's gotta carry stuff. And with that tote, it can say, I love what I'm doing. I love the Andy Beshear podcast. And again, I don't think any mother wouldn't open that up and say, this is the greatest gift.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

And, you know, I agree. And I think that that gift should be presented while at AMSTON Station in Versailles, Kentucky, on that Sunday for brunch. You don't. And maybe even. Maybe even pre order a book if we're going to go at it.

[Andy Beshear]

Oh, a pre order for Go and Do likewise, available wherever you pre order your books, is another perfect Mother's Day present.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

You see how I put the ball in the tee for you?

[Andy Beshear]

Look at that. That's pretty good. Now I buy my mom a copy of my book. Does it count?

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

Yeah, we'll count it.

[Andy Beshear]

Sounds good.

[John (co-host or guest commentator)]

Yeah.

[Andy Beshear]

Folks, that's a wrap on one of our biggest episodes ever. Roy, Carlos, and of course, the Johns. I don't know how it could get bigger than that, but to listen to someone with a following of 22 million people who talks with authenticity, who oftentimes uses the phrase my people. And I saw it firsthand how people react to him and how they see hope voice in what he does. And then to have the Democratic candidate for possibly the biggest race in the country that could determine control of the U.S. senate. We want you to tune in next week where we'll give you another big episode. This time the primary candidates for governor in Kansas. People might ask why they should tune in to Democratic candidates in Kansas. Well, guess what? Kansas has a Democratic governor right now. Remember, I'm living, breathing proof the Democrats can win anywhere and should be fighting everywhere. So tune in next week. We'll see you then. Boom. Clock it.

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