LEXINGTON — Candidates for U.S. Senate in Kentucky talked on Wednesday about national economic and trade policies before a gathering focused on manufacturing and innovation.
Answering questions in front of the Kentucky Industry Conference held in Lexington this week, top Republican candidates — former Attorney General Daniel Cameron, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, and businessman Nate Morris — reiterated their support for President Donald Trump’s agenda. Former Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath, the only Democratic candidate to address the forum, offered a different view and said “what we’re seeing from this administration right now is dangerous and not normal.”
The candidates are hoping to succeed longtime Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell after he announced he would not seek reelection earlier this year. Tuesday’s forum was held at the end of the Kentucky Industry Conference in Lexington. The candidates each appeared on stage for a few minutes to answer questions from a moderator. There were no questions from the audience, but the topics largely focused on the economy and federal trade policies.
McGrath eagerly answered a question about Trump’s tariff policies during her few minutes with the crowd, and repeatedly criticized the president for imposing tariffs on imports from several countries, including American allies. The U.S. Senate voted in favor of a resolution to repeal Trump’s tariffs on Brazil Tuesday and was expected to take up a similar measure on tariffs for Canada.
“Folks, I’m not going to mince words. This is stupid policy,” McGrath said. “Now, I’m not completely opposed to tariffs if they’re targeted. That makes sense in many ways. But what we’re seeing happening right now is a chaotic mess.”
The Republican candidates were supportive of Trump’s tariffs and trade policies when they took to the conference stage. Cameron pointed to a recent $2.5 billion investment by Apple to expand glass manufacturing in Kentucky with Corning.
“That’s because of President Trump’s economic agenda,” Cameron said. “And I think we need to admit that there are successes that we are seeing, and what President Trump is trying to do right now is restore some balance when it comes to those trade agreements.”
Asked about Trump’s trade policies, Barr said he supports the president’s positions because “I believe in free trade.” Barr added that he recognizes there is some “turbulence in the short term,” but said he backs policies that decrease national dependence on foreign sources and builds up a domestic manufacturing base.
“Think of it in terms of opening up export markets in the long run,” Barr said. “That’s good for American manufacturing.”
Morris pointed to Kentucky repeatedly voting for Trump in presidential elections since 2016 as a sign that voters in the state back the president’s agenda, including tariff and trade policies.
“It’s shameful that President Trump carried Kentucky by 30 points, and we’ve got a delegation that doesn’t support him, and he needs a delegation that supports his agenda. Because that’s what Kentucky voted for,” Morris said. “And people can go back and forth, this or that, but the bottom line is, that’s what the people wanted. That’s what the people voted for, and we need a senator who’s going to go and stand with President Trump, especially on these issues.”
Both of Kentucky’s senators, McConnell and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, voted with a handful of Republicans to repeal the Brazil tariffs this week. Paul and another Republican in Kentucky’s congressional delegation, U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, have drawn ire from the president for voting against some of his policies, including the GOP megabill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Trump has gone so far as to endorse a Republican challenger, Ed Gallrein, against Massie in the 4th Congressional District primary in May.
Asked by reporters about the Trump-backed primary challenge to Massie, Morris said he is focused on his campaign for U.S. Senate. “We haven’t endorsed anyone in any race, but I’m standing with the president. I’m with the president,” he said.
Cameron offered a similar comment ahead of the forum and also pushed back against a rumor before Gallrein’s announcement that Cameron would run against Massie and drop out of the U.S. Senate race as “an absurd notion.” He also highlighted recent polling from his campaign and Barr’s campaign that shows Cameron in the lead in the U.S. Senate primary.
“I think at the end of the day, I’ve got to be focused on what am I going to do as a United States senator to reflect the values of folks all across our 120 counties,” Cameron said.
Meanwhile, McGrath again echoed her opposition to Trump while taking reporters’ questions before the forum. She launched her 2026 bid for U.S. Senate in early October, after previously losing the 2020 election to McConnell.
“I don’t know a whole lot of people who are happy with the way things are going in our country at the federal level right now,” she said. “There’s a lot of chaos, and what you’re seeing at the federal level is dangerous and not normal. And I think a lot of people get that, and so they’re hungry for someone to step up and just tell the truth. And that’s what I’m doing right now in running for this seat.”
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Written by McKenna Horsley. Cross-posted from the Kentucky Lantern.
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