NBC’s Seth Meyers’s Tuesday interview with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear could have been a case study in how the late night comedians conduct interviews with Democratic politicians. First, the Late Night host asked some softball questions about podcasting and Gen Z slang and then followed up with a strategy planning session to help Democrats win again.
In addition to his gubernatorial duties, Beshear also has a podcast, which led Meyers to wonder, “I'm so happy to have you here. Your whole family was backstage. I met your kids. You got a couple of Gen Z kids. The Democrats are trying to connect with Gen Z. You got a couple right there for you. And I know your son has come on your podcast to at least try to help you with Gen Z slang. How has that been going?”
Beshear conceded, “Well, it tends to make dad look 1,000 years old. But in episode one, I learned the difference between something being ‘Skibidi’ and ‘Fire.’ And on episode two, I've learned I'm doing all this for the plot.”
Meyers then advised, “Now I think it's very helpful, I think it's good to know -- learn that slang so you understand it, but I would also tell you don't use it.”
Holding up Beshear’s podcasts’ cover photo, Meyers jokingly asked, “That is. Now, you do have a podcast. And obviously, based on the photo, you wanted to attract Gen Z listeners. Really, really. Is that thirsty? Would you say that's thirsty? Sus, is that sus maybe? I don't know.”
Eventually getting to the podcast itself, Meyers wondered, “That's just you. And I think the podcast is just you. You don't just talk to politicians or just about politics. Have you enjoyed being a podcaster?”
After Beshear affirmed he has, Meyers turned to more pressing matters, “You won by one percent your first time out and then five percent your next time out. This is a state that Donald Trump carried by 30 percent? Is that about right?... So I think everybody maybe is looking to you to ask this question of what is the secret? And what would you say is the best advice you give to them?”
Beshear responded by giving his party three suggestions. First, “make sure you're spending that 80 percent of your time on people's everyday needs. If people don't believe they have a job that can support their family, pay the grocery bill, or maybe even take their family on vacation every once in a while, they'll vote for anybody that they truly believe is fighting for them.”
He also implored his party to “start talking like normal human beings again. Not talking at people but talking to people,” and “People are looking for authenticity. People who are being real and leveling with them. Democrats are really good at the what, we're really good at the policy position. Point two, subpoint three, bullet point four, but we're very bad at talking about our why. Why we made a decision. For me, that's my faith.”
After some quips about his 2023 campaign, Beshear continued, “Thank goodness that wasn't the case. Otherwise, you'd have a very different guest. But I'm in the middle of my re-election, and my legislature, which is of the other party, passes the nastiest piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation my state had ever seen, and I veto it, because it's the right thing to do. But when I explain my why, I say my faith teaches me that all children are children of God, and I don't want people picking on those kids. If the legislature was going to show them hate, I was going to try to show them love.”
Beshear would ramble on, but the basic idea that Democrats only need to change how they talk and not what they need to talk about is one that resonates with Meyers. Yes, Beshear is a Democratic governor in a dark red state, but he still received fewer votes than Kamala Harris. If he decides to run for president in 2028, he and Meyers won’t be able to spin away the fact that he’s just another Democrat.
Here is a transcript for the Septmebr 9-taped show:
NBC Late Night with Seth Meyers
9/10/2025
1:04 AM ET
SETH MEYERS: I'm so happy to have you here. Your whole family was backstage. I met your kids. You got a couple of Gen Z kids.
ANDY BESHEAR: I do.
MEYERS: The Democrats are trying to connect with Gen Z. You got a couple right there for you.
BESHEAR: Right there.
MEYERS: And I know your son has come on your podcast to at least try to help you with Gen Z slang. How has that been going?
BESHEAR: Well, it tends to make dad look 1,000 years old.
MEYERS: Yeah.
BESHEAR: But in episode one, I learned the difference between something being "Skibidi" and "Fire."
MEYERS: Okay. Okay.
BESHEAR: And on episode two, I've learned I'm doing all this for the plot.
