Advertise on podcast: The Andrew Cooperrider Show

Who is going to win the Kentucky Senate race? Who is going to win in the 4th District? Thomas Massie or Ed Gallrein? Who is going to win the 6th District congressional seat? I had a conversation with Dr. Stephen Voss, an associate professor of political science at the University of Kentucky. We discussed these questions. While no one has a crystal ball, you will hear insights about what happens in elections, how voters think, and what trends we have seen in the past that help us predict the future. I really enjoyed this conversation, and I hope you will as well.

Iran war. Exploding national debt. Abortion. Immigration. AIPAC.Nate Morris — the businessman running to replace Mitch McConnell in Kentucky’s U.S. Senate race — sat down with me and took tough questions from both me and live listeners.We hit those issues head-on, plus much more.No attacks. No softballs. Just direct questions wanting answers.

A $1.7 billion one-time spending bill was just signed by the Governor — and most of us had no idea it was even happening.Over $300 million in potential waste and abuse has been identified in HB 900. It started at $800 million for unnamed projects. Then, at last minute, it grew to $1.7 billion — stuffing in spending items that nobody had time to properly review… and that were kept hidden from Kentucky citizens until after the vote.Here’s just some of what they slipped in:- $80 million in forgivable loans to mega-development private industry projects - $100 million to the Economic Development Grant program - $2.5 million to buy an off-road park - $2.2 million in one-time extra funding to the Glendale Training Center at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, which was built to train employees at the currently shuttered Ford battery plant.- $3 million to the Louisville Ballet - $4 million to Camp Landing Entertainment District, which is a for-profit private property developer renting space in a redevelopment mall to Malibu Jacks, a movie theater, and other businesses.- $2.5 million for Kentucky to invest in Kentucky tech startups (it doesn’t specify which ones — presumably those selected by the Beshear administration) - $3.2 million to the Louisville Orchestra, which has net revenue in the millions - $10 million to the Kentucky Center for the Arts, which is the landlord for the Opera and hosts events like drag shows - $450,000 to the Leadership Kentucky Foundation, a nonprofit with over $1.1 million in annual revenue, a net income of $308,000, and more than $3 million in assets - $3 million to Goodwill Kentucky. Goodwill Kentucky brought in $138,259,072 in revenue last year, with net income of over $5 million and $184 million in net assets. It's CEO makes over $450,000 annually. - $158 million in various unnamed or ambiguous economic development projects.And that’s just scratching the surface.Whether it’s handing millions to already financially strong private nonprofits, spending tens of millions on unnamed economic development projects that could end up in private bank accounts, or getting government involved in private industry where it arguably shouldn’t be — these are all expenditures that deserved real debate and discussion.Not a last-minute, secretive passage where the citizens of Kentucky don’t get to voice their thoughts to their representatives.Watch my latest show where I break it all down.

Beshear lied about HB1 to further his presidential aspirations.Shocker, I know — but Governor Beshear straight-up lied about what House Bill 1 actually does for school choice in Kentucky.He vetoed it, claiming it would take money from public schools and hurt Kentucky kids. That was false.HB1 simply lets Kentucky families participate in a federal tax credit scholarship program. Kentuckians can donate up to $1,700 to approved scholarship organizations and get a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit. Those funds help K-12 students (public or private) with tuition, fees, and education costs. Not one penny comes from Kentucky state taxes or public-school budgets.The legislature overrode his veto overwhelmingly (House 77-14, Senate 31-5), and now it’s law.I sat down with Corey DeAngelis to break it all down — what HB1 really does, how Beshear misrepresented it, and why he put special interests and his presidential ambitions ahead of Kentucky families.

I'm joined by Dog The Bounty Hunter to discuss a huge easter egg hunt going on in Louisville as well discuss his experience in hunting fugitives and views on the criminal justice system. Then I discuss a new Audit by Allison Ball, and a court case of a women being banned from her daughter's school for being too popular on social media.

