McConnell speaks on tariffs, role of the U.S. in Glasgow address
Published 6:00 am Saturday, April 19, 2025
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell speaks about his years serving the state of Kentucky, the importance of America playing a top leadership role in the world and maintaining positive relationships with other countries, his hesitance to the tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed and other topics as he visits with the Glasgow-Barren County Rotary Club at the T.J. Health Pavilion Community Center in Glasgow, Ky., on Thursday, April 17, 2025. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell speaks about his years serving the state of Kentucky, the importance of America playing a top leadership role in the world and maintaining positive relationships with other countries, his hesitance to the tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed and other topics as he visits with the Glasgow-Barren County Rotary Club at the T.J. Health Pavilion Community Center in Glasgow, Ky., on Thursday, April 17, 2025. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell speaks about his years serving the state of Kentucky, the importance of America playing a top leadership role in the world and maintaining positive relationships with other countries, his hesitance to the tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed and other topics as he visits with the Glasgow-Barren County Rotary Club at the T.J. Health Pavilion Community Center in Glasgow, Ky., on Thursday, April 17, 2025. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell speaks about his years serving the state of Kentucky, the importance of America playing a top leadership role in the world and maintaining positive relationships with other countries, his hesitance to the tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed and other topics as he visits with the Glasgow-Barren County Rotary Club at the T.J. Health Pavilion Community Center in Glasgow, Ky., on Thursday, April 17, 2025. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell visits with members of the Glasgow-Barren County Rotary Club at the T.J. Health Pavilion Community Center in Glasgow, Ky., on Thursday, April 17, 2025. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell visits with members of the Glasgow-Barren County Rotary Club at the T.J. Health Pavilion Community Center in Glasgow, Ky., on Thursday, April 17, 2025. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell speaks about his years serving the state of Kentucky, the importance of America playing a top leadership role in the world and maintaining positive relationships with other countries, his hesitance to the tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed and other topics as he visits with the Glasgow-Barren County Rotary Club at the T.J. Health Pavilion Community Center in Glasgow, Ky., on Thursday, April 17, 2025. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell speaks about his years serving the state of Kentucky, the importance of America playing a top leadership role in the world and maintaining positive relationships with other countries, his hesitance to the tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed and other topics as he visits with the Glasgow-Barren County Rotary Club at the T.J. Health Pavilion Community Center in Glasgow, Ky., on Thursday, April 17, 2025. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
GLASGOW — Tariffs and the debate over the United States’ role in the world were points of focus for U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell as he appeared as a guest Thursday at a meeting of the Glasgow-Barren County Rotary Club.
Debate has abounded over the impact tariffs would have on the U.S. economy after President Donald Trump implemented new tariffs on multiple countries around the world.
McConnell said Thursday he has never been a “tariff enthusiast,” referring to the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act which he said was a contributing factor to the Great Depression. In recent months, many have argued tariffs would lead to a trade war between the U.S. and other countries — namely China.
McConnell said he hopes the tariffs succeed, but it’s a case of waiting and seeing.
“Put me down as ‘not yet convinced’ that this is the best way to go, but we’ll see,” McConnell said. “Maybe it will turn out the way the president would like it to turn out.”
He added that since tariffs are implemented by order from the president, congress has “no impact” on them.
“The president has the right to do this,” McConnell said. “He’s not doing anything he’s not legally entitled to do.”
McConnell told attendees that as he approached the final years of his career in the Senate, he learned he would be able to focus more on things he thought were the most important.
Discussing this Thursday, he said this includes America’s relationship with countries around the world.
He compared the countries of North Korea, China, Russia and Iran to Germany and Japan during World War II, “except more dangerous.”
“They’re all talking to each other, they’re coordinating, and the leader of that group is pretty clearly China,” McConnell said. “What they want to do is replace us as the most important country in the world.”
To this end, McConnell said the “single best supporters” of foreign assistance to other countries have been U.S. military generals.
“You get a lot of support for not a lot of money,” McConnell said.
McConnell is set to retire after more than 40 years in the senate when his current term ends in early 2027. He spoke on what this means for the remaining year and a half he has left in Washington.
“I want you to know I’m going to run through the tape and deliver in every way I can, as much as I can, for the greatest state in the nation,” he said.
Jack covers city government for the Daily News. Originally from Simpson County, he attended Western Kentucky University and graduated in 2022 with a degree in journalism.
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