Kentucky.

Tonight I'm Renee Shaw, and I thank you so much for joining us this evening.

Our topic tonight, national and state politics.

We are less than 100 days from the 2026 midterm elections on November the 3rd.

Nationally, we expect a spirited race for control of the U.S.

House and Senate here in Kentucky.

We have an open U.S.

Senate seat for the first time in 16 years.

We have an open U.S.

House seat and Central Kentucky.

There are races for the Kentucky General Assembly, plus county races and mayors, and we're already looking ahead to 2027 as two big name Democrats have already announced they'll run for governor.

And today, a well-known Republican took himself out of contention.

So to talk about everything that's happening in politics, we're joined in our Lexington studio by Robert Benvenuti, chairman of the Republican Party of Kentucky, Morgan Eves, executive director of the Kentucky Democratic Party.

Trey Watson, founder of Capitol Reins PR and former spokesman for the Republican Party of Kentucky.

Jared Smith, partner at the Piper-Smith government affairs and public relations firm, and Abby Piper, founder and managing partner of the Piper Smith government affairs and public relations firm.

Of course, we want to hear from you tonight.

You can send us your questions and comments by X, formerly Twitter at Pub Affairs KET.

Send an email to KY tonight@ket.org or use the web form at ket.org/ky tonight, or you can call one (800) 494-7605.

Welcome guests.

And I have to say to Trey, you do not have to tell us if you're a robot, because I know that was my favorite line.

>> Check the box.

Check the box.

>> It says you're not a robot.

Well, we took that out.

So you can be a robot now and we would never know.

>> That's pretty much all that's politics online, right?

It's bots.

That's right.

Facebook, Twitter.

It's all bots.

>> It's all bots.

So this is going to be a fun show.

Okay, let's talk about Fancy Farm right off the bat who is a no show?

Who is good to go.

Let's start with the Democrats first.

Okay, Jared.

>> Well, I know the lieutenant governor is speaking.

I know the governor said he's not going to he's not going to show up.

He's not going to speak.

I believe Rocky is there.

Are they going to let him speak?

Yes, yes.

>> He's on he's on the agenda.

>> He's going to be there.

And then the the person running against James Comer will be there.

>> Who Drew Williams.

>> Drew Williams, who dropped a Kendrick Lamar line last Fancy Farm.

So we'll see what else he has this Fancy Farm along those lines.

>> And Charles Booker will be there as well.

>> Charles Booker and Booker.

The last time he was at Fancy Farm, he brought a big crowd and he brought a lot of atmosphere and energy to the to the to the picnic.

>> This is the most that Democrats have been on the stage in years.

Wright.

Morgan.

So there's like four this time.

And we know that Rocky will be allowed to speak.

They work that out.

Stephen Elder, who's the political party or the political chairman allowed that to happen.

So yeah.

Why is the governor a no show for like the third time in a row?

>> You know, right now the governor is focused on his role not only as governor, running the Commonwealth, but traveling around the country, helping support candidates for governor as DJ chair, and also helping candidates elsewhere in the state of Kentucky.

I think we're going to see a pretty big Democratic crowd, because we have the lieutenant governor and Rocky, who are both now gubernatorial candidates, and we've got our U.S.

Senate candidate and congressional candidate.

So I feel like Democrats are pretty well represented this year and will bring a big crowd.

>> Interesting order that you put those in.

You mentioned the governor's race before the U.S.

Senate nominee.

Is that how it's really shaken out, that you've already putting your eggs in the basket for 2027 and not so much 2026?

>> No, I think right now, with Rocky coming into the race just recently, there's a lot of press surrounding that sort of competition, even though it's a year in advance because of their ties to the governor.

And they're they're large profiles.

So I'm not putting all my eggs in that basket, but I think there will be a lot of press interest and a lot of crowd interest for, for those two specifically, but because it's an open U.S.

Senate seat and Charles Booker, as Jared said, always draws a big crowd.

I think we'll be really well represented and people will be more excited than they have in a while.

>> So let's talk about the oh, go ahead.

>> Real quick.

Kentucky is one of those weird states where everybody here wants to be governor, and most other states, everybody wants to be a U.S.

senator.

So like governor's race is in Kentucky are very special.

And like everybody wants to be governor here.

So that's why whenever you get two, what I call top tier candidates in a race by themselves at this point, it's very interesting because right now, I don't know if we're going to see that on the Republican side.

>> Is anybody here going to announce for Governor.

>> Robert Robert, I will not I will announce that the next governor will be Republican, though.

>> Oh, you're confident, even though none has yet to announce?

>> I'm confident.

>> So today we got news and we can actually bring this up on the screen.

So Kentucky Senate Republican President Robert Stivers, sorry that I didn't get that off the tongue as quickly, actually sent a statement about how he was not going to be running for governor.

And I can't see that little screen.

So I'm going to read off my paper, he says.

I am deeply grateful for the encouragement and confidence so many Kentuckians have shown by asking me to consider running for governor in 2027.

After thoughtful discussions with my family, friends and trusted advisors, I have decided that my calling remains where it has always been.

As the Senator from Clay County proudly representing the people of Kentucky's 25th Senate District.

And then it goes on to say a little later, I look forward to working with Kentucky's next governor, one who views the General Assembly as an equal branch of government and a true governing partner.

Kentucky deserves leadership that chooses collaboration over confrontation and solutions over political theater.

Our residents are best served when leaders focus on results instead of creating conflict.

That's loaded well.

>> President Stivers is a great leader and would be great at whatever he chose to do.

We're blessed to have him as president of the Senate.

It's great that he's going to stay there and continue to lead like he has, because he's just done a fantastic job.

And, you know, you you see the efforts of both the House and the Senate now controlled by Supermajorities, by Republicans setting the tone for Kentuckians and Kentuckians like it.

They like our leadership and they like our policies.

And we're only going to expand on that because of people like President Stivers and all Republicans that serve in the House and Senate.

>> I mean, really, doesn't he have the best job in Frankfort already?

Why would you give that up to be governor?

The power is in the legislature.

>> Yeah, that's a good point.

And it's but it's a difficult job day in and day out, just like being governor.

But he's just done a fantastic job.

So that's his choice to stay there.