I discuss how ridiculous the push to put a McConnell statue in the Frankfort Capitol building rotunda is when we look at who else his statue would sit by. I go through the Matt Bevin court case. Beshear responds to Ball's audit.

I discuss the first Senate debate and take live texts from the radio audience.

Kentucky's war on woke is far from over—our public universities are openly defying the law!I talk with Adam Guillette from Accuracy In Media (AIM) to break down their recent explosive undercover investigations that have exposed Western Kentucky University and the University of Kentucky. Hidden cameras caught staff admitting DEI is still alive and embedded in curricula—rebranded, hidden, and funded by YOUR tax dollars—in direct violation of Kentucky's ban.We dive into the MOST RECENT video: AIM's undercover footage from Western Kentucky University (WKU), where an admin casually admits they're still forcing "anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion" down students' throats using an accreditation loophole. They think we're too dumb to notice. Why does stopping these DEI policies matter? Because DEI lowers standards, discriminates against qualified Kentuckians based on race or sex, wastes millions in taxpayer money, and drags down academic excellence for EVERYONE.Plus: SB 199 lets chemical manufacturers hide real risks behind EPA-approved labels. DEIinKentucky.com

The Kentucky House just passed a massive two-year budget totaling over $151 BILLION in appropriations — that's a 21%+ spending jump from the previous cycle!Yet some lawmakers are spinning it as a "freeze" or even a "cut" when you factor in inflation. How can a 21% increase be called stagnant? I provide a breakdown of the funding sources in the video but for quick reference:General Funds: Core state tax revenue (income, sales, etc.) — the main pot lawmakers directly control for priorities like education, health, and public safety.Restricted Funds: Money collected by agencies (fees, tuition, licenses). Still state money but is still controlled by the Legislature.Bond Funds: Borrowed money from issuing bonds, typically for big capital projects (roads, buildings) paid back over time.Federal Funds: Grants and aid from Washington.In this budget, the big totals come from stacking all these sources (General ~$31B executive branch focus, but overall appropriations balloon with restricted/federal/bond).I dive deep into the full numbers, call out the spin, and share a few things I actually like about this proposal (yes, there are some wins).

