Dean Withers on Why Populism Works, Young Men Don’t Trust the System and Charlie Kirk’s Death

He grew up conservative in Grand Junction, Colorado. He did his own research. And somewhere along the way, he became one of the most compelling young voices in American politics.

This week, Governor Andy Beshear sits down with Dean Withers, the Gen Z content creator, debate champion, and civic advocate who went from viral Jubilee appearances to millions of followers on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, to the stage at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Dean brings sharp wit and nuance to some of the toughest conversations in America: racial justice, climate policy, voting rights, and education reform. And he does it in a media landscape that almost always rewards the loudest voice in the room over the most thoughtful one.

Governor Beshear and Dean dig into his journey, how a kid from a conservative town changed his mind through his own research, what it was like to have the people around him react to that change, and how he ended up debating Ben Shapiro and Charlie Kirk in front of millions before most people his age had figured out their first apartment.

They talk about social media; the good, the bad, and the algorithm that rewards outrage over substance — and how Dean navigates that tension every single day while still trying to move the needle. They talk about what Gen Z actually wants from politics and whether this generation feels heard by the institutions that are supposed to serve them. And they get into the harder questions: whether Dean sees himself eventually running for office, his favorite way to escape and his not-so-secret talent.

Young people are telling us the one word they feel when they turn on the news is exhausted. Dean Withers has built his entire career inside that exhaustion – and somehow found a way to stay hopeful anyway. This conversation is about how.

Merch store 👉 store.andybeshearpodcast.com/

Pre-order Go and Do Likewise 👉 static.macmillan.com/static/smp/go-and-do-likewise-9781250452719/

Follow us for behind-the-scenes and bonus content:

Instagram: instagram.com/andybeshearpodcast/?hl=en

Twitter: x.com/andybeshearpod

Facebook:.facebook.com/andybeshearpodcast/

Threads: threads.com/@andybeshearpodcast

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.