'Chaos': Red‐state governor sounds the alarm over Trump’s agenda

13 July

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives at the White House, in Washington, U.S., June 9, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) launched a searing critique of the Trump administration’s sweeping tariff policies Sunday. During an appearance on NBC News’s "Meet the Press," Beshear labeled the strategy pure “chaos” undermining the U.S. economy.

He warned these unpredictable tariffs are harming working families.

“The people of Kentucky, many of them, voted for [President] Donald Trump because they thought he’d make paying the bills a little bit easier at the end of the week. And he’s just making it harder,” Beshear said.

Asked if Kentuckians had backed the current tariff agenda, Beshear was unequivocal.

“No, not at all,” he said. “This is, what was it, first across the board, then reciprocal, then industry-specific. I think there was a company-specific tariff proposed. Now, we have tariffs on countries if he doesn’t like who that country is prosecuting. It is chaos. It is increasing costs.”

The governor detailed real-world consequences, noting layoffs among small businesses in Kentucky hit by rising costs of imported raw materials.

“And when a small business is laying somebody off, it’s somebody they go to church with. It’s somebody who their kids play soccer with. This is going to impact the economy in such negative ways,” he added.

In April, Trump announced “reciprocal” tariffs on numerous countries, tying rates to bilateral trade deficits. Though rates were reduced to 10 percent for a 90‑day negotiation window, the move sent shockwaves through markets.

Beshear’s statements echo bipartisan dismay in Kentucky — including from Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul — as local industries like bourbon, auto manufacturing, and agriculture warn of escalating costs, production delays, and retaliatory foreign tariffs.

On Saturday, Trump announced that, effective August 1, a 30 percent tariff will be levied on imports from both Mexico and the European Union. This escalation follows several weeks of trade talks that did not yield a comprehensive agreement, with both sides unable to finalize a deal.

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