FAIRFIELD, Ohio (AP) — Although President Donald Trump is the top Democratic nemesis, some of the party’s most ambitious leaders are increasingly looking past him and at Vice President JD Vance.
In the latest example, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear traveled to Vance’s home county in Ohio, where on Saturday night he said the vice president had abandoned the communities that he wrote about in the memoir that made him famous.
kAmq6D962C D2:5 “w:==3:==J t=68J[” H9:49 56E2:=65 ‘2?46VD 92C5D4C233=6 FA3C:?8:?8[ 925 “EC277:4<65 😕 E:C65 DE6C6@EJA6D]”k^Am
kAm“w:D 3@@< ‘w:==3:==J t=68J’ H2D C62==J 9:==3:==J 92E6[” E96 8@G6C?@C D2:5 2E 2 s6>@4C2E:4 7F?5C2:D6C 😕 qFE=6C r@F?EJ] “xE 😀 A@G6CEJ E@FC:D>[ 3642FD6 96 2:?’E 7C@> pAA2=249:2]”k^Am
kAm%96 3C@25D:56 H2D ?@E @?=J 2 D:8? @7 q6D962C’D @H? A@E6?E:2= AC6D:56?E:2= 2DA:C2E:@?D[ 3FE 2 C67=64E:@? @7 ‘2?46’D DE2EFD 2D E96 #6AF3=:42? 96:C 2AA2C6?E E@ E96 4@2=:E:@? E92E EH:46 6=64E65 %CF>A E@ E96 (9:E6 w@FD6]k^Am
kAm“(:E9 6G6CJ 52J E92E A2DD6D[ H6 86E 4=@D6C E@ 2 52J H96? s@?2=5 %CF>A 😀 ?@ =@?86C AC6D:56?E] p?5 H6 ?665 E@ AC6A2C6 7@C E92E 52J[” D2:5 {:D $>:E9[ 2 s6>@4C2E:4 DEC2E68:DE] “#:89E ?@H[ ys ‘2?46 😀 2 4=62C 7C@?E\CF??6C 7@C E96 a_ag ?@>:?2E:@?] p?5 D@ H6 D9@F=5 368:? 567:?:?8 9:> — ?@E 😕 a_af[ ?@E 😕 a_ag — 3FE E@52J]”k^Am
kAm’2?46 DA@<6DA6CD@? %2J=@C ‘2? z:C< 3CFD965 @77 q6D962CVD 4C:E:4:D>]k^Am
kAm“tG6CJ E:>6 p?5J q6D962C 2EE24D6=7 AF3=:4:EJ[ 96 6?5D FA 9F>:=:2E:?8 9:>D6=7 😕 E96 AC@46DD[ 3FE >2J36 E92E’D D@>6E9:?8 96’D :?E@n” D96 D2:5]k^Am
k9amp? 62C=J 7@:= 7@C s6>@4C2E:4 4@?E6?56CDk^9am
kAm&]$] #6A] #@ z92??2 @7 r2=:7@C?:2 H2D 2>@?8 E96 7:CDE s6>@4C2ED E@ 368:? 7@4FD:?8 @? ‘2?46 =2DE J62C] z92??2 DE@AA65 2E E96 r:EJ r=F3 @7 r=6G6=2?5 2?5 *2=6 &?:G6CD:EJ[ H96C6 96 2?5 ‘2?46 DEF5:65 =2H[ 2?5 82G6 DA66496D E92E 2EE6>AE65 E@ 42DE ‘2?46 2D >@C6 6IEC6>6 E92? %CF>A]k^Am
kAm!6??DJ=G2?:2 v@G] y@D9 $92A:C@[ 2?@E96C A@E6?E:2= AC6D:56?E:2= 4@?E6?56C 😕 a_ag[ D:?8=65 @FE ‘2?46 😕 }@G6>36C H9:=6 >2<:?8 E96 2C8F>6?E E92E E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 5:5 ?@E 42C6 23@FE H@C<:?8 A6@A=6]k^Am