And certainly from a personal standpoint, I'm thrilled that that he'll remain in politics and and as our Senate president.

>> Okay.

So I want to reverse and go back to Fancy Farm to talk about the Republicans who will not be there.

And we learned today that U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell will not be because he is still recovering from his illness.

So talk to us about that, Trey Watson.

>> Yeah, I mean, if there was any way physically possible for the senator to be there, you know, that he'd be there because nobody loves that.

Maybe the only person that loves Fancy Farm more than me is Senator McConnell.

So, you know, I'm sure that he is crushed to not be able to make it for his last one.

But, you know, we've got a great lineup, obviously, you know, there's I think there's potentially two gubernatorial nominees that that are candidates that may be speaking.

You know, you hear lots of chatter, obviously, about Congressman Comer and Secretary of State Mike Adams will both be speaking.

I think we've got all all.

>> Secretary Adams, according to the last roster that was sent out by Steven Elder, he's pending.

>> Okay.

Pending.

>> Yeah.

So what would.

>> Tip the.

>> Scales there for him to.

>> Little boy being a boy, I have to assume that he's going to try to.

Maybe.

But he skipped you know, he's he's.

>> Yeah, he's from Paducah area.

>> Yeah.

So, you know, I think he's got a different political calculation, maybe because he has West Kentucky ties where, you know, you've got other people that it's more important to be out there sometimes.

But we've got what all the other constitutional officers are.

>> Yeah, confirmed.

They're all confirmed.

>> All confirmed.

Obviously your General Assembly members and candidates.

So you know, it's it's certainly and Senator McConnell mentioned this in his statement today that I think he said his first Fancy Farm was 41 or 42 years ago.

And I can tell you people at the state party, Kathy Bell and Bob gable used to laugh about that.

They all traveled one car together.

Was the entire Republican delegation for Fancy Farm for their first one.

And you know, my, how times have changed.

It's a it's hard, hard to find a Democrat out there anymore and certainly to find one on the ballot.

So I think Republicans will be very well represented.

>> Yeah.

What are your expectations, Abby, about Saturday?

>> It's going to be hot.

There's going to be some drop in barbecue.

I'm really excited to see Buzz Baker be the emcee.

We've had a couple of different folks over the years and they kind of rotate in and out.

I thought Ashley Watts with the Chamber did a fantastic job last year, but buzz brings his own flavor, and I think that what I hope that he brings with that is this sort of return back to our ability to roast each other, to have that sense of community, to take the partizanship out of it, or at least to make fun of our own differences and to have that.

>> You think he's going to take the partizanship out of it?

>> Well, I don't know.

It's buzz.

You never know what he's going to do until he does it.

>> Yeah, yeah.

It'd be something to see for sure.

I mean, Ashley did kind of hit it out of the park, so that's a hard act to follow.

Anybody else have any other observations or thoughts about what to expect Saturday?

>> No, I just I just again, I implore people that think Fancy Farm is not worth the trip or not worth, not worth the effort to please do it.

It's an amazing political tradition.

It's a Kentucky tradition.

Happy Chandler's the one that made it famous.

And so I just think it's a great idea.

And I always loved it.

I love going there.

It's a church fundraiser at the end of the day.

And it's just like, look, we can all we can all disagree without being disagreeable and ugly to each other, you know?

So let's have some sense of humor, let's have some fun and let's have some memorable one line zingers.

>> And I'll say as a as a Paducah by birth, someone my grandmother lived 21 miles from Saint Jerome's.

I actually lived a little bit closer than that my first five years of my life.

My mother's a Mayfield High graduate.

West Kentucky often feels ignored.

Western West Kentucky often feels forgotten.

It's important politically to the people of West Kentucky that their leaders go out there.

They view it as they're owed it for the people from Frankfort to come visit them.

And this is the one event a year that they kind of expect them to be there.

I think it's important for for Frankfort to make their way out to West Kentucky and show them that we know you're four hours from Frankfort, but we still care about you and we're still paying attention.

>> To the Western Kentucky Parkway goes both ways, right.

But is it still is relevant now in this digital age where candidates can get their message out without the filter of media, even they can just do what they want to do.

Why is Fancy Farm still relevant?

>> It's hard.

It's hard to get that that kind of moment in the zeitgeist.

And Fancy Farm provides it.

It's it's a, it's a one shot of, you know, you can mess up.

You can also score a highlight.

And if you've got a good media team behind you, you can take that video, chop it up, put it online.

And that's how you go viral.

You know, it's, yeah, you can manufacture something in a lab, in a podcast, in a studio or whatever.

Nothing compares to being able to get that video clip on stage with the crowd roaring, with all the noise and kind of excitement behind you.

You know, I think in this digital age, if I'm a candidate, I'm looking at how can I, how can I create that viral moment that my team can go forth and do something with?

It also carries risk with it, right?

Because if you mess it up, you know, it's often said you're never going to win a campaign at Fancy Farm, but you can lose one, you know, so it's, it's kind of high risk, high reward.

But I do think when these candidates are all struggling to kind of break through the digital zeitgeist, this presents an opportunity to create that moment and create that video clip that if you've got a good team and if you, you present good material, you can, you can go take that like a rocket ship.

>> I was gonna say also, Fancy Farm is a way to announce future intentions without announcing future intentions.

I remember the great Allen walking around with Jimmy Collie.

I remember Steph Horn walking in out of nowhere with Rocky.

I mean, so like by showing up, you're kind of announcing yourself on the statewide scene, even if you're not on the ballot.

>> That Trigg Grayson floated a trial balloon in oh six.

>> Right, right.

For for the Democrats.

So when Rocky was here last, Mr.

Atkins was here last week for an interview.

You know, he said he's going to run a clean campaign.

And Fancy Farm isn't always the cleanest.

Right.

So do you think this is where this race really kicks off in earnest?

Kind of.

And will the Democrats just kind of keep it clean and above board?

Are they going to stay high?

You go low.

>> I think one of the things that Governor Beshear and Rocky did in 2019, that really set a high bar for Democrats, and quite frankly, it should be the bar for candidates across the state, is that you can disagree without being disagreeable.

You don't have to make it personal.

And so you can roast one another.

And I'm sure you will see that from both sides.

