A former high ranking state Senate Republican, holds similar concerns about the president's trade policies, especially when it comes to the impact on Kentucky's signature bourbon industry.

Damon Thayer, who retired from the Kentucky General Assembly after more than two decades, a dozen of them as majority floor leader, has shifted his focus to favorite Kentucky pastimes bourbon and horse racing, two industries he championed during his legislative career.

And the first installment of a three part interview will bring you here on Kentucky Edition.

They are discussed how his small batch bourbon brand, Kentucky Senator Bourbon, isn't feeling the effects of higher tariffs like the larger bourbon whiskey maker's.

And we also talk about some marquee elections next year.

And if you considered making a run for Washington, as you look at the trade policy and kind of the waffling on tariffs, on tariffs off, I mean, what does that do to the bourbon industry in Kentucky?

What what are the effects that's already being felt or what do you fear is yet to come?

It hasn't affected Kentucky Senator Bourbon.

We're a small startup and we're just trying to get into new states.

And we're still we're still in the growth phase here in Kentucky.

But for the for the big bourbon guys like I call it Beam Suntory, it's now Satori Global Spirits, which owns maker's Mark and Jim Beam.

Buffalo trace Brown-Forman which owns Woodford Reserve for Rose's bullet.

You know the big brands that their growth is tied to overseas markets.

It's it's it's been a hit for them.

And, you know, CEOs are responsible for growth year over year.

And when when some of your biggest markets, you know, see a downturn, that's a problem.

Let's just hope it's short term.

And you know, I'm not a big tariffs guy.

I'm a I'm proud to be a Reagan conservative.

That's a distinction with a difference from a Maga conservative Reagan conservatives like me don't really believe in tariffs.

But we just have to hope that, what the president and his team are doing turns out to be the right thing for American companies and the jobs they produce.

And the people who are employed by them.

Well, another decision that the Trump administration could have an impact on is another passion of yours.

And that's horses.

So we think about some of the migrant labor.

And that's just in the agricultural sector itself, not just the horse industry.

But when you think about some of the migrant labor that's being used to help prop up Kentucky's agricultural industry, in particular the horse racing industry, I mean, that's got to be unsettling or I would think it might be unsettling to those in the industry.

Well, uncertainty in commercial markets always leads to, jitters and and anxiety, and that's certainly the case.

I do want to say that there was a provision in President Trump's tax bill that will be of great help to the horse industry, and that is that you can deduct 100% the purchases of young racehorses.

It's a really big deal.

The NTIA fought for it in Washington, D.C., Congressman Andy Barr and the Thoroughbred Association National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

It's a big win.

But, there is no doubt that the agriculture industry as a whole in the United States of America is dependent on migrant labor.

And specifically, to your question, the horse racing and breeding industry, is it it couldn't it couldn't occur at its current level if we if we didn't have legal immigrants to work these jobs.

Because to be honest, you know, there Americans don't like to do these jobs in the same proportion that they did 30, 40, 50 years ago.

So, not to say that there aren't, Americans who love and work in the horse industry, but there is a huge number, of of and I'm a big supporter of legal immigration.

I don't support some of the people in my party who want to kick everybody out.

But I do I do think the president's approach to illegal immigration is one of the main reasons he was elected president.

And I do think he's doing a good job on it.

I didn't like the recent announcement about, letting in hundreds of thousands of Chinese illegal immigrants.

And there's a lot of, people befuddled about that right now.

And hopefully it'll play itself out.

Positively.

I mean, we all have to have hope, that these, these executive orders that don't go through Congress work out for us.

But there is there is no doubt, that the through the H-2b visa program, that the horse industry is heavily reliant on migrant labor.

And let's hope, let's hope that the crackdown on legal immigration doesn't affect the horse industry and the agriculture industry that produces our food, and in a big way.

Why didn't you run for U.S. Senate or you still have time, I guess.

Thanks for asking.

I was asked as recently as two weeks ago if I'd reconsider my decision not to run for Congress.

I think Andy Barr is a great candidate for the U.S. Senate.

And, so that was that was an easy one, although I do I did like the sound of a six year term, but it's very compelling.

I say with as much modesty as I can muster, that if I had decided to run for the sixth district, I think I would win, and I think I would be a very effective congressman in the mold of of Andy Barr.

But I just don't have the fire in my belly for it right now.

And, you know, after 22 years in the state Senate, 12 as leader, you know, I took a lot of slings and arrows, and was proud to do it on behalf of my caucus and my party and my district and the principles that we believe in.

But I, I just I just couldn't see myself going from being the majority floor leader in the Kentucky state Senate to a freshman member of the United States Congress, 5050 chance that Republicans are back in the minority.

I hope that's not the case, but that would be I just yeah, I just didn't find it compelling.

And, you know, maybe someday I'll look back on it with regret, because who knows, if my friend Ralph Alvarado becomes congressman, he might do it for 20 years.

And, you know, an open seat for Congress or the U.S. Senate doesn't come around very often.

But I'm very content with my decision.

Tomorrow night, they are dishes on his picks for Kentucky's sixth Congressional district and U.S. Senate races that are happening next year.

And when or if he might try to return to Frankfort.

And in what capacity?

That's tomorrow night on Kentucky Edition, so stay tuned.