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Establishment GOP Scrambling to Fend Off MAGA Insurgent Nate Morris

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  August 04, 2025 1:30 PM

Nate Morris is coming out swinging to replace outgoing Sen. Mitch McConnell in Kentucky, and now his opposition is starting some major mudslinging defense in response. Mr. Morris carpet-bombed the Bluegrass state with a massive ad buy to announce his intentions, clinched the endorsements of America First fighters Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN) and Bernie Moreno (R-OH), and has new media spots where he declares he’s no-McConnell lackey.  

The latter is his main attack against former Attorney General Daniel Cameron and Rep. Andy Barr, and they’ve decided to start fixing bayonets, a move that was evident at the Fancy Farm picnic last weekend. Sure, Morris was a target, but the whole event was marked by where everyone took shots at one another (via Louisville Courier Journal): 

The three high-profile Republicans gunning for longtime U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s seat gathered under one roof this weekend alongside the man they're running to replace. 

Yeah, there were some fireworks. 

The annual Fancy Farm political picnic was absent of Democrats in 2025, save for John "Drew" Williams, an enthusiastic West Kentucky native running a longshot bid to unseat U.S. Rep. James Comer, who had plenty of buzz of his own. 

But it wasn't absent of drama. After months of potshots before and after they'd officially entered the race, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and Lexington businessman Nate Morris finally had a chance to trade barbs in person, with a raucous crowd cheering and jeering and McConnell joining them on stage. 

[…] 

Morris, who did not join Barr and Cameron in standing and applauding when speakers praised the senator throughout the day, had plenty to say in response. McConnell "helped push lawfare against President Trump," he said after arriving at the event, "blamed January 6 on President Trump” and "wrote blank checks for Ukraine." 

Cameron said Barr "wants you to think he's America First, but it's hard to believe him when he voted with Nancy Pelosi 1,200 times." And Morris "wants you to think he's tough, but when he was asked about his donation in the primary to Nikki Haley over Donald Trump, rather than own up to it, his first thought was to throw his wife under the bus." 

[…] 

Cameron said Barr "wants you to think he's America First, but it's hard to believe him when he voted with Nancy Pelosi 1,200 times." And Morris "wants you to think he's tough, but when he was asked about his donation in the primary to Nikki Haley over Donald Trump, rather than own up to it, his first thought was to throw his wife under the bus."

Look, Mitch McConnell did do some great things for Trump's agenda in the first term. He got the judges through, the Supreme Court rebalanced, but has become a drag on the movement, and it's time to call it a career. Morris is looking to the future, and he has to love that all the right people are starting to hate him.