Several Kentucky state and federal lawmakers are heading to Washington, D.C., to watch President-elect Donald Trump assume the United States presidency.
Inauguration Day, which occurs every four years on Jan. 20, will take place Monday. Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance are scheduled to be sworn in at noon.
Kentucky was the first state to call for Trump in 2020 and 2024 general elections, with the incoming president receiving 64.6% of the vote in November last year.
Here’s what to know about who will represent the Bluegrass State at his 2025 inauguration.
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Which of Kentucky’s federal delegates will attend Trump’s inauguration?
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) walks to his office following a vote after suffering a fall earlier in the day during the Senate Republican lunch in Washington, U.S., December 10, 2024. REUTERS/Tierney Cross
The Courier Journal confirmed Sen. Mitch McConnell, Rep. Andy Barr and Rep. Thomas Massie, all Republicans, will be attending the inauguration.
Massie’s communications director, John Kennedy