Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was among the speakers during the first night of the Democratic National Convention, during which he engaged in the usual display of ad hominem attacks and specious claims about prominent Republicans.
The following morning, he participated in an MSNBC interview that included a comment that critics said went much further than a standard partisan attack aimed at GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance.
As the Daily Mail reported:
Sen. J.D. Vance lashed out at Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear for wishing a member of his family would become pregnant through rape.
The Republican vice presidential nominee slammed Beshear for the ‘disgusting’ comment made the night after he spoke about protecting abortion rights on night one of Democratic National Convention.
‘Make him go through this,’ Beshear said on MSNBC on Tuesday morning.
Vance was quick to respond to the alarming rhetoric via social media:
What the hell is this?
Why is @AndyBeshearKY wishing that a member of my family would get raped?!?
What a disgusting person. https://t.co/11Kp1h92MN
— JD Vance (@JDVance) August 20, 2024
The Trump-Vance campaign also released a scathing indictment of Beshear’s remarks:
BREAKING: The Trump-Vance campaign releases a statement on Kamala surrogate Andy Beshear’s vile comments at DNC https://t.co/LNCxrBXCuZ pic.twitter.com/Sir6VmtvXs
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 20, 2024
Plenty of other X users were similarly incensed:
First Beshear was mad at Vance for not remaining poor, now he wants Vance's daughter to get raped.
People really tried saying at the beginning of this Beshear was a rising talent who needs a look! https://t.co/WN0Owwbk4r
— Kevin Tierney (@CatholicSmark) August 20, 2024
🚨BREAKING: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear just announced on 'Morning Joe' that he wishes for a member of JD Vance's family to become pregnant due to rape.
"Make him go through this." Disgusting! Embarrassing! Disgraceful!
The Trump-Vance campaign just announced a statement on… pic.twitter.com/ulGtI19Hml
— AJ Huber (@Huberton) August 20, 2024
Fox News sought to address the governor’s blatant effort to mischaracterize Vance’s position on the issue:
Vance has not referred to pregnancy resulting in rape as inconvenient. Rather, as a then-Senate candidate, Vance once said, “It’s not whether a woman should be forced to bring a child to term. It’s whether a child should be allowed to live even though the circumstances of that child’s birth are somehow inconvenient or a problem to society.”
Vance has repeatedly said that he supports abortion access for exceptions of rape, incest, and if the life of a mother is at risk. He supports President Donald Trump’s position that abortion policies should be decided at the state level — which is what the Supreme Court decided in 2022. He also supports IVF access.
Incredibly, Beshear no only refused to apologize for his comment, but in a subsequent appearance on the same network displayed the audacity to claim that Vance is simply trying to make himself the victim:
🚨JUST ANNOUNCED: Kamala surrogate Andy Beshear not only refuses to apologize to JD Vance for wishing rape on a member of his family on 'Morning Joe' at the DNC but doubles down on his horrible comments, claims that JD "is trying to make himself the victim" and says that he… pic.twitter.com/DWpJHumMHV
— AJ Huber (@Huberton) August 20, 2024
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