FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) 鈥 Republican Senate candidate Daniel Cameron lavished praise Monday on Donald Trump and criticized his mentor Sen. Mitch McConnell, reflecting the president's dominance within the GOP and setting an early tone for what looks to be a competitive primary for a Kentucky Senate seat in 2026.
In a campaign video, Cameron said McConnell was 鈥渇lat out wrong鈥 for , chastising the seven-term senator who helped launch Cameron's career in politics.
Seeming to part ways with McConnell on a key national security issue, Cameron declared 鈥渆nough is enough鈥 when it comes to U.S. funding for . support for Ukraine and lumped Russia among adversaries he calls an 鈥渁xis of aggressors鈥 posing a fundamental threat to America and its allies.
Cameron's remarks came on the and at a time when U.S. policies on Russia and Ukraine are shifting dramatically under Trump. They signaled a remarkable shift in power away from Kentucky's senior senator, who announced last week that he after his long tenure as a power broker leading his party in the U.S. Senate.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to be the type of senator that stands up for your constitutional rights and is going to support President Trump鈥檚 鈥楢merica First鈥 agenda,鈥 Cameron, a former aide to McConnell and later the state attorney general, said in the video.
Cameron鈥檚 campaign cast the video as an official campaign launch, though he confirmed last week that he was in the race shortly after McConnell revealed his plans to retire next year.
Cameron's willingness to break with McConnell reflected the senator's diminished status even in Kentucky, the state he has represented since the mid-1980s and where he helped orchestrate the GOP's rise to power. It also signaled the value of a Trump endorsement, seen as potentially decisive in determining who wins the GOP primary next year.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e all kissing Trump鈥檚 behind and doing their best to look like they鈥檙e the most Trump person, which is really discouraging when we鈥檙e talking about a constitutionally independent office,鈥 former Kentucky state Sen. Whitney Westerfield, a Republican and Trump critic, said by phone Monday.
As for McConnell鈥檚 influence in Cameron鈥檚 career, Westerfield said: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think his political career would be where it is without McConnell.鈥
Westerfield said he saw that influence firsthand. After narrowly losing his campaign for Kentucky attorney general in 2015, he was prepared to run again in 2019 until being warned the McConnell camp was ready to run a blistering primary campaign against him, he said. Westerfield pulled out and said Monday he thought the pressure was meant to benefit Cameron.
Elsewhere in Kentucky's Republican ranks, U.S. Rep. has signaled he would announce his plans soon and said he鈥檚 been encouraged by support he's already received as he considers a Senate run. Businessman Nate Morris has signaled his strong interest in the Senate race, too.
The state's two Democrats holding statewide office鈥 Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman 鈥 have both said they will not enter the race. A top legislative Democrat, state House Minority Floor Leader Pamela Stevenson, recently filed to raise money for the Senate race.
Cameron鈥檚 ties to McConnell reach back to Cameron鈥檚 college days, when he was part of the McConnell Scholars Program at the University of Louisville. Cameron later worked as McConnell鈥檚 general counsel.
as Kentucky's first Black attorney general in 2019, Cameron said that McConnell had 鈥渃hanged the trajectory of my life鈥 by urging him to run for attorney general.
鈥淚鈥檓 proud to call him a friend, I鈥檓 proud to call him a mentor,鈥 Cameron said.
Scott Jennings, a Republican political strategist close to both McConnell and Cameron, downplayed the criticism Cameron leveled at his mentor. Jennings said it's become standard for Republican candidates to align themselves with Trump in GOP primaries. Cameron ran for governor in 2023 and hitched his campaign to Trump's coattails but .
鈥淕ood candidates can have it both ways," Jennings said Monday. 鈥淭hey can be respectful to those who have boosted their careers and at the same time clearly state their positions.鈥
When McConnell revealed his retirement plans, Barr said the senator had 鈥渞eshaped the federal judiciary鈥 and thanked McConnell for his service.
Barr has said he will fight for Trump's agenda. A Barr spokesman said last week that Cameron 鈥渆mbarrassed鈥 Trump and the GOP by losing the governor鈥檚 race. Barr's spokesman also said the party needs 鈥減roven winners,鈥 perhaps foreshadowing Barr鈥檚 pitch for a Trump endorsement.
Cameron responded by saying, 鈥淵ou get outside of his district, nobody knows who Andy Barr is.鈥
Meanwhile, Morris has cast himself as a political outsider. While Cameron and Barr jockeyed behind the scenes while awaiting McConnell鈥檚 decision on the 2026 race, Morris bluntly said it was time for McConnell to retire. He ripped into the senator for opposing three Trump nominations and accused his potential GOP rivals of lacking the backbone to speak out about the McConnell votes.
