Shots Fired
By 
You’ll be unsurprised that I’m tracking the opening salvos of the 2028 Invisible Primary…
Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky sharply disagreed with a decision by Gov. Gavin Newsom of California to host Steve Bannon, one of the architects of the MAGA movement, on Mr. Newsom’s new podcast this week, saying Mr. Bannon’s voice should not be elevated “on any platform ever, anywhere.”
Mr. Beshear, a Democrat who was vetted to be former Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate in 2024 and who is considered a possible candidate for president in 2028, made his comments on Thursday, shortly before speaking to House Democrats gathered for a planning retreat in Northern Virginia this week.
“I think that Governor Newsom bringing on different voices is great,” Mr. Beshear told a small group of reporters. “We shouldn’t be afraid to talk and to debate just about anyone. But Steve Bannon espouses hatred and anger and even at some points violence, and I don’t think we should give him oxygen on any platform — ever, anywhere.”
I have literally no idea why Newsom thought it was a good idea to bring Bannon onto his podcast when he’s going to be facing a competitive primary, and I’m glad that Beshear is making him pay for it. Speaking of which, this is a preview of how Beshear is going to position himself on trans rights:
Mr. Beshear drew a distinction with Mr. Newsom on that issue, as well. In 2022, Mr. Beshear vetoed legislation that would have let student athletes play only in sports based on the sex listed on their birth certificate. His veto was overridden.
“I think that sports need to be fair, but I believe that our different leagues have more than the ability to make that happen,” Mr. Beshear said on Thursday, adding that the Kentucky high school athletic association had its own rules to prevent any “unfair advantage.”
“But our Legislature decided they needed to pass something anyways,” he added. “And you know what they did? They took away an opportunity for the only trans athlete we had in our state, who’s a middle schooler, who started a field hockey team at her school that had never had one to make friends.
As in a lot of other social issues Beshear has the luxury of vetoing anything given that the veto can be overridden by a simple legislative majority. Newsom has to actually take responsibility for outcomes in California, which is probably going to be a drag. Beshear can make the argument that he can win in Kentucky without sacrificing commitments to social issues the Democratic coalition holds dear, which is probably going to be an advantage.