kAm“pE =62DE H:E9 s@?2=5 %CF>A[ 96’D EC2?DA2C6?E 23@FE E92E[” $92A:C@ D2:5] “ys ‘2?46 😀 2 E@E2= A9@?J]”k^Am
kAm$@>6 s6>@4C2ED 92G6 4@2=6D465 2C@F?5 r2=:7@C?:2 v@G] v2G:? }6HD@> 2D 2 DEC@?8 42?5:52E6 3642FD6 @7 9:D 288C6DD:G6 DEC2E68J 😕 8@:?8 27E6C #6AF3=:42?D]k^Am
kAmw6 4@:?65 E96 ?:42>6 “ys ‘yFDE s2?46’ ‘2?46Q @? D@4:2= >65:2[ 2?5 96 92D >@4<65 E96 G:46 AC6D:56?EVD 2AA62C2?46[ D2J:?8 ‘2?46 “8C6H 2 362C5 2?5 =@DE 9:D DA:?6]Qk^Am
kAm$>:E9[ E96 DEC2E68:DE H9@ =65 !6E6 qFEE:8:68VD a_a_ AC6D:56?E:2= 42>A2:8? 2?5 DE:== H@C6C q:56? 25>:?:DEC2E:@? EC2?DA@CE2E:@? D64C6E2CJ[ D2:5 6G6CJ =:?6 @7 4C:E:4:D> @7 ‘2?46 😀 2? 2F5:E:@?]k^Am
kAm“%96C6VD 567:?:E6=J G2=F6 😕 E2<:?8 @? ‘2?46 E@ D9@H s6>@4C2ED[ 96J[ E9:D 4@F=5 36 >6 @? E96 5632E6 DE286 282:?DE 9:>[” D2:5 $>:E9]k^Am
k9am’2?46 @7E6? :?G@<6D 9:D H@C<:?8\4=2DD C@@EDk^9am
kAm%96 G:46 AC6D:56?E H2D 3@C? 2?5 C2:D65 😕 qFE=6C r@F?EJVD |:55=6E@H?[ 2?5 96 C@D6 E@ AC@>:?6?46 H:E9 E96 AF3=:42E:@? @7 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^6?E6CE2:?>6?E\3FD:?6DD\2CED\2?5\@9:@\g4f2f_325he4cg57hdcc_ch2bgdgc43gQmQw:==3:==J t=68J”k^2m 😕 a_`e] %96 3@@< 62C?65 ‘2?46 2 C6AFE2E:@? 2D D@>6@?6 H9@ 4@F=5 96=A 6IA=2:? %CF>AVD 2AA62= 😕 >:55=6 p>6C:42[ 6DA64:2==J 2>@?8 E96 H@C<:?8 4=2DD[ CFC2= H9:E6 G@E6CD H9@ 96=A65 %CF>A H:? E96 AC6D:56?4J]k^Am
kAm’2?46 42CC:65 E92E C6AFE2E:@? E@ E96 &]$] $6?2E6[ H:??:?8 6=64E:@? 😕 a_aa[ 2?5 =2E6C E@ E96 G:46 AC6D:56?4J] %92E D2>6 324<8C@F?5 😀 =:<6=J E@ 36 46?EC2= E@ 2?J 7FEFC6 AC6D:56?E:2= CF? — 2?5 :E 😀 AC64:D6=J H92E s6>@4C2ED 2C6 ?@H H@C<:?8 E@ F?56C4FE]k^Am
kAmpE $2EFC52JVD s6>@4C2E:4 7F?5C2:D6C[ E96 >6C6 >6?E:@? @7 ‘2?46VD ?2>6 5C6H 2 49@CFD @7 3@@D 7C@> E96 2F5:6?46]k^Am
kAm“x 5@?VE E9:?< 96VD 8@E E96 >28:4 E92E 6G6CJ3@5J =@@A[” D2:5 %96C6D2 ‘2496C6DD6[ 2 C6E:C65 A9JD:4:2? 2?5 3FD:?6DD @H?6C H9@ 2EE6?565 E96 6G6?E] “x E9:?< H96? %CF>A 😀 8@?6[ E96 s6>@4C2ED >:89E 92G6 2 492?46] |J 8@5[ x 9@A6 D@]”k^Am
kAm%96 7@4FD @? ‘2?46 😀 ?@E F?FDF2= 7@C 2 G:46 AC6D:56?E H:56=J D66? 2D 2 A@E6?E:2= 7FEFC6 ?@>:?66[ A2CE:4F=2C=J @?6 2D J@F?8 2D c`] #6AF3=:42?D H6?E 27E6C z2>2=2 w2CC:D 62C=J 😕 96C E6?FC6 F?56C !C6D:56?E y@6 q:56? E@ F?56C>:?6 96C A@=:E:42= 7FEFC6]k^Am