And trust me, they'll probably roast Republicans more than they're going to roast each other because it is an election year and not for them.

So they want to highlight sort of the contrast between Republicans and Democrats in this election year, too.

They're going to roast each other, but it's going to be lighthearted.

It's going to be fun.

It's not going to be nasty.

It's not going to be personal.

Because I know the lieutenant governor and Rocky are both very upstanding people who are committed to upholding sort of that ideal of let's disagree without being disagreeable.

We're not trying to form two different huge factions.

We're just trying to, you know, decide who is the best one to take this state forward.

>> So it's held at a Catholic church.

I think you get a papal dispensation, forgetting, forgetting, forgetting a little, little, nasty, little funky on the stage at Fancy Farm.

We can.

>> Well, it used to be that way, though, right?

I mean, there used to be a lot more political theater with, you know, cartoon characters and all those things.

And that's really been tamped down where it just feels like just people giving state speeches.

>> Well, the problem is you don't have people like me and Jared running the campaigns anymore.

>> That's right.

Well.

>> But but to that point, I mean, we you've mentioned the social media.

Most people don't consume political information in person anymore.

This is a very rare opportunity for them to have that in-person experience with the political process that makes America so distinctive from our partners around the world.

And so I think this is one of those rare opportunities where people can get their their information, not on social media, not online, not in a political ad.

And that really, I think, gets us back to basics, which is what really Fancy Farm is all about.

>> Yeah.

So, Robert, do you expect Michael Adams to come out and announce he's going to run for governor?

>> I truly no expectations one way or the other.

>> Got any Intel that he might.

What?

You know.

>> I know nothing.

>> I don't believe you.

>> Yeah well.

>> Look I think you know right now in my mind.

Right.

I'm focused on what's in what's in front of us and what's in front of us is the congressional races and the Senate race and the House races and some Senate races in Kentucky.

I mean, that's what's in front of us.

That's where our party is focused after November and after the victories I expect in November, then we will focus keenly on the governor's race.

You know, as somebody who served in the Fletcher administration, you know, I'm very, very dedicated to making sure that that we not only have a Republican governor starting in 2027, but it's a two term Republican governor.

>> Right.

And so there's a lot of expectation about Congressman James Comer, who is chair of the powerful House Oversight Committee.

>> I've heard.

>> About that.

You've heard a little bit about that.

So, you know, explain to us, like the political calculation of not announcing now and doing it a little later, does he risk his chairmanship if he comes out too early?

>> Look, Congressman Comer has has proven himself time and time again to be very skillful.

Being a congressman and being a politician.

And, you know, whatever he decides, if he decides, when he decides, I have absolute confidence, he'll he'll make the right move if it's the right move.

>> I also think if I remember correctly, I believe the congressman told me that he is term limited out.

I'm not sure if that's if that's he's term limited after this new Congress is sworn in or if it's the next Congress.

But the the chairman of.

>> The.

>> Republican caucus, the Republican caucus maintains.

Chairman term limits for the chairmanships.

So I think he's term limited out, which kind of changes the calculation a little bit on on thinking, you know, we had Jared and I guest hosted for Larry Glover on the radio a couple weeks ago.

We had Congressman Comer on as a guest, and I kind of prodded him and asked if there's going to be any announcements.

And it sounded very much like he's going to wait till November, which is understandable.

You know, he's he's asking for people's vote for for Congress for another term.

And obviously, if he were to be unsuccessful for for governor, he he can continue to serve in that congressional capacity.

So, you know, I think he's focused on this on this campaign.

But I think, if I'm not mistaken, I believe that he is term limited out.

Again, I could be corrected either this term or next term.

I think it's this term he's term limited out as chairman.

>> But even the assumption that he's going to get in does that clear the field.

And was that enough for Senator Robert Stivers to say, I think I'll take a pass and maybe even Michael Adams?

>> I think the congressman has done a lot of work to to to help clear the field.

I think he's been reached out to people that, you know, could be potential adversaries, potential road bumps for him and trying to smooth some of those, some of those roads.

I think that there's been a lot of machinations behind the scenes to set that up.

I still suspect that there will be a challenge.

Obviously, there's a lot of people that think this seat has potential to go to Republican.

The next nominee, fortunately for Democrats, will not have the last name Beshear, which changes the vote calculation a little bit.

And so, you know, especially with it being that off off year, you know, if you're a state senator or a county judge or a member of Congress, you're not risking anything to run.

So I would suspect that there will be multiple candidates declared, whether they're top tier Wright.

We'll see.

>> Yeah.

Okay.

So we'll stop talking about next year's race and talk about this year's race.

So I did have a question about Rocky and Jacqueline Wright, a lieutenant governor and the former senior advisor, Rocky Atkins, to the governor.

So it seems to me that, you know, they are very aligned on a lot of issues.

There's not a whole lot of daylight ideologically or philosophically when it comes to public policy.

And Rocky Atkins has said to a lot of media outlets, including this one, that he has evolved on the issue of abortion.

Do you know more about that evolution?

And was that prompted because Jacqueline Coleman has come out and even the Hadley Duvall, who had really been a great spokesperson and ambassador for Governor Andy Beshear, is that kind of where his evolution came in, seeing the political calculation of how that could be advantageous to him?

>> I'm not sure, to be honest, where where it started, where that evolution began.

I'll also note that the lieutenant governor has evolved on that stance over her time, you know, and, and kind of public politics and the public policy space.

I think candidates are allowed and should be allowed to grow and to change.

And I would like to think, you know, as a woman that someone like Hadley, who shared such a deeply personal story that really touched and impacted so many, that those types of conversations could be what changed his mind.

And those conversations should be what changed people's mind.

Because when you focus on the personal impact, you know, that's when public policy really, really matters.

So I'm not sure where the evolution happened, but I do think that candidates should be allowed to evolve over time as they get more information and they learn more about subjects.

>> I think I think I believe it was the statewide ballot initiative that changed a lot of people's minds in the pro-life Democratic Caucus, because the state supported basically choice at some level on that ballot issue.

They could easily have shoved it away, but they did not.

And so I think that comes into play when people are like, okay, my home county of Eastern Kentucky has one view, but if the state overall has a different view and I'm running for state office, then that's a different conversation.

