In DNC speech, Gov. Andy Beshear warns of Trump’s threat to reproductive freedom
Gov. Andy Beshear painted Donald Trump as a threat to reproductive freedom and predicted Vice President Kamala Harris would march to victory over Republicans just like he did in his own reelection win in remarks to the Democratic National Convention Monday night.
“Trump and [JD] Vance simply don’t believe in your freedom,” Beshear told Democratic delegates gathered inside the United Center.
“All women should have the freedom to make their own decisions.”
The Kentucky governor, who was vetted to be Kamala Harris’ running mate, noted that 21 states, including his own, have pursued extreme bans on abortion since Roe v. Wade was overturned two years ago. He underscored how former President Donald Trump’s appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court upended longtime national abortion law.
A tieless Beshear was introduced by Hadley Duvall, the Owensboro native who became a symbol of empowerment for women throughout the country when she shared her story of being impregnated by her stepfather at age 12.
Like Beshear, Duvall also used her prime time slot at the DNC to contrast Trump’s position on abortion with that of Harris.
“Kamala Harris will sign a national law to restore the right to abortion,” Duvall said. “She will fight for every woman and every girl — even those who are not fighting for her.”
Beshear praised Duvall as “one of the bravest people I’ve ever met.”
“Donald Trump brags about tearing away a constitutional right from Hadley and every other woman and girl in our country,” Beshear said. “That’s why we must tear away any chance he can ever be president ever again.”
Beshear featured Duvall in a campaign ad during his 2023 reelection race against then-Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron that stood out as the most memorable moment of the campaign.
“This is to you, Daniel Cameron: to tell a 12-year-old girl she must have the baby of her stepfather, who raped her, is unthinkable. I’m speaking out because women and girls need to have options. Daniel Cameron would give us none,” she said in the ad.
In his short speech, the governor also offered hope to Democrats, recalling that voters have been rejecting restrictions on abortion rights in votes across the country, including in Kentucky.
“And I beat Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell’s hand-picked candidate by more than 5 percentage points,” Beshear boasted. “This November, we’re going to beat them again ... America we’re going to win, and we’re going to win by staying true to our values of compassion, empathy and doing right by our neighbors.”
Beshear had tough line-up to follow on the convention’s opening night. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were among the speakers ahead of him, and each received rollicking ovations inside the convention center.
In addition to his prime time speech, Beshear is also hitting a number of events outside the United Center.
He’s scheduled to attend breakfasts with the Pennsylvania and Florida delegations on Tuesday morning, as well as several Democratic National Committee caucus meetings on the sidelines of the convention on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Kentuckian is already being talked about as a prospect for an appointment inside a potential Harris administration. For this to happen, Harris needs to win – and Beshear has already signaled his readiness to play the part of loyal partisan soldier for the coming 11 weeks.
In an earlier appearance on CNN Monday night, Beshear defended Harris’ idea of imposing national controls on prices.
“I’ve certainly seen gouging after natural disasters and in other instances,” he said. “Having a 50-state option can be really important. It can also give a president and vice president leverage that they need at critical times to make sure the American people are treated right.”
Beshear has spent the summer traversing political terrain far outside of the commonwealth with stops in Iowa and Oklahoma and on behalf of the Harris-Walz ticket in Georgia and Illinois.
After the DNC concludes Thursday night, more stops are likely in the offing in places like Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia, where he can foster a connection with rural voters.
This story was originally published August 20, 2024 at 5:00 AM with the headline "In DNC speech, Gov. Andy Beshear warns of Trump’s threat to reproductive freedom."