kAmy2>2= $:>>@?D[ w2CC:D’ 4@>>F?:42E:@?D 5:C64E@C 😕 a_aa 2?5 a_ab[ D2:5 G:46 AC6D:56?ED 42? 36 GF=?6C23=6]k^Am
kAm“%96 A2CEJ 😀 3F:=E E@ 5676?5 E96 AC6D:56?E >@C6 E92? :E 😀 E96 G:46 AC6D:56?E[” 96 D2:5] “%96 G:46 AC6D:56?EVD <:?5 @7 @FE E96C6 @? E96:C @H?[ E@ 5676?5 E96>D6=7[ 2?5 7:?5 7C:6?5D H96C6 E96J 42?]”k^Am
kAm#6AF3=:42?D[ :?4=F5:?8 ‘2?46[ 7C6BF6?E=J E:65 w2CC:D E@ D@>6 @7 E96 s6>@4C2E:4 25>:?:DEC2E:@?’D >@DE A@=:E:42==J 5:77:4F=E :DDF6D[ DF49 2D :>>:8C2E:@? 2?5 3@C56C D64FC:EJ]k^Am
kAm“q6:?8 G:46 AC6D:56?E 😀 2 G6CJ >:I65 3=6DD:?8[Q D2:5 s2G:5 pI6=C@5[ H9@ H2D 2 E@A 25G:D6C E@ s6>@4C2E:4 !C6D:56?E q2C24< ~32>2] “*@F @7E6? 5@?VE 92G6 E96 2DD6ED @7 E96 AC6D:56?E[ 3FE J@F :?96C:E 2== @7 E96 AC6D:56?EVD C64@C5] %96 8@@5[ E96 325[ 2?5 E96 F8=J]”k^Am
k9amq6D962C 92D 925 DF446DD 😕 %CF>A 4@F?ECJk^9am
kAmq6D962C 😀 E96 C2C6 s6>@4C2E E@ =625 2 C65 DE2E6[ 2?5 96 😀 A@D:E:@?:?8 9:>D6=7 2D D@>6@?6 H9@ 42? C6249 G@E6CD H9@ 92G6 EF?65 @FE 9:D A2CEJ]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 s6>@4C2ED 42? “24EF2==J 8@ 2?5 H:? 324< E9@D6 G@E6CD E92E ys ‘2?46 😀 D@ 4@?56D46?5:?8 E@” :7 E96J DE2J 7@4FD65 @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^2?5J\36D962C\<6?EF4@4C2E:4\8@G6C?@CD\2DD@4:2E:@?\7eedfd66_hb5`5652hh66b6_fe6e765dQmp>6C:42?DV 32D:4 ?665Dk^2m DF49 2D 277@C523=6 962=E9 42C6 2?5 AF3=:4 D276EJ]k^Am
kAm“(6VG6 8@EE2 DE2CE E2=<:?8 E@ A6@A=6 2?5 ?@E 2E E96>[Q 96 D2:5] “%92E’D 9@H x H@? 4@F?E:6D 😕 62DE6C? z6?EF42==J G@E6 7@C #6AF3=:42?D 3J =2C86 >2C8:?D — :?4=F5:?8 qC62E9:EE r@F?EJ] %92EVD E96 4@F?EJ ys ‘2?46 AC6E6?5D E@ 36 7C@>] s@?2=5 %CF>A H@? :E 3J dh A@:?ED] x H@? :E 3J aa A@:?ED E96 J62C 62C=:6C]”k^Am
kAm%96 2F5:6?46 2AA62C65 56=:89E65 H:E9 q6D962CVD >6DD286]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< 96VD 7:CDE\C2E6[” D2:5 |2C< z2A=2?[ H9@ =:G6D 😕 qFE=6C r@F?EJ] “(92E 96VD 8@E 😀 4@>A2DD:@?[ 6>A2E9J[ 492C:D>2 2?5 :?E6==64E[ 3FE 96VD 2=D@ 5@H?\E@\62CE9]”k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmr2AA6==6EE: C6A@CE65 7C@> (2D9:?8E@?]k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.