I dig into the Kentucky Auditor’s report that found over $133 million in questionable spending by the Beshear administration. The report found issues with: 🔎 Advertising / Promo Items $2,488,789.77 — Total to Red7e$249,950 — COVID vaccine ad campaign$83,500 — Unspecified digital media services$339,365.90 — Video/social media vendor work$198,000 — Senior Meals media campaign$17,275 — Promo giveaway items$45,635.20 — Promotional merchandise$300,000 — Postsecondary awareness campaign ✈️ Out-of-State Travel (Specific Flags) $398,897.12 — Agency AmEx travel spending$929,947.88 — KDE out-of-state travel$28,179.35 — Flights (possible non-employees)$137,956.05 — CPE travel$13,082.16 — SF conference (10 people)$183,575.87 — KSP security travel$12,519 — DC hotel stays$354.64 — Dinner for four$200 — Traffic tickets$11,786.33 — Flights to Europe$10,953.33 — Eau Palm Beach Resort stay$7,632.07 — Germany limousine$5,491.48 — Japan hotel$1,016.12 — Single dinner$5,192.16 — Switzerland airport services$4,671.46 — Switzerland vehicle rental$3,946.40 — DC/LA car rentals$3,499.50 — Limelight Hotel Aspen$520.73 — Caribou Club meals$3,179.19 — Beverly Hills hotels$3,013.87 — Boar’s Head Resort$2,935.89 — Florida lodging$2,907.62 — Hilton Dallas$2,688.91 — Hyatt Zurich$2,519.23 — San Francisco hotel$2,179.32 — Montage Laguna Beach$1,625.17 — Seattle hotel$1,574.37 — Flight to Boston$1,527.70 — Flight to Palm Springs$1,437.20 — New York hotel$1,376.77 — San Diego meals/lodging$1,351.67 — Flight insurance bundle$678.45 — DNC security meals 🚗 In-State Travel Flags Department of Education conferences $360,000 — 75-person conference$222,750 — 450-person conference$168,000 — 35-person conference$165,000 — 300-person conference$107,250 — 325-person conference$59,700 — 100-person conference$41,950 — Galt House conference$33,800 — Louisville seminar$33,500 — Training event$27,561.60 — 80-person seminar$23,061.20 — 80-person seminar$19,693 — 47-person seminar Other agencies $15,339.12 — Natural Bridge meeting$24,659.53 — Unspecified Lexington conference$23,625 — Awards lunch catering$16,965.33 — Derby hotel/catering$16,029.35 — Bowling Green seminar hotels$656.98 — No-show hotel rooms 🍽️ Trainings, Conferences, Food $338,452.10 — Derby events nonprofit$17,012.73 — Jeptha Creed dinner$153,377.71 — DPA 2024 conference$189,237.52 — DPA 2025 conference$5,581.60 — Large fajita lunch$4,082 — Catered lunch Speaker fees (CPE) $30,000 — CoolSpeak speaker$14,120 — Two speakers (“systemness”)$6,200 — Keynote speakers$4,000 — Improvement Science speaker$3,050 — QEP planning speaker$3,000 — Growth mindset speaker$1,800 — Equitable access speaker Medicaid banquet $34,392.04 — Total banquet$8,985 — Breakfast$13,485 — Lunch$4,503.50 — Break food$6,431.04 — Service charges 🎓 KDE Event Spending $84,061.75 — Conference (incl. food)$56,763 — Out-of-state conference$56,875.20 — Conference total$46,240 — Food$10,635.20 — Service charge$10,551.93 — Event costs$7,340.64 — 3-person conference$1,232.90 — Awards baked goods$1,019.40 — Catered meeting food 🧾 Other Notable Expenditures $69,770,650.13 — Temporary manpower~$8 million — Driver Licensing temps$51,802,056.45 — Services not classified$179,692.80 — 300 chairs installed$70,258.62 — State Fair booth work$10,037.89 — Bristol Bar & Grille$2,410.95 — Panera lunches$1,493.80 — Staxx BBQ lunches$1,037.72 — Qdoba lunch$625 — Event photographer$118,383,223 — “Other” expenses$3,983,338.04 — Travel for non-employees$11,466 — Boone Tavern seminar 💻 Subscriptions / Dues / Promo $3,273,091.32 — Subscriptions$4,149 — Shutterstock subscription$478.51 — Facebook spend$10,336,469.39 — Dues total$908,315.06 — Payments to SOVA Solutions 🧑‍⚖️ DCBS-Specific Flags $915,997.89 — Outside legal services$34,307,475.50 — IT services despite internal IT

Not surprising but shocking how brazen they are in admitting to what they are doing. In 2025, the Kentucky Legislature passed HB 4, a law that finally took aim at the divisive college DEI programs. It banned: - Providing differential treatment or benefits based on an individual's religion, race, sex, color, or national origin (e.g., in admissions, scholarships, employment, or housing assignments, with very limited exceptions). - Influencing the composition of the student body, scholarship recipients, or similar groups on those bases. - Spending any taxpayer dollars on DEI initiatives, the promotion of "discriminatory topics," or bias incident investigations. - Soliciting statements from applicants about their experiences with or views on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin (no more DEI loyalty tests in applications). - Requiring courses dedicated to "discriminatory concepts" (broadly defined as ideas that justify or promote differential treatment based on those protected categories; it outlaws courses whose primary purpose is to indoctrinate students with such concepts). - Requiring individuals to endorse or condemn specific ideologies or viewpoints. - Disseminating or profiting from materials that promote or justify discriminatory concepts. Specific examples of these practices priorly include the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education tying funding to racial quotas and spending taxpayer money on programs that discriminated against students based on skin color. These practices aren't just racist—they're also unconstitutional. The Kentucky Legislature wisely got ahead of the lawsuits, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled against colleges for these exact discriminatory schemes. In response, universities scattered their DEI departments like roaches in the light—changing job titles, hiding staff in other departments, and pretending nothing changed. But Accuracy in Media (AIM) has done real undercover journalism and exposed that Kentucky universities rank among the worst in the nation for still enforcing these racist DEI policies while openly admitting they know they're breaking the law. Adam Guillette of AIM joined me to discuss his group's explosive recent video from the University of Kentucky. In it, staffers casually reveal they're keeping DEI alive under the radar—defying both state law and common sense. He also teased more undercover investigation videos from Kentucky campuses coming soon.

