KY’s entire federal delegation should do the right thing, stand up to Trump | Opinion
Kentucky’s Congressional delegation is serving a self-absorbed, erratic and increasingly unhinged man while failing to serve the people who elected them. Since Trump assumed office a year ago, I have been waiting for our representatives to honor their oath to uphold the US Constitution, represent Kentucky, and maintain the balance of powers necessary for a functional democracy.
Instead of protecting our people, our country and the values that have guided us for centuries, the Republican majorities in the House and the Senate have become the greatest threats to our democracy by ceding their power to Trump.
Congressmen from the solidly red state of Kentucky should be taking a leadership role in stopping Trump’s overreach of power and the chaos he is sowing in America and abroad. The only KY Republicans who seem to be willing to challenge Trump on anything are Thomas Massie and Rand Paul, along with the sole Democrat, Rep. Morgan McGarvey.
It has been one outrage after another since 1/20/25. Without Congressional approval or just cause, the Trump administration has killed over 100 people by targeting boats in the Caribbean, invaded Venezuela, and threatened to attack Iran and invade Greenland. Trump has insulted and alienated our closest allies to the extent that they are now forced to establish new international economic partnerships and a stronger alignment with China. The Republican party has helped Trump dismantle the FTC Consumer Protection Bureau, undermine the Center for Disease Control, roll back the Clean Water Act and other environmental safeguards, and enact tax breaks for the rich while reducing health and nutritional benefits for the elderly, disabled and working poor. None of these measures lower the price of groceries or support the wellbeing of Kentuckians.
Our representatives were NOT elected to blindly support a president who is sending unprepared ICE and Border Patrol Officers to terrorize and use lethal force against peaceful protestors exercising their right to free speech. How ironic that Trump talks about invading Iran to “protect” protestors there, while he is permitting nonviolent protestors to be gunned down by federal agents.
Without any evidence, the Trump administration denigrated the names of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by calling them “domestic terrorists” shortly after they were killed in Minnesota. Unaltered videos clearly show that Ms. Good and Mr. Pretti were not threatening anyone. The domestic terrorism we saw was perpetrated by people wearing federal uniforms and sanctioned by Trump.
True American patriots are the people in the streets voicing their opposition to the authoritarian rule that Trump seeks. He is eroding our individual rights, state rights, and voting rights. Most Republicans who profess “law and order” looked away as Trump pardoned more than 1,500 violent insurrectionists who broke into the Capital and a former drug dealing Honduran president, and they remain silent as he seeks revenge on those who try to uphold our laws and protect democracy.
Republican Congressmen, including Kentucky’s delegation, HAVE THE POWER TO STOP THIS MADNESS! What threshold must be crossed before they will live up to their oath to protect the American people and the Constitution? As recent polls show, people (Republicans, Democrats and Independents) across our nation are fed up.
I worked for decades to stop child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. I was fortunate to work alongside many committed victim advocates, police officers and other criminal justice professionals, including brief interactions with two capable ICE officers who, in my experience, seemed able to peacefully carry out their duties to facilitate the deportation of undocumented immigrants who had committed violent crimes in our country. A measured and responsible approach to immigration policy is possible.
Republicans must take back the powers they have ceded to Trump, including the power to pass the budget, declare war, set immigration policy and authorize the use of force in the US and abroad. They must fulfill their oath to defend the US Constitution, not a president or party.
Teri Faragher is the former Executive Director of the Fayette County Domestic Violence Prevention Board, now the Domestic and Sexual Assault Prevention Coalition. She is currently the President of OutrageUs, Inc., a small Kentucky web-based nonprofit that creates awareness and educational resources for victims and survivors of stalking and other forms of intimate partner abuse and the people who help them achieve safety and justice.
This story was originally published January 28, 2026 at 10:23 AM.