MEYERS: Really?
BESHEAR: Yes, indeed.
MEYERS: Now I think it's very helpful, I think it's good to know -- learn that slang so you understand it, but I would also tell you don't use it.
BESHEAR: They say that is cringe.
MEYERS: That is. Now, you do have a podcast. And obviously, based on the photo, you wanted to attract Gen Z listeners.
BESHEAR: Working on it.
MEYERS: Really, really. Is that thirsty? Would you say that's thirsty? Sus, is that sus maybe? I don't know.
BESHEAR: I think that's just me.
MEYERS: That's just you. And I think the podcast is just you. You don't just talk to politicians—
BESHEAR: That’s right.
MEYERS: -- or just about politics. Have you enjoyed being a podcaster?
BESHEAR: I've enjoyed it, for once, I get to ask the questions.
MEYERS: Yeah, not bad.
BESHEAR: But what I love about it is it's not about conflict. It's not about just politics. It's about trying to process this crazy world we live in right now. The idea that we can talk about the tough issues but in a conversation among friends where by the time we're done, we're ready to face the week ahead. Because the news hits you just over and over right now. And the goal is to process that anxiety. But then be ready, you know, not to move left or right but to move forward. And what I love about it is we have Democrats and Republicans on. And we agree on about 80 percent of everything we talk about.
MEYERS: You are a Democratic governor in a state that many would say that can't possibly be true.
BESHEAR: Many.
MEYERS: You won by one percent your first time out and then five percent your next time out. This is a state that Donald Trump carried by 30 percent? Is that about right?
BESHEAR: Thirty.
MEYERS: So I think everybody maybe is looking to you to ask this question of what is the secret? And what would you say is the best advice you give to them?
BESHEAR: The best advice I can give is three parts. First, make sure you're spending that 80 percent of your time on people's everyday needs. If people don't believe they have a job that can support their family, pay the grocery bill, or maybe even take their family on vacation every once in a while, they'll vote for anybody that they truly believe is fighting for them.
So, 80 percent of our time on jobs, on health care, on infrastructure, on education, and on public safety.
The second thing I tell them is let's start talking like normal human beings again. Not talking at people but talking to people. We've let these terms like “substance use disorder” or “food insecurity” become a part of our lingo that you wouldn't use in talking with your friend. In other words, if I was going to talk about the damage of that Big Ugly Bill, if I tell you more seniors or more children are going to be food insecure, that's not going to have an impact. But if I tell you they're going to go hungry when they go to bed at night or wake up in the morning, but the last part I think is the most important. People are looking for authenticity.
People who are being real and leveling with them. Democrats are really good at the what, we're really good at the policy position. Point two, subpoint three, bullet point four, but we're very bad at talking about our why. Why we made a decision. For me, that's my faith, so I remember -- I'm in my re-election in 2023. And you were kind about 2019. I won by .4 percent, but you can round up.
MEYERS: Yeah, it’s a little big for me to round up. I should have said it was -- I want to get back and say it was a tie.
BESHEAR: Thank goodness that wasn't the case. Otherwise, you'd have a very different guest. But I'm in the middle of my re-election, and my legislature, which is of the other party, passes the nastiest piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation my state had ever seen, and I veto it, because it's the right thing to do.
But when I explain my why, I say my faith teaches me that all children are children of God, and I don't want people picking on those kids. If the legislature was going to show them hate, I was going to try to show them love. If they were going to show them judgment, I was going to try to show them acceptance. And I'll never forget, the next day, I'm at an event opening a factory, 'cause that's where we got to be the next day. And a guy in a trucker hat makes a beeline towards me. And I think, "Oh, goodness, I know what's coming." But he sticks his hand out and that's a good sign. And he says, "Governor, I'm not sure I agree with what you did yesterday, but I know you're doing what you think is right."
And he patted me on the back and he walked on. So, maybe it’s that why, having enough respect even for people who disagree with you to explain it, that can create that grace and space where maybe we can have these conversations.