LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was one of several Democratic governors who flew to Washington this week to meet with Joe Biden, and he gave a glimpse Friday into what he told the President.
Biden met with top Democrats on Wednesday as he continues his effort to recover from a poor debate performance last week against Donald Trump. Many expressed concern about Biden's cognitive state after he appeared to lose his train of thought multiple times.
Beshear toured tornado damage in Louisville Friday and spoke to reporters about his time with the President.
"I said our President is known for being a straight-talker and tells the American people the truth," Beshear said. "My recommendation was that he have an open conversation with the public about the status of his health. For those who are worried, addressing it directly could be very beneficial."
See Beshear's full comments below
Biden's much-anticipated interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos airs Friday at 8 p.m. on ABC in its entirety. You can watch the interview on WHAS11.
Beshear again on Friday said Biden is the nominee and he will continue to support him. He said Biden was "in control of the room" Wednesday and answered questions for about an hour.
"But this isn't about me, it's about the American people," Beshear said. "My hope is he'll come forward and just do what he has done throughout his career, which is talk plainly and directly to the American people about his health. We in the south talk about our health all the time. You ask someone how they're doing and you'll get about 10 minutes. For a large part of America, this is something we're used to and we just want to hear from him."
Beshear said Biden asked for candid advice and was receptive.
Biden and his team have said numerous times he will continue his campaign and has no plans to step aside. Should he change course, Beshear's name is among the popular choices to replace him on the ticket.
"My name being brought up, I don't hear that as 'me,' I hear that as 'us.' What's going on in Kentucky is really exciting," Beshear said. "We have a cloud of pessimism hanging over our country, and this feeling of optimism throughout Kentucky [exists]. With record jobs, breaking the record on exports, record tourism, low recidivism, our overdose deaths going down two years in a row, there are really good things going on in Kentucky, and they're not red and they're not blue. They're good for everybody."
Beshear is one of the most popular governors in the United States. He won re-election last year in a state Trump won by more than 20 points in 2020.
He said he would only consider running for another position if he felt he could help Kentucky.