‘J.D. Vance is a phony.’ Beshear jabs Trump’s VP nominee, as he jockeys for the Dem VP job

In a Monday night interview with CNN, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said he had talked to Vice President Kamala Harris but had not been asked to submit information so he could be vetted as her running mate.

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins said Beshear was at the top of Harris’ short list of potential vice presidental running mates.

As he did Monday morning on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”, Beshear praised Democratic President Joe Biden’s record, criticized Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance and endorsed Harris. He said Harris would move the nation past “partisan bickering.”

Beshear said Harris, a former California senator and state attorney general, called him personally just hours after Biden said Sunday afternoon he would not run for reelection.

“I’ll keep any details of that call personal,” said Beshear, adding Harris asked for his support and he willingly gave it.

The 46-year-old Beshear said he loved his job in Kentucky. He said he would consider something else if he could help people in Kentucky more in a different role or there was a chance to move past partisanship.

Beshear also took another swipe at Vance, the Ohio Republican who wrote about his Appalachian background in the 2016 best-selling book, Hillbilly Elegy.

“J.D. Vance is a phony,” Beshear told CNN’s Collins.

“The problem with J.D. Vance is he has no conviction, but his running mate has 34,” Beshear said, referring to former President and GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Vance, Beshear added, was “an extremist and dangerous,” citing Vance’s opposition to abortion rights.

Beshear also said he was angry that Vance called the people in Eastern Kentucky lazy and ignored their hard-working backgrounds.

This story was originally published July 23, 2024 at 6:00 AM.