RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The following is the transcript of an interview with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, that aired on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on Aug. 16, 2026.ED O\u0027KEEFE: So we begin with Kentucky Democratic Governor Andy Beshear, who joins us from the capital city of Frankfort. Good morning, Governor. Thank you for being here.GOV. ANDY BESHEAR: Good morning. Thanks for having me.ED O\u0027KEEFE: Of course. So our new CBS News poll out this morning finds 58% of Democrats have a positive view of socialism, and just 32% have a positive view of capitalism. What do you make of that?GOV. BESHEAR: What I make of it is that people are struggling. They\u0027re struggling because the cost of groceries is too high. The cost of gas is too high. It\u0027s too hard to see a doctor, and when you do, the cost of that is too high as well. They\u0027re not asking for a lot. They just want to go to work, make a good living, be able to raise their kids, buy a home before they\u0027re 40, take their family on the same vacation they went on as kids. And right now, they\u0027re seeing a system that doesn\u0027t work for them. Now, I believe socialism is a failed experiment, but I do believe that we need to get results for the American people, and I think when you look at Democratic governors, you see those results. I\u0027ve been proud to create more jobs than any other governor in our history. The average wage of a new job in Kentucky this year is over $32 an hour. We\u0027re building affordable housing in Western Kentucky and in Eastern Kentucky, on top of abandoned coal mines with solar panels on the top, so they\u0027re affordable to live in too. People just want to see results, want to believe that life can get better.ED O\u0027KEEFE: The poll also finds rank and file Democrats want leaders to be pushing for making big changes, not smaller ones, even if they\u0027re easier to do. Also says they want to feel like the party is, as you said, fighting for them, what is then--GOV. BESHEAR: --Yeah, I think people--ED O\u0027KEEFE: Well, what I\u0027m curious about is what- given they\u0027re looking for big ideas, what would be your biggest, boldest idea that you\u0027re promoting these days?GOV. BESHEAR: Well, I\u0027ll give you two because people want you to fix the darn economy, and they want you to fix the darn government. On the economy, it is time for an aspirational investment in housing that can bring down the cost of- of especially first-time home ownership. People can actually see that progress all over the country. We ought to tie the federal dollars to speed. You\u0027ve got to break ground and you\u0027ve got to do it quickly. Get through the overregulation and the NIMBY-ism. But I tell you what, people also think this government is broken. So, fix the darn government. Constitutional amendment. It is time. It should outlaw partisan redistricting and enshrine part of the Voting Rights Act right there in the constitution. It should create term limits for Congress and the Supreme Court. No more gaming those appointments. It should also overturn Citizens United, and I think call for direct elections of the president and the vice president. That could actually make things work. A big idea that would, yes, change government, but in a way enshrined in the constitution where people would know it\u0027s going to get better.ED O\u0027KEEFE: I didn\u0027t realize you support abolishing the Electoral College. If you\u0027re saying direct election of the president and vice president.GOV. BESHEAR: Yeah, I\u0027ve said it a number of times, and it\u0027s because in Kentucky we will never see a candidate for president or vice president unless they\u0027re from here. Why? Because people just expect that it\u0027ll go one way or the other. It\u0027s the idea that someone would get elected not just knowing about seven states, but having to earn votes all over the United States. I certainly think it\u0027s time.ED O\u0027KEEFE: Speaking of presidential candidates from Kentucky, you told our colleague Aaron Navarro recently your decision on whether to run for president comes after your role as chairman of the Democratic Governors Association ends in December. You\u0027re traveling the country trying to get Democrats elected into governorships. You\u0027re appearing on programs like this one to get your name out there. I\u0027m curious, what\u0027s left to decide?GOV. BESHEAR: Well, I haven\u0027t made any final decision on that, but I am traveling the country because we\u0027re going to elect Democratic governors in places that people aren\u0027t expecting. We\u0027re up in Iowa and Ohio. We\u0027re fighting hard in Georgia and Nevada. We have great candidates. Even places like Alabama, we saw Democratic primary turnout double. Double. I\u0027ve never seen that before. So I\u0027m excited about what we\u0027re seeing. For me, I just refuse to leave a broken country to my kids or to anyone else\u0027s. We cannot allow Donald Trump\u0027s presidency to be normalized for people to think that\u0027s the way that it\u0027s supposed to be, and whatever my role is moving forward, I just want to make sure that we can bring this country back together and then get results for the American people. The two biggest challenges we face are the level of division and the belief that the American dream is no longer real. We\u0027ve got to make sure we address them both.ED O\u0027KEEFE: The Democratic Party on Saturday officially set its 2028 presidential primary calendar, shakes it up a bit and puts six states now in the mix to be voting before March of 2028. I hear you\u0027ve been particularly active in South Carolina, but I\u0027m curious more broadly, what does this new schedule do to help or hurt the candidacy of a moderate Democrat like yourself?GOV. BESHEAR: Well, I consider myself a pragmatist. I get things done. You know, I stand up for all my convictions, having vetoed every anti-choice, every anti-LGBTQ plus, ev...
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