>> Yeah.

And he did mention that it's the current law is too restrictive and should have allowances for conditions like rape, incest, etc.

So we'll see where all that evolves.

Okay, I promise I will put that to bed.

You know what, 20 minutes in.

I haven't even got to the main race.

So Martin Rivers from Lexington has a couple of questions here that I'll throw at you.

Do your guests have any advice on how to select a candidate to vote for?

Who is running for a judgeship?

I find it fairly easy to identify policies.

Stack stands for candidates running for executive and legislative branches, but I always feel ill prepared when selecting between candidates running for judicial branch.

Well, we like their honesty, their Martin rivers, and the fact that we often don't talk about judicial races on this program or even election night.

We get in a few, like Court of Appeals, Supreme Court, but that's about it.

>> Well, I think this is just me, and I'm not involved in any judicial races this year, but I think it's more of a resume thing.

And I think a lot of voters, intelligent voters that really study the issues like to see somebody that has both prosecutorial experience and defense experience, because those usually, or at least if you have both of those, I think you have the mindset to be a judge better.

Now, I'm not saying that great judges don't come from one branch or the other, but I think that you've got to look at a resume and look at what they've done in the past, is really how I look at judicial candidates when I go to vote.

>> Anybody else got some wise?

>> I mean, I could do a whole solo act on why I hate the way that we select our judges because of this exact issue, because it's just it's incredibly hard.

You don't want judges who are going to come in with a predisposed position.

You want them to judge the the evidence in the case, which means they can't tell you and you don't you don't want a judge who's going to tell you, this is how I'm going to decide on issues, because that's not the job of a judge.

I think that this system is set up for for it to be very hard for voters.

And I, I don't I don't like the way that we do our job.

>> How would you change it?

>> Don't ask me that.

>> He's got a solo act already prepared.

Let him have a little bit.

>> You know, I used to have a different mindset.

I kind of like the Virginia system where the governor appoints, and then they get reconfirmed by the Senate every six years.

Jason Nemes, a state representative, has has an idea that some states do, which is basically you have a retention election the governor appoints, and then you have have a vote every 4 or 6, eight years, whatever it is.

And the question is not, do you want to vote for Tres Watson Robert Benvenuti?

The question is, do you want to keep Trey Watson?

And then if you say, no, that vacancy is open and the governor appoints somebody new.

You know, I just judicial.

You need I love the voters.

All you voters out there love you.

And I'm including myself in this.

We're not trained enough to be able to, I think, to be able to pick judges the way that judges need to be picked for the role that they play in our in our system.

>> Yeah.

Okay.

Not bad.

He got that under a minute.

Anybody else have any.

I've done a lot judicial.

>> Look, I think the bottom line is first of all, hats off to you for thinking these issues through.

Right?

Because we get we get ourselves into trouble when voters are not thoughtful, in my view.

So, you know, pick somebody who you think is the most thoughtful is the advice I would give.

Look at their record, whether they've been a judge before or whether they've just been a practicing attorney and never been a judge before.

Are they people who are thoughtful?

Are they people who will consider both sides and will render a fair decision?

Because at the end of the day, that's what you want.

Because if you don't have that, you know, then you get into philosophical issues when really, right, you have the facts and the law and you make the decision.

>> And perhaps the impeachment hearings that we went through during this last Kentucky General Assembly session with Julie Goodman and possibly others, maybe that's giving more rise to the conversation.

What do you think, Abby?

>> I would also say, you know, there are ways to do this.

Shout out to Martin, a good friend of mine, actually, not at all surprised that he is the first person to write in.

He's very, very active in his community and is a good question.

But I think that there are ways to find the answers to this.

Look at their social media.

Look at I mean, these are people within our communities.

Look at where they are involved or not involved in the communities.

Are they going to be an activist judge, or are they going to be a judge that really wants to be impartial and fair, which again, to.

>> And what is an activist judge for folks who may not have heard that.

>> Term.

>> Somebody who.

It's almost a it's a mission.

They want to go in and make sure that whatever they believe is the outcome at every single trial.

And you want somebody that's going to go in with no predisposed notions about the case at hand.

It's the same reason we have, you know, folks that come in for juries and are disqualified from juries because that's not what the judicial branch is for.

>> Yeah.

>> Any other comment on that?

Thank you.

Martin, because he is an avid viewer as well and loyal viewer.

So we appreciate of course, he'd have a thoughtful question.

So at the bottom of your screen, we can run how you can also ask some questions tonight.

You can do that by phone or email or by social media.

So if you want to ask something, go ahead and get in while the getting is good.

So let's talk about the U.S.

Senate race.

So and let's look at how Charles Booker is doing now and the messaging that he is sending.

And, you know, there is a larger discussion about who is the Democratic Party and is it the socialist movement at play and underfoot, and is that what he is espousing?

>> No.

Look, the Democratic Party is a big tent party, just like the Republican Party.

We have people sort of across the political spectrum.

I mean, even if you look in D.C.

we have independents that caucus with Democrats on Capitol Hill.

So there's room for everyone.

I think Charles is really trying to reflect the moment and doing a good job of it.

He's calling for accountability with Trump and Republicans who are cutting health care, cutting, snap cutting security for American families, driving up costs.

And he's also calling for accountability on Republicans who are ignoring the fact that their U.S.

senator is maybe asleep on the job, you know, and pointing out that Kentuckians need someone to show up and represent them, not just someone who's willing to show up and take a paycheck.

He's not really representing the right or the left.

He's just speaking for American people right now.

>> But he does have some very progressive views.

Medicare for all.

Many of people would think that that kind of leans left of left.

>> I think the term Medicare for all probably has a more progressive ring to it.

But I think there are so many Americans right now who are losing health care.

And the idea of just having health care guaranteed health care is not left or right.

It is, quite frankly, common sense to many Americans when they're struggling to afford the doctor.

So I think maybe in years past that would have ring more left.

But right now, again, I mean, we see it in Frankfort, we see it in D.C.

health care is a a landmark issue right now.

So I don't think that advocating for some form of health care for all is that far left.

>> For abolishing Ice last week or week before last, too.

So that's and.

>> And let's just use appropriate terms, right?

