Liberals on Twitter were not impressed with the Democratic Party’s response to President Donald Trump’s first speech to Congress on Tuesday, with many criticizing the apparent lack of diversity in a video broadcast of former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear speaking from a Lexington diner.

“Why is Beshear sitting in a diner with no food, no drinks, no nothing, with more than a dozen people – all white – behind him?” Politico White House reporter Josh Dawsey tweeted Tuesday.

“Seems the Democrats thought Steve Beshear wud appeal to the voters they’ve ignored for decades … white, middle class Americans,” Dagwood Bumstead added. “Did’t work.”

“Dem response with Fmr KY Gov Beshear … everyone around him in backdrop is white,” Robert Rice wrote. “What is up with that?”

Beshear said his speech took place “in Lexington, Kentucky, some 400 miles from Washington at a diner with some neighbors, Democrats and Republicans,” where he talked about his background and the state’s alleged successes under his leadership as governor from 2007 to 2015.

Beshear spoke about how Kentucky “found health coverage for over a half a million Kentuckians” through “trust and mutual respect.”

“We put people first, and politics second,” he said. “And we Democrats are committed to creating the opportunity for every American to succeed …”

In the backdrop, Beshear’s “neighbors” at the diner were virtually all white, save one light-skinned black man shown momentarily at the beginning of the broadcast.

The commentary was clearly targeted to white Americans alienated by the Democratic Party’s relentless focus on “equality” and “social justice,” and liberals and others on Twitter were quick to point out the pandering.

“Democrats think a Beshear or Cooper is the party’s best bet at regaining the White House as if Barack Obama didn’t win twice,” black queer journalist Broderick Greer tweeted.

“Why was Steve Beshear tapped to deliver the Dem response to Trump?” National Journal editor Josh Kraushaar posted. “To solve their white guy problem.”

“Dems need to reach out to regular old white dudes in middle America. OK, here’s Steve Beshear,” feminist blogger Kaili Joy Gray posted to Twitter. “OMG, Dems, why would you choose him?!?”



“Is Beshear Democrats’ new attempt at courting the white vote?” Aaron Sanchez questioned.

“Steve Beshear only has coffee with white people? Really!” Katrin Eismann added.

“Shorter Steve Beshear: ‘Democrats are old white people just like many Trump voters,’” Marcus Brown tweeted.

“So many white people in Steve Beshear’s Democratic response to President Trump,” Christopher Hale posted.

“So the Democrats up Governor Steve Beshear to give their response and all I hear is, ‘Look, we have old white guys too,’” John Clough wrote.