Should a breastfeeding mom arrested for drugs get less jail time?Should a parent who assaults someone get a lighter sentence just because they have kids?Kentucky Senate Bill 122 (just out of committee) would force judges to consider parental status—including breastfeeding—for more lenient sentences on “non-violent” felonies. Kentucky still labels second-degree assault (stabbings, severe beatings, strangulation), assault under extreme emotional disturbance, and more as “non-violent” for parole purposes. That’s why Ronald Exantus, who stabbed 6-year-old Logan in Versailles, got early release despite a 20-year sentence—sparking Logan's Law.If anything, parents committing crimes are victimizing their own children too. This bill codifies unequal justice: same crime, different punishment based on having kids. Justice should be blind.Also:- The bare-bones state budget—no earmarks.- Good bills to support: HB 189 (bans dangerous panhandling on highways) & HB 4 (criminalizes teacher grooming).- Snow/ice removal failures across KY (Lexington lying about salt; road crews rewarded for using the least salt?).- Northern KY Against ICE’s ridiculous “whistle kits” to help criminal illegal immigrants avoid deportation.

If Donald Trump makes an endorsement in the Kentucky Senate race, Nate Morris will get it.Elon Musk just dumped a RECORD $10 MILLION into a super PAC backing Nate Morris. With Nate's ties to Trump Jr., JD Vance, Charlie Kirk's endorsement, and now Elon Musk — how can Trump go against all his allies in this race?KY Senate passes a Property Tax Win for Seniors — but when will everyone get the property tax relief we need? How should we fund our government instead?Phone-Down Bill Drama: Senate OKs a new law banning handheld phones while driving... but does it go TOO FAR? Loopholes, safety concerns, and why it might make distracted driving WORSE in some cases. It now heads to the House. Overreach or common sense?Massie Primary Challenge Heating Up: Trump-endorsed Ed Gallrein drops his first TV ad against Rep. Thomas Massie in KY-4.

Rep. Tom Smith (R-Corbin) files HB 370—a 38% gas tax hike over two years, plus automatic increases up to 5% every year after. Your wallet at the pump is going to take a hit if this isn't stopped.In this video, I dismantle Tom's "reasoning" and show why it's completely flawed. Too many years in government leaves a politician clueless about life as a normal, taxpaying Kentuckian.Kentucky's driver's license system is a nightmare: brutal wait times, long drives to regional offices, and that shocking bribery scandal where illegal immigrants got IDs for cash. SB 7 is moving fast to let counties handle renewals (with a $25 fee)—but critics slam it as a weak half-measure that doesn't fix the core problems. I expose what's blocking real reform, highlight other bills out there, and lay out my straightforward solution.Finally: A bill cracking down on cell phone use while driving is gaining steam. Does it go too far into nanny-state territory? I'll break it down.

Are these protests really organic? Is the outrage we're seeing truly grassroots—or is something else at play? I sat down for a candid interview with Adam Swart, the founder and CEO of Crowds on Demand — the company that literally hires crowds, activists, and protesters for events across the country. In this eye-opening episode, we dive into: Who actually funds so-called "grassroots" movements. How public opinion can be shaped — and sometimes manufactured — to influence politicians and media. How he recruits his protesters (and what kind of people sign up). The real costs involved — from a few hundred bucks per person to much bigger numbers for larger ops. The big question: Is this practice ethical? Think about it: Do Americans really wake up overnight with the exact same signs, slogans, and talking points? Or is someone coordinating the message?Ask yourself who's really pulling the strings behind the scenes. This conversation might change how you view the next big demonstration you see.