Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear waves to the audience after delivering the State of the Commonwealth address on Jan. 7, 2026, in Frankfort. (Photo: Arden Barnes/Kentucky Lantern)
WASHINGTON — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s faith calls on him to address hunger, access to health care and social services, he said during an event Thursday at the progressive Center for American Progress that previewed a potential campaign in the 2028 cycle.
The Trump administration has “hijacked” the faith, the Democrat said, leading to harm instead of helping people. He pointed to the consequences of the major tax cuts and spending package passed by Republicans last year, which paid off the tax cuts with changes to food assistance and health care that will cause millions of people to lose access to those safety nets.
“Do we use our faith to help people or to hurt someone?” he said. “It’s that simple.”
More than 100,000 people are expected to be kicked off the SNAP program, and in Kentucky alone, 25 rural hospitals are at risk of closing, he said.
“The reason I talk about faith is because it motivates me. (It) is the reason I am willing to stand up, no matter how mean and cruel the world has become, and fight to make it just a little bit better,” he said.
The upcoming White House bid?
Beshear, 48, is widely expected to run for president in 2028, and he did not rule out a run when viewers asked how he would govern if he wins the presidency.
Like previous presidential candidates, he is preparing for this book tour. He told a team of advisers that his upcoming book explores how his Christian faith carried him through arduous times as governor, from the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic to the deadly tornadoes, and how he believes those values can heal the country’s deep polarization.
“At the end of the day, we have to get to… I hope you say you’re an American long before you say you’re a Democrat or a Republican,” Beshear said.
Beshear was a leading candidate for 2024 Democratic nominee Kamala Harris before she chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Immigration
One viewer asked Beshear how he would handle immigration if he became president. The issue has dominated political discourse since the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents last month in Minneapolis.
Beshear said every federal immigration officer should be trained and raised concerns about what he called constitutional violations, such as agents entering private residences without a court order.
“What we see (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is enforcement agency out of control,” he said. “They are overly aggressive compared to any other law enforcement group in the country.”
He said law enforcement operations like the one in Minneapolis “will continue in other places if the current leadership continues and if they are not fully trained.”
Beshear said the country needs comprehensive immigration reform that addresses long-term undocumented immigrants in the country and also ensures a lasting workforce.
“I think there is a reasonable way to continue immigration,” he said.
RFK as a campaign model
Another listener asked Beshear whether a potential 2028 Democratic presidential bid would resemble the style of Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 campaign, which aimed to unite a country deeply divided in the midst of the Vietnam War, massive poverty and the Civil Rights Movement. Kennedy was a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination before his assassination in June 1968.
Beshear said yes.
“Absolutely,” he said. “When I think about his campaign… you think about hope, you think about connection. He made you feel that progress was possible, that we could face huge adversaries like poverty, and that we could achieve more.”
