Republican Senate hopeful Daniel Cameron has ignited Kentucky’s political landscape by openly criticizing longtime mentor Mitch McConnell while pledging unwavering loyalty to Donald Trump. The move highlights Trump’s ironclad grip on the GOP and sets the stage for a contentious 2026 primary battle.
In a campaign video released Monday, Cameron accused McConnell of being flat out wrong for opposing three Trump-backed presidential nominations. The attorney general-turned-candidate also diverged sharply from McConnell’s foreign policy stance, declaring enough is enough regarding U.S. military aid to Ukraine. This rebuke comes just days after McConnell announced his retirement following four decades as Kentucky’s senior senator.
I’m going to be the type of senator that stands up for your constitutional rights and is going to support President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda,Cameron vowed in the video.
The public rift underscores McConnell’s waning influence even in his home state, where he:
- Helped launch Cameron’s career through the McConnell Scholars Program
- Endorsed Cameron’s successful 2019 attorney general bid
- Previously shaped federal judiciary appointments nationwide
Political strategist Scott Jennings framed the criticism as pragmatic primary politics: Good candidates can have it both ways—respectful to mentors while aligning with Trump. However, Trump critic Whitney Westerfield countered: They’re all kissing Trump’s behind to look like the most Trump person.
With McConnell’s exit creating a power vacuum, three key figures are emerging:
- U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), positioning as a proven winner
- Businessman Nate Morris, campaigning as a Washington outsider
- Democratic state Rep. Pamela Stevenson, launching fundraising efforts
Cameron faces scrutiny after his 2023 gubernatorial loss to Democrat Andy Beshear. Barr’s campaign recently quipped that Cameron embarrassed Republicans through that defeat, while Morris has accused establishment candidates of lacking backbone. Meanwhile, Cameron dismisses Barr’s statewide recognition: Outside his district, nobody knows who Andy Barr is.
Analysts suggest Trump’s endorsement could decide the primary, particularly given McConnell’s diminished clout. The former president remains popular in Kentucky, having carried the state by 26 points in 2020. As candidates jockey for position, Cameron’s early break with his mentor signals a new era of Trump-centric GOP politics in McConnell’s backyard.