As the dust settles on President Donald Trump’s first 100 days of his second term, Kentucky Tonight convened two Republican Party officials and two former Democratic officeholders to discuss the administration’s agenda and its potential impact on the commonwealth.
Of particular concern to business leaders are the tariffs that Trump has applied to a range of foreign-made goods and the trade war those levies have incited.
Republican National Committee Co-Chair KC Crosbie applauds the president for fulfilling his campaign promises on trade policy, and the speed with which she says those actions have resulted in framework agreements with China and the United Kingdom. She says Americans are already seeing economic growth, lower grocery prices, and positive jobs reports as a result of Trump’s actions.
Andy Westberry, communications director for the Republican Party of Kentucky, says the president was a different kind of candidate who was elected to buck the status quo on trade and other issues.
“He’s not a traditional politician, he’s a businessman,” says Westberry. “These are negotiating tactics. There’s going to be a little bit of difference in how he does things, but he’s, by every metric, being successful.”
But the tariffs and the president’s mercurial way of implementing them is not universally popular. U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul of Kentucky are critics of tariffs, while Democrats say Americans will end up paying for the levies.
“He changes course willy-nilly, all by his instinct,” says John Yarmuth, a Louisville Democrat who was the state’s 3rd district congressman from 2007 to 2023. “Virtually every economist that you will talk to says that this is something that is going to hurt the economy, it’s going to hurt individuals, it’s going to raise prices.”
The president’s chaotic governing style also makes it difficult for businesses to plan for the future, according to Democrat Jonathan Miller, who is a former state treasurer and former secretary of the Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet.
“Businesses need to know whether they’re going to be able to invest money in a plant or in a workforce, and when things keep on jerking back and forth... it becomes a lot less secure for businesses to figure out how they’re going to invest their resources,” says Miller.
But Crosbie contends most Americans aren’t fazed by Trump’s actions. She says voters knew exactly what they would get with Trump and overwhelmingly voted him to a second term in office.
“He made promises and he’s keeping his promises,” Crosbie says. “The chaos I see is more from the Democrat Party and not President Trump.”
Proposed Cuts to Medicaid
With nearly a third of Kentuckians on Medicaid, proposed cuts to the program could have significant impacts in the commonwealth. House Republicans in Washington are seeking to slice some $800 billion from the program over 10 years by requiring that able-bodied adults without dependents work, go to school, or perform community service for at least 80 hours a month. Medicaid beneficiaries will also have to prove their eligibility twice a year instead of annually. The plan also requires some Medicaid enrollees to pay more out-of-pocket for certain services, and changes how states can leverage taxes on health care providers to receive more federal Medicaid dollars.
Yarmuth says the proposed overhaul will result in more than 8 million Americans losing their health coverage, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates, and will make it harder for the most vulnerable in the program to comply with the new requirements. He says it would also cripple rural hospitals in Kentucky, which get up to half of their revenue from Medicaid.
“People will get sick and die unnecessarily because of these cuts, if they go through,” says Yarmuth.
Rep. Brett Guthrie (KY-2) whose House Energy and Commerce Committee first debated the plan, has said the goal is to strengthen Medicaid for those it was originally intended to serve: mothers and children, people with disabilities, and the elderly. He called reports that millions would lose coverage “fear-mongering.”
Westberry says Guthrie, a Bowling Green Republican, is one of the most thoughtful members of Congress and wouldn’t hurt Kentuckians who need help.
“All we’re doing by trying to make these necessary cuts is ensure that this program is ongoing and does not go belly-up because we run out of money,” says Westberry.
Miller says Guthrie has the unenviable task of satisfying a president who doesn’t want to cut Medicaid, but who needs to pay for his deep income tax cuts.
“It’s just going to be impossible to meet these monetary goals set by the budget and not cut people who are deserving of Medicaid from their rolls,” says Miller. “The numbers don’t work.”
Crosbie says the president simply wants to eliminate fraud and abuse from Medicaid.
“President Trump has been very clear with the Medicaid program that he believes that it should serve those who need it the most,” says Crosbie. “We have people who are perfectly able and capable of working taking advantage and being on Medicaid.”
The Fates of the Department of Education and Habeas Corpus
President Trump has also discussed abolishing the U.S. Department of Education, saying states should control their own education systems. Crosbie says DOE gets billions in tax dollars yet children across the country lack basic reading and math skills. Westberry says shuttering DOE could only happen by a vote of Congress, but he argues that the status quo has failed.
Yarmuth acknowledges shortcomings in what children are learning in schools but he contends it’s unfair to blame that on federal education officials since the vast majority of education policy and funding happens at the state and local levels. He agrees that local control of education is good, but he adds that there is an oversight role for the federal government to ensure that states provide equitable education for all students.
Reports indicate the Trump administration is considering suspending habeas corpus to make it easier to deport those they consider to be illegal immigrants. Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that allows a detainee to challenge their imprisonment. Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt suspended it during the Civil War and World War II respectively.
Yarmuth says the thought that a president wouldn’t follow the U.S. Constitution is alarming. Miller says habeas corpus is a fundamental part of American democracy and denying it for one group could lead authorities to deny it for others.
Westberry says a possible suspension is merely a suggestion for discussion, while Crosbie says Trump officials want to consider every option available to them and that “nothing’s off the table.”
Democratic Prospects in 2026 and Beyond
The 2026 campaigns are already underway in the commonwealth with candidates announcing for U.S. Senate to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is retiring at the end of this term, and for Congress in the 6th district.
Yarmuth says he thinks Democrats can retake the U.S. House of Representatives, citing Trump’s low approval ratings and the GOP’s slim majority in the chamber. He also says midterm elections usually go against the party of the sitting president. He says the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee see’s the 6th district, where incumbent Republican Andy Barr is leaving to run for Senate, as a winnable race and will deploy resources there to help the Democratic nominee.
Westberry welcomes spending by national Democrats because he says that will take money away from other Congressional races around the country. Crosbie says President Trump’s popularity in Kentucky along with Republican fundraising strength and wealth of quality candidates will help them hold both the Senate and House seats.
How Democrats might fare nationally in 2026 and 2028 is a source of concern for party members. Yarmuth says there’s great frustration with Democratic leadership in Washington, which he describes as “feckless.” He says he hopes the midterm elections can change that and position Democrats to better resist Trump administration policies. Miller says the lack of leadership in Washington gives Democratic governors across the country the chance to play a more prominent role in party politics.
Crosbie and Westberry say Democrats are out of touch with their core constituency and will continue to lose middle American voters by fighting for the rights of gang members, human traffickers, and transgender individuals.
