GOP ‘moderate’ Michael Adams spoke at KY Trump rally. Some ask ‘what the heck?’
It wasn’t exactly a natural pairing, but Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams took the stage for remarks to warm up the crowd in advance of President Donald Trump’s recent speech in Northern Kentucky.
Kentucky’s most prominent self-styled moderate Republican, Adams offered effusive praise for the president alongside fellow GOP statewide officeholders Auditor Allison Ball and Attorney General Russell Coleman.
“President Trump has shown Kentucky a lot of love, and as you can see the feeling is mutual… From day one, President Trump has worked to get this country back on track and to make it great again.” Adams told the crowd gathered at a logistics facility near the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on March 11.
The words came from a man who has gained a reputation in Kentucky for bipartisanship and calling out unproven election conspiracy theories, particularly among those in his own party — including Trump’s false claims he actually won the 2020 election over Joe Biden. Adams was even awarded the prestigious John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2024 for his defense of elections.
On top of that, and Trump’s Department of Justice is suing Adams to gain access to Kentucky voters’ private data.
Adams told the Herald-Leader Thursday he was asked by the White House to speak, and was honored to touch on the policy priorities of the president’s he agrees with, including some items where Trump differs with GOP Rep. Thomas Massie, the 4th Congressional District congressman Trump is working hard to unseat.
“I agree 100% with President Trump on all the things I talked about,” Adams said. “Obviously, this was an official event, and the primary subject matter was the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill Act’ and defending American interests in the Middle East and ensuring that the fascist theocracy (in Iran) doesn’t get a nuclear weapon.
“Those are things that I agree with the president on, and the congressman there doesn’t.”
Andrew Cooperrider, a former candidate for state treasurer and prominent Liberty GOP content creator, asked in a social media post: “What the heck” was Adams doing there?
“Are Trump’s aides unaware that his administration is literally in court with Adams right now? Trump doesn’t personally pick every speaker at his rallies — I get that,” Cooperrider wrote. “But he needs to fire whoever is handling that and never trust them again to vet people… Many times they get it wrong because the aides themselves are swamp creatures and end up picking some of the worst people.”
Adams sees no contradiction in his speaking at the event, even as his office is locked in a legal battle with Trump’s administration.
“This was an official event to talk about how the president’s policies are good for Kentucky when it comes to economics, and I totally agree,” Adams said. “I was happy to be able to say that. This was not a ‘stop the steal’ rally.”
In court, he said “we’ll let the judges sort it out.”
“If I can get along with the administration, and if I can be helpful, I will, as long as it doesn’t compromise Kentuckians’ interests, and it did not yesterday,” Adams said. “The Republican Party is a coalition of various types of people. That’s why we have majorities in Congress, the presidency and a supermajority in each house of the (state) legislature.
“It’s the MAGA movement, but it’s also traditional Republicans.”
Adams eyeing 2027 run for KY governor
Adams’ relative moderation on certain issues — he’s said Republicans shouldn’t lean into social issues like LGBTQ rights that voters may see as harsh — has made him a favorite Republican among some Kentucky Democrats. He was even the top vote-getter of all statewide candidates in 2023, a fact he touts on social media.
Kentucky Democratic Party Executive Director Morgan Eaves marked his speech as a heel turn in a post to X Thursday.
“What is it about Donald Trump that makes every Republican elected official lose all sense of their morals and values?” Eaves asked.
Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday he was unsurprised by Republican officials’ comments in support of Trump and against him, likening it to a GOP primary debate with “everybody trying to sound as tough as they can.” He specifically said he found it “interesting” for Adams to make his speech with the ongoing DOJ lawsuit.
Adams’ comments came as the second-term secretary of state is openly mulling a 2027 run for governor as a Republican, even as chatter around U.S. Rep. James Comer making another run for the governor’s mansion of his own heats up.
Adams didn’t name Comer when asked recently about his thoughts on whether he could beat the prominent House Republican, who has curried favor with Trump for his investigations into Democrats. But his comments were pointed, as he emphasized he was the “only person talking about state issues.”
“I’m a different personality type than (Trump) is, but I’m authentic, and I’m the only person who’s not a bootlicker and thinking for myself and being my own man — I think voters like that,” Adams said.
Of note, two former partners at Adams’ law firm – Chalmers, Adams, Backer & Kaufman – work at the Trump White House: Moses Ayala and Kevin Cline.
Adams told the Herald-Leader he doesn’t plan to make a decision on his own political future until after this year’s May 19 primary, where voters will decide which GOP candidate they want for U.S. Senate and for Massie’s district. The U.S. Senate race is hotly contested, with three leading candidates on the GOP side: Lexington tech entrepreneur Nate Morris, former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron and U.S. Rep. Andy Barr.
On Massie’s race, the target of most of Trump’s political energy Wednesday, Adams said he intends to remain neutral for now. He said he liked Massie personally and called him “a good man.”
“These are policies where I agree with the president and the congressman doesn’t, and I respect that,” Adams said.
This story was originally published March 13, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