Having Medicare for all is socialized medicine.

It's a social, it's a socialistic approach that has failed universally across the world.

Right.

America does not have a perfect health care system, but they have a very good health care system.

And, you know.

>> If you can afford it.

>> No, we.

>> We, you know, that's just not true.

>> And why are all the other countries still have it?

>> We provide we provide far better health care than other countries.

They have a better system for paying for it, potentially.

But other people from other countries, if they're very sick, they come to the United States because we have the best doctors.

Other countries disincentivize people from becoming doctors, from practicing.

>> It's really not even debatable.

The facts are so clear on it.

And as Trey points out, that's why people in other countries who can buy out of that system and come to our country to get accessible, top quality health care, do exactly that.

Right.

And the people in those countries that can't get stuck in really a horrible system where you wait months and months or sometimes years for surgery.

How would you like to wait 2 or 3 years for a hip replacement instead of a week in the United States?

But the bottom line is that's not progressive.

That's socialism.

And Charles Booker leans clearly in that direction, and that's being kind.

He supported Bernie Sanders, who is a self espoused socialist.

And, you know, he has run before.

And Rand Paul, quite frankly, crushed him.

And I am very confident that Andy Barr, who is going to work his tail off like he always does and is going to explain to Kentuckians why they should elect him and not Charles Booker, will win by even a larger margin than.

Than Rand Paul beat Charles Booker.

>> This weekend on Fox News.

The co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America.

>> Oh, she.

>> Disappeared, and.

She's a prop.

>> And she and she she Charles Booker affiliates with that wing of the Democratic Party.

And she said she wants to abolish Ice.

She wants to abolish the U.S.

Senate, supports abolishing the United States president, supports nationalizing most major companies, supports getting rid of prisons, supports defunding the Pentagon.

You know, this.

>> Crazy lady in front of a microphone.

>> That theory.

Anyone who voted for Trump agrees with everything he says.

And then I have the authority to hang that on them, which I know you all don't want.

>> But Charles Booker is a is affiliating with that wing of the party.

>> Says, who.

>> Is this Charles Booker?

>> So has Charles Booker said all of those things that he is for all of those things?

>> No, no.

>> So Charles.

>> Booker is disavowing Democratic Socialists of America.

>> Charles Booker is not disavowing.

>> Getting rid of the Pentagon.

>> He's not disavowing.

>> Are you disavowing the one big, beautiful Bill and cuts to health care?

Are you disavowing someone who's a felon as a president?

>> I don't.

Affiliate myself.

>> With those things on you.

Under that theory.

>> I don't affiliate myself with that, with with, with some of the some of those people in the party, Charles Booker very distinctly affiliates himself with that wing of the Democratic Party.

>> I don't think he has very definitively done anything of the sort.

>> His rhetoric is pretty far to the left.

>> He's a Bernie Sanders supporter.

He wants to abolish Ice.

It smells like it.

>> But but but that's okay.

That's the lane he's picked.

Yeah.

You know, so I mean, I don't think there's anything wrong with it necessarily.

But I think for if you're going to run for that seat in Kentucky, that's a challenge certainly.

But you know, if that's the lane he wants to choose, then, you know.

>> That's the.

And also.

>> I think we're tiptoeing around the larger issue here.

And Morgan's probably gonna be really mad at me.

But what I'm going to say.

But if these DSA clowns want to come use our infrastructure, they need to get out.

They need to go find their own party like you all should have done with Maga.

They need to get out.

They need to go find their own party and let's have a serious conversation.

And until then, like that lady, nobody agrees with anything that lady said.

In fact, I guarantee you when we go do all the research, she's paid by a right wing group because what she said was so ridiculous.

>> The nobody, nobody believes her.

>> Look.

And do you equate socialism with Make America Great Again?

There are two diabolically.

>> Opposed philosophies.

Okay.

>> Look, how much money.

>> Is Trump.

>> Making right now?

>> Personally.

>> Let me just tell you something.

You're absolutely right.

He picked a lane.

And it's a lane that only about 10% of Kentuckians support.

>> And that I agree with you that I agree with you.

>> The proof, the the proof is out there.

This is why it's those radical philosophies.

Why common sense Republicans.

>> Like invading.

>> Greenland have have come to the Republican Party in droves.

I mean, supermajorities in the House and the Senate, State in the state House, state Senate.

We've got every congressional seat except one.

We'll leave this election cycle at a minimum at that.

And I'll tell you what, there is a candidate over in the Third, Maria Rodriguez, who is outstanding, outstanding.

And I would encourage everybody to listen to her story about coming here from Cuba and how Cuba turned its back on capitalism with the promise of socialism, and is now a communistic country where people suffer greatly every day.

So very possible.

We have a clean sweep.

We get we have all the congressional seats, and obviously we'll have both the Senate seats.

>> So I do want to go back to something that Morgan mentioned earlier about Senator McConnell.

And I am curious from Republicans about what does the some would perceive as lack of transparency about his health status.

What kind of shadow does that cast over this U.S.

Senate race?

We've heard Charles Booker come out and ask for transparency as well as other Democrats, but Congressman Andy Barr has been pretty mum on on this.

So what does this do?

>> Senator McConnell just issued another statement today.

I don't I don't know why everybody thinks they need to pilfer through his medical records.

I think that's odd.

Number one a little creepy.

And I think also it's the hypocrisy from the left.

I mean, we watch Joe Biden for four years, not even to know where he was or who he was talking to.

Senator McConnell, obviously very powerful.

>> Individual.

>> Went out in front of cameras and talked.

We haven't heard McConnell talk.

We haven't seen a video of him.

>> The president talked to people who weren't even there, who had died.

But so I would say it would be better to have no conversation than that conversation.

But nonetheless, you know, it's interesting to me that Democrats didn't care anything about that.

And though Senator McConnell is one of 100, but the Republicans.

>> Did, and they're doing the exact same thing that the Democrats are doing now.

>> You know, Renee, I disagree with that because one Senator McConnell doesn't.

>> Have didn't.

>> Bring up Biden's.

>> Health.

>> Doesn't know, doesn't have his finger on the the button, so to speak.

And two, Senator McConnell has been transparent.

Again, what else do you need to know?

>> And what about a 15 second video?

