U.S. Representative Andy Barr, Republican from the 6th district and Central Kentucky defended the Trump administration's actions.

Barr spoke at a Commerce Lexington luncheon on Wednesday where he told those in attendance that tariffs and the work of Elon Musk's Department of Government efficiency or Doge will eventually be good for the economy.

Protesters who gathered outside the event say bars support of the Trump administration is a threat to democracy.

♪ >> Is supposed to move slowly.

So you know, the slash-and-burn stuff that he's doing and like I said, just disregard for the constitution and the separation of powers.

Let's let's my cause.

You know you by what the Constitution to be honor.

>> One of the things that we're looking at it again, Doge project is creating a lot of questions.

But and Elon Musk told me personally face-to-face in a meeting I had with him.

The goal is not including these rifts with these probation or employees.

Their recommendations have not been in many cases just completely wiped out or have a huge across the border.

If so, we know.

And I'm aware because I've talked to many of you all concern about potential grants or funding streams that might be at risk as a result of this come to our office.

We will weigh in on your behalf.

The whole exercise of do just not to end a lot of these worthwhile funding streams.

It is to segregate the waste, fraud and abuse corruption, mismanagement from that, which the taxpayers actually want and deserve.

>> I personally believe that the only guardrail that's left is that you this year.

He's and we're starting to see that to some degree.

And I think to the Republicans in Congress.

They're they're all going to line up behind him and do whatever he says.

And, you know, hopefully as you as though the VA is dismantled, that EPA is just not mangled on the Department of Education and more people start to lose benefits and hopefully some of those if you're the home grown Republican, sure.

We'll we'll see what he doesn't care about.

He only cares about his donor.

Israelis.

>> Let let me move on to the tariff conversation really quickly because there's no doubt that there is in Kentuckyian beyond questions.

There's kind of 2 tracks here of all what animates the Trump administration's tariff policy.

One, what are the objective of these tariffs?

One is national security.

And that can come in different forms could become come in.

The form of semiconductors are critical technologies that drive the technology of the future like artificial intelligence.

It could also come in the form of using tariffs to extract.

Cooperation from our our allies and our and our neighbors like Canada and Mexico to make sure they can help us secure our border and stop the flow of fentanyl pouring into our communities.

There's another mission and that is the economic, purposeful nus of the policy and what we have seen for so many years as President Trump correctly points out is that even our allies and partners, not just our adversaries like the People's Republic of China.

I whys and partners like India and Canada and the EU and Mexico have unfair trade practices that actually preclude market access for American exporters.

We're going to continue to promote fairness for all American exports to open up markets.

Short-term disruption.

Of course.

And you see a sell-off in the equity markets in that in the short term.

But in the long run.

It is the objective of this administration and your congressman to open up markets so that we have much greater demand globally for Kentucky.

Straight bourbon.

Whiskey.

>> And a post on X, formerly known as Twitter bar denies the claim that it's difficult to contact anyone in his office.

Barr says he and his staff meet with constituents every day.

Barr said he plans to hold a telephone town hall meeting on Monday.

That kind of meeting is essentially a conference call with a member of Congress and their constituents.

He says he doesn't want to have a form for people to shout and engage