Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who has been mentioned as a possible running mate for Kamala Harris, ended his press conference on Thursday with a bizarre apology for Diet Mountain Dew, just days after mocking Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance’s fondness for the drink.
Beshear, 46, pulled out a light green soft-drink bottle and placed it on the podium before asking for forgiveness.
“Folks, I’m a guy who wanted to set the record straight when I did things that crossed the line at times,” the Democratic governor said. He told reporters“So I owe Diet Mountain Dew an apology.”
“I don’t believe the government should be making decisions for you,” Gov. Beshear said, noting that his soft drink of choice is a caffeinated ginger ale made by Kentucky-based Ale Eight One.
“So if you enjoy Diet Mountain Dew, that’s you and we want to support you,” he added. “And about Diet Mountain Dew, we’re very sorry. We never meant to say anything negative about you.”
Earlier this week, Gov. Beshear attacked Vance after he joked at a campaign rally that Democrats would view his preference for Diet Mountain Dew as racist.
“I had a Diet Mountain Dew yesterday, and people will still say it’s racist today, but that’s fine,” the Ohio Republican senator said, arguing that Democrats “are saying no matter what you do it’s racist.”
Beshear later He told CNN He thought Vance’s joke was “weird” so he asked, “Does anyone drink Diet Mountain Dew?”
The Kentucky governor said Harris called him personally just hours after President Biden announced he was dropping out of the presidential race and asked him to support his candidacy.
Beshear has been adamant that he would only run for the vice presidency if he felt he could help Kentuckians in that position.
In the same CNN interview, Beshear said he had not been asked by the Harris campaign to submit vetting documents.