If they can put out a still photo, many would say.

>> Scott Jennings for 20 minutes, but he can't call into a radio station for 30.

>> A PR.

>> You're a PR person.

>> I mean.

>> What's wrong with with getting health care?

What's wrong with having to take some time off from work?

I mean, there's nothing wrong with that.

>> I think there's a couple things at play here.

One, politically he's not on the ballot.

So do I think it'll hurt Republicans in the fall?

No.

When people go into the ballot ballot box, he's not on there.

Also, politically, I think Andy Beshear learned a very valuable lesson politically, which is if you feed a dog, it keeps coming back and wants more food.

He threw a bone to the radical nutjob online left.

And guess what?

They keep coming back hungry and he can't possibly feed them fast enough.

And they're eating him alive.

Honestly, right now, knowing Senator McConnell's brain, I would be shocked if he says anything publicly until they are done feasting on Andy Beshear, his corpse politically.

Because.

Because right now, most of the attention online has shifted from Mitch McConnell to why isn't Andy Beshear doing more?

And at the left, attacking Andy Beshear.

I'm sure McConnell folks are loving what's happening there.

But at the end of the day, he's not running again.

He he has admitted publicly his his his physical frailty, which is why he's not running again.

We have had many, many, many members of the U.S.

Senate and House of both parties have much longer absences, some of them completely unexplained.

In both parties, at least.

There's there's public explanations here.

This bizarre obsession with this Mitch McConnell.

I think all of it comes from there are people on the right, far right and the far left.

It's like that meme of the shaking hands.

They hate Mitch McConnell in.

They're rooting for him to be dead.

And it's gross.

It's ghoulish.

It's disgusting.

And it is the worst of our national politics.

And I wish we could just get get beyond it and shame on Andy Beshear.

And I look straight in the camera and say this, shame on you, governor, for feeding these people and for playing into this.

>> This is why people don't like politics, right?

Because the same people that are upset about where in a fuss about where's Mitch McConnell said nothing when Dianne Feinstein was out of the Senate for three months, and I'm sweeping with a broad brush here.

But but that hypocrisy on both sides.

That's why people don't like politics.

That's why people don't get engaged in elections and in politics.

Because how many people do you know?

There's like, you know, I don't like politics.

I'm not into that because it's because of that.

Right.

>> All right.

Well, we do wish Senator McConnell well, and we wish him a speedy recovery.

So any more about that before we move on?

You look like you want to say something, Morgan, I don't know.

>> I think when you accept a paycheck from taxpayers, you have a duty to serve.

You have a duty to be transparent about your ability to serve.

Taxpayer money is not something to be played with.

And when you continue to accept that paycheck, but you are unwilling to admit that you are no longer fit to serve, and you are unwilling to be transparent about that.

I think people like Governor Beshear and people across this Commonwealth have the right to question what they're paying for and whether they are getting their money's worth.

>> I think the ROI that Kentucky taxpayers have gotten on Senator McConnell's lifetime salary in the U.S.

Senate has been paid off a thousand fold.

>> Is Governor Beshear handling this wrong?

Jared Smith.

>> I don't know.

I mean, he's running for a national platform.

He's dealing with national issues now.

So, you know, you know, he's he's in a very, very, very crowded Democratic primary field.

He's, you know, he's got to find a way to stand out in those fields.

And so I think this was what he thought could be an advantage for him to get his name back up there into the news.

>> But it's not working.

I mean, the recent polls don't have him anywhere on the on the split screen of presidential contenders in the Democratic column.

>> Well, I mean, it's going to the field is going to get more crowded anyway.

And so I don't I don't know what his his future intentions are.

I wish him I wish him the best.

But, you know, you know, I just it's one of those things that, like Trey said, once you start messing with the fringes, you don't know what you're getting into.

>> All right.

So this question, Harry Wheeler from Ballard County asked if the panelists could say something nice or positive about the other party.

Are there other candidates?

Are there any candidates they like or any policies they approve of from the other side?

That's a good question.

Thank you, Harry Wheeler.

>> Look, the whole reason I started the podcast that I have is that people thought I was this, like, monster that was a spokesman for RPC.

And I had to remind people, like, I'm playing a job here.

This is my job is to come out and be the be the heel.

In wrestling terms, Jared Smith is one of my very good friends.

Adam, Ellen, Adam, Adam Moore, Rocky Adkins and I are friendly.

You know, I think that I think that oftentimes people, again, people confuse sometimes politics is a little bit like pro wrestling.

You come out here and you say, oh, you awful people on the left and you're doing a job selling for your selling for your side.

And I think that we probably need to do more.

Reminding the public that we are all friends and we, we will have, you know, dinner or drinks or whatever after, after shows like this.

I think that that's, I think that's probably the side that the public doesn't see enough.

>> Well, even Trey and I were on the, on the same side here have had near screaming matches over public education.

Right?

Because as he calls me, I'm a shill for public education.

But that only brought us closer together because it's that part, that argument that that makes us alive, that makes us part of this whole process.

You know, I think Rocky is a great example of somebody who's really good at working across the aisle and doing that.

But I would say about Democrats is the Democrats that I know they really believe what they say.

They really stand for what they believe in.

And that's, you know, that's worth something.

It takes courage to do that in this world.

>> Well, aren't Republicans also standing for what they believe in?

I mean, could you say that about them?

>> I thought we assumed that.

>> I assume.

>> Nothing in which Republicans are talking about.

>> What I'm gonna say is, this is why I actually enjoy playing in state politics.

I have a lot of friends that are Republican Assembly members.

They're great guys.

I would have never got to know them if I didn't have the job I have now.

And I a lot of them are really good friends.

And so at the national level, it's very hard to do that because the elections are so polarized.

There's so much money.

>> It's all.

>> About fundraising.

>> It's all about fundraising, you know?

So that's why I enjoy state politics.

Also, you can actually get stuff done in state politics, you know, so and so.

>> I yeah, say.

>> Something nice about the other.

>> Side of the party.

People are laughing my.

>> Job but working.

I was in Governor Bashir's legislative office during his first term and Robert Stivers and David Osborne still give me big hugs anytime I see them.

Jimmy Higdon was some of the best conversations I had with legislators.

