Beshear hits Trump, Vance over abortion in DNC speech

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) hit Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) over the topic of abortion — an issue key to his 2023 reelection and to Democrats’ 2024 efforts — while speaking on Monday at the Democratic National Convention.  

“Folks, Donald Trump appointed the Supreme Court justices who got us into this mess. His Project 2025 goes even further. Here’s the thing: Trump and Vance simply don’t believe in your freedom,” Beshear said in Chicago.  

“Trump says people are ‘absolutely thrilled’ that women have had their basic rights eliminated. JD Vance says women should stay in violent marriages — and that pregnancies resulting from rape are simply ‘inconvenient,’” Beshear continued. “Their policies give rapists more rights than their victims. That’s not inconvenient, it’s just plain wrong.” 

Beshear was referring to comments Trump made at a Wisconsin rally in May, when he said that “basically the states decide on abortion, and people are absolutely thrilled with the way that’s going on.”  

He was also referencing comments Vance has made regarding no-fault divorce and abortion exceptions.

While speaking about no-fault divorce in 2021, Vance said, “This is one of the great tricks that I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace, which is the idea that, like, ‘Well, OK, these marriages were fundamentally, you know, they were maybe even violent, but certainly they were unhappy. And so getting rid of them and making it easier for people to shift spouses like they change their underwear, that’s going to make people happier in the long term.”

Also in 2021, Vance was asked about rape and incest exceptions for abortion, saying at one point, “At the end of the day, we’re talking about an unborn baby. What kind of society do we want to have? A society that looks at unborn babies as inconveniences to be discarded?”

Democrats have seized on the remarks to criticize Vance, while Vance argues the comments are being mischaracterized.

Beshear’s speech was preceded by Hadley Duvall, who became pregnant at age 12 as a result of rape. Duvall, who featured prominently in Beshear’s ads during his 2023 campaign, spoke about the comfort of knowing she had “options.”

Beshear had been among the handful of Democrats Vice President Harris considered as a running mate before settling on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. His place in the “veepstakes” thrust him into the national spotlight.

His speech boasted his reelection victory margin and touted some of his accomplishments while in office, suggesting a potential preview of how the Kentucky Democrat may be setting his eyes on higher office.