'JD Vance has no conviction. His running mate has 34.' Beshear burn stirs social media

There's a long history of American politicians trading barbed insults with one another. Believe it or not, Abraham Lincoln was downright sassy.

Possessed with a razor-sharp wit, Lincoln once hurled this famous zinger at George B. McClellan after the overly cautious general-in-chief for the Union army failed to advance on Confederate forces. Lincoln remarked, "If General McClellan does not want to use the army, I would like to borrow it for a time.”

For the 1860s, that was a sick burn.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear talks about J.D. Vance. What he said:

Following that same tradition, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear gave a fiery, almost napalm-esque rebuke against Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance during a live televised interview Monday with CNN's Kaitlan Collins.

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Beshear was asked for his reaction to statements made by Vance during his first solo political rallies. The Republican vice presidential nominee had criticized Vice President Kamala Harris and Joe Biden after the president's decision to withdraw from the 2024 election, accusing them of being dishonest.

Beshear delivered a comment so biting it peeled back Collins' eyebrows.

“J.D. Vance is a phony, he's fake," the Kentucky governor said. "I mean, he first says that Donald Trump is like Hitler, and now he's acting like he's Lincoln. The problem with J.D. Vance is he has no conviction, but I guess his running mate has 34."

Beshear was alluding to Trump's recent 34 felony convictions, in which the Republican nominee for president was found guilty of, among other things, paying hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniels.

Beshear's comments caused an immediate stir on social media.

TikTok and Twitter react to Andy Beshear on CNN

"That's just funny. I don't care who you are," posted one social media user on X, formerly Twitter.

"Andy from the TOP ROPE," quipped another.

Beshear: 'J.D. Vance ain't from here.'

Monday night's interview marked the second time Beshear appeared on national television since Biden's abrupt departure from the presidential race. Earlier Monday on MSNBC's Morning Joe, the Democratic Kentucky governor answered questions on whether the Harris campaign had reached out to him about running for vice president.

Beshear, as of Thursday, might be on the list of potential contenders.

Beshear also used his Morning Joe appearance to jab at Vance, casting shade on his Appalachian roots.

"I want the American people to know what a Kentuckian is and what they look like, cause JD Vance ain't from here," Beshear said.

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The Republican Party of Kentucky would like a word...

Meanwhile, the Republican Party of Kentucky wasn't having it.

In response to a social media post by the Kentucky Democrats on X, members of the GOP fired back, saying Beshear was hardly relatable to the Bluegrass state. He was, they said, a "guy born with a silver spoon in his mouth."

"The guy (Vance) who overcame a childhood of extreme poverty, a broken home, and a family marred by opioid abuse is a heck of a lot more relatable than the guy born with a silver spoon in his mouth and a father who was a high-profile politician," they said. "Andy is what Kentuckians call privileged."

A social media user in the same post echoed GOP sentiments, saying Beshear was "the most disliked governor since his father," an assessment that doesn't appear to be true after a national poll released Wednesday revealed Beshear is currently the most popular Democratic governor in the country.

According to a Morning Consult poll, 67% of voters surveyed approve of Beshear's job performance. He fell behind only Republican Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, who had an 81% approval rating.

Is Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear popular?: Yes, actually. Beshear ranks as most popular Democratic governor in new national poll

Louisville Courier Journal reporter Hannah Pinski contributed to this article.

John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at JTuftsReports.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: KY Gov. Andy Beshear gives scorching burn on CNN. Social media reacts