I think there's a lot of great people.

And to trace point, sometimes we need to remind each other that we're all human and we can disagree vehemently.

But that doesn't mean that, you know, we dislike each other as people.

>> And as Frankfort still very different from Washington in that way.

Robert, you served in the Kentucky General.

>> Assembly six wonderful years over there and served with Rocky Adkins.

I can tell you he gives a great floor speech.

The only the only floor speeches I liked better than my own were Rocky's.

But mine were right on the policy.

But he is a fantastic public speaker, and he and I have shared a lot of time together.

You know, when a lot of people don't realize a lot of downtime on the on the House floor, a lot of downtime, though I think Republicans have done a great job of cutting that down, but nonetheless, a lot of downtime.

So you do form relationships on both sides.

And, and I think I hope he would agree.

And I hope I'm not getting him into trouble.

But I think Rocky and I have a very good relationship.

And like I said, he's a fantastic speaker.

>> That's a legislative travel.

You know, I think sometimes people will will attack General Assembly members for for some of this travel right now, a lot of them are up in Chicago at the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Those serve two big two purposes.

One, Kentucky is a state that's famous.

You know, Mark Twain said, when the world ends, I want to be in Kentucky because everything happens 25 years late there.

We tend to be the last to adopt a lot of policies, which has a there's a good point to that, which is we get to see what's what works and what doesn't work in other states.

You learn about that stuff at these sorts of these sorts of conferences.

But to this conversation, you also get to travel and you go places out of town and spend a lot of time with people in your party and people in the other party.

And, you know, you get to make those relationships outside of the kind of crucible of, of, of policy making.

And I think that that's, that's something valuable that, again, we don't see as you don't get as much out of DC anymore, you still have a bunch of codes and stuff.

People travel, but you got to go back for a fundraiser because it's all about the all about the money.

>> Yeah.

Well, and just the public doesn't see that.

Right?

So that's, that's the.

>> Way I do.

I've been yelled at.

Jean McLean, another Democrat that I love.

>> So okay, there you go.

I think though.

>> Importantly, right at the end of the day, it's about the policy and the leadership.

And Kentuckians have chose Republicans overwhelmingly.

And, you know, during I had a unique experience in the House because I was there for three terms of six years, four years in the minority.

So I know what that's like.

And two years in the majority.

And I know what that's like.

And, you know, obviously you want to be in the majority.

But the big compliment I think you carry when you're in the majority is that Kentuckians like your policies better, not 100% of the time, and they don't like everything you say and or you do.

But for the majority of the time, they do like your policies.

They do trust in your policies.

And, you know, we continue to see registration, our registration numbers go up.

You know, Republicans now lead by about a quarter of a million as far as voter registration in Kentucky, which is shocking when you think about just ten years ago.

>> But independents are also up.

>> Yeah.

And and that's great.

And again, I think at least when I talk to independents, the vast majority are more in line with the Republican Party of Kentucky than the Democratic Party of Kentucky.

And, you know, just in June, for example, I know the Democrats think that there's some wave coming.

There's not, number one.

And, you know, when you when you look at predictors just for this is just one example, you know, in June, in June alone, we picked up 5500 registered voters, and the Democrats lost about 446, I think.

So that just tells you that continuously the Republican Party of Kentucky grows.

And it's because we have common sense ideas and because we serve the people of Kentucky the best.

>> And Democrats are also signing on to those, quote, common sense ideas.

I mean, most of the policies that are passed by the Kentucky General Assembly, 90 to 95% are bipartisan.

>> They're actually kind of nonpartisan, in my opinion.

I mean, I don't care who comes up with the idea, if it's a good idea and it makes people's in Kentucky's lives better, everybody should be for it.

You know, we're all going to disagree on 20 or 30% of the stuff, but we all agree on 60, you know, 60, 65% of the stuff we all agree on.

Trey and I agree on pretty much everything except when it comes to tax policy.

And then your, your, your bedrock issues like choice and public education and unions for me.

>> And Canada.

>> And Canada.

Yeah, Canada, I like Canada.

He wants to invade Canada.

And so it's when you get into we, we spent so much time divided and arguing about 20% of the stuff that doesn't really matter to the hard working people on both parties that are sitting down at their dinner tables trying to figure out how they're going to make rent or how they're going to pay their mortgage, how they're going to buy groceries.

You know, you know, when things are getting more and more expensive.

And so I think that for both sides, and I think that that alone is what it should all be about, but we let the shiny objects distract us.

>> You know, the question originally was, say something nice about I will point out two members of the Kentucky State Senate, and I've told them, I've told one person recently that I've said this on the radio Carter, Heavrin and Cassie Chambers Armstrong, two members in Carter very, very far left from from Louisville.

But she's found they they both understand I'm in.

I'm in the minority, but I still need to deliver things for my community and for my constituency.

They have worked hard to find issues that they believe they can get Republicans behind at some level.

And they've been successful passing legislation, or at least Cassie Chambers Armstrong had a couple of bills that are that are on the precipice.

I think of stuff like the diaper tax.

And I, I admire those those Democrats who kind of understand the legislative situation that they're in.

We did it as Republicans for years, understand the legislative situation that you're in and find find things that are in in my party's wheelhouse that I can still bring some some of the other party along with me and get something passed.

I think that.

>> Heavrin worked with Senate President Robert Stivers on the no knock warrant legislation.

>> And Senator Higdon this year on another issue that's Tina Bojanowski in the House is a great example.

Working with Tipton on the three cueing the literacy bills.

There are some great examples out there of Democrats who are doing the hard work, and certainly I would say they're one of them.

>> What's sad is that's not sexy and it doesn't get clicks online.

So you get a lot less coverage of those stories than you do when it's Partizan.

>> Unless you're watching KET.

>> That's right, that's right.

>> Okay, so real quickly, 8.5 minutes.

Let's just talk a little bit about the president.

And even though Democrats are on shaky ground, the president's confidence in the president is also a little shaky.

A Fox News poll released just last week found several voters are unhappy or wanting major change, which bodes well, they say, for Democrats in November, Trump's job approval remains near a record low.

More Democrats are motivated to vote.

Allegedly, Republicans joined Democrats and independents and rating the economy negatively.

And 4 in 10 voters want, quote, dramatic or revolutionary change.

Plus, Moore view the GOP as tied to elites than the Democratic Party.

That's from Fox News.

How do you respond to that, Robert?

>> Well, look, that's polling.

It's nationwide polling.

The the majorities in the in the Senate and the House will come down to a few swing districts across the country.

And if you look at really any measure, so, you know, the RNC, what they have on hand, 30 plus million dollars, I believe was was the latest count.

Democrats are a couple million in the hole.

They've raised 16, but they.

018 and if you just look at the general mood of the country, I do not think at all that that poll really supports how people will vote is their frustration about the economy.

Sure.

But I think at the end of the day, folks are going to realize, well, let's see, the Democrats burned our economy for four years and you can't flip the switch and fix it all in two years.

There's the war in Iran again.

Who caused that problem?

Who funded our nuclear program?

The Democrats did Biden.

Obama did.

Now President Trump has to come in and fix it and fix it aggressively so that our children and grandchildren don't face a nuclear Iran.

Do you think the Strait of Hormuz is difficult now, if if Iran was fully nuclear capable, they could simply just say it's $1 million tariff to for any ship that comes through.

And what would we be able to do about it?

Short of a total nuclear war?

So again, I think at the end of the day, people are going to go in the voting booth and they're going to say, we're not where I want to be, or we want to be our family or them individually.

But I recognize that what the Republicans are doing is digging out of the hole that the Democrats put them into, and it takes more than two years to do that.

And and also on top of that, last time I checked, President Trump is not on the ballot in two years, and he'll never be on the ballot again.

And therefore, I just really don't think that people are going to pick their their next senator or their next congressman based on President Trump.

I think they're going to pick those people based on those candidates that are before them.

And in Kentucky, we have the best candidates.

>> Morgan Eaves what a luxury it would be to vote based on, you know, we're not where we should be, but I'm going to give them 2 or 4, 2 or 4 more years when Kentuckians, on average, you know, have have spent 567 more dollars in gas just this summer because of the war in Iran, which, by the way, is a problem that was not started by Biden or Obama.

It was decidedly started by Donald Trump.

I mean, it is wholeheartedly on his shoulders.

Why gas prices and energy prices continue to go up, why 70% of Kentucky farmers say they can't afford fertilizer because the the war in Iran has raised costs so much.

Why?

People are by the thousands losing health care under the a c a because Republicans chose not to protect lower premiums.

It would be a luxury for Kentucky families and American families to say, I can keep shouldering that cost.

But when inflation is nearing a three year high, when the majority of jobs being created are low wage, being paid under the living wage, families do not have that luxury.

And when you start an argument based on fundraising numbers and who's got the most millions of dollars in the bank, which party, it does lend to an elitist point of view.

>> Now, what it.

>> Does is it talking about people who can't afford health care or child care, who have to choose between paying the light bill or the grocery bill?

I mean, it is it is that people did that for four.

>> Years under Biden, and Biden was driving up energy prices intentionally on Americans far higher than they are now.

And Donald Trump made them better for a while.

And no question, the the war in Iran is, is an issue that's being addressed.

And again, it's not a matter of luxury.

It's a matter that the Democrats have nothing to offer but the misery of what we had under the four years of Biden cities on fire, energy costs made intentionally higher so that people would feel compelled to buy vehicles they didn't want to buy.

And I just don't think that Kentuckians, nor most Americans want to go back to the philosophies that were in place under Biden and the policies under Biden.

Nor do they want to go to the more radical socialist agenda that's also being pitched by many of these candidates.

I just don't see it.

And again, it's not a luxury.

It's that the Democrats have nothing to offer except a socialistic view of how our country should be run.

And the vast majority of Americans reject that out of hand.

>> From a practical standpoint, Kim campaigns are run on two questions.

Do I want to keep the person that I have, and do I want the.

The other option.

It's.

You kind of have to.

Do you have to have both things work for you?

2010 another midterm election.

Republicans messed that up.

We had we nominated Christine O'Donnell, we nominated Todd Akin, we nominated the bad Chris McDaniel, not ours.

The other one.

Then we Sharron Angle in Nevada, we nominated people that were not that were not good candidates.

That was the height of the Tea Party.

And we should have flipped the U.S.

Senate that year.

We didn't because we had that.

We had bad candidates.

Voters didn't necessarily want the Democrat incumbent that they had, but they didn't want this other person either.

And I think that that's going to be a question that plays out nationwide, because the Democrats and I talk about this often, they're they're having very much kind of their own Tea Party movement with with the rise of the of the DSA in their ranks.

And, you know, I think that Democrats have a potential to struggle.

I mean, midterms are always hard for the party in power, but there's a potential for Democrats to struggle this year on because they're messing up some of these nominations.

>> 45 seconds.

>> Jared.

>> Real quick, the president ran on three things.

There were pillars of his platform.

No new wars, released the Epstein files and prosecute the people in them.

And I will bring down inflation and make everything affordable again.

He has since on the record of starting a war.

We now have to pay to have stuff transmitted through the Strait of Hormuz, which we didn't beforehand.

Epstein files.

He completely dropped the ball on that.

And also he's on record saying, I don't care about affordability.

He has looked people in the eye in the press and the microphones and says, I do not care about affordability.

So I don't know how the Republicans can say that.

That's a winning message in the fall.

>> All right.

We're going to leave it there.

It was good, good conversation, good conversation from my last Kentucky tonight.

I couldn't imagine a better group of people to share that moment with and to Share.

These last ten years with you on Kentucky tonight and 30 here at this network.

I'll say my goodbye to Friday night at 630 eastern, 530 central on Kentucky edition.

So you have to wait till then.

I'm not one of those anchors that cries every day on air.

That's not how Renee Shaw rolls, but I have certainly been blessed, and it's been a. To come to your home every Monday night and the tradition will continue.

We've got some great programing Fancy Farm coverage Saturday beginning at 230 eastern, 130 central.

Laura Rogers will be here with a gang that will just outdo everybody else for the Fancy Farm coverage.

And then, of course, comment on Kentucky with Bill Bryant.

And until I see you again, I'm Renee Shaw.

Have a really good night.

[MUSIC] And as always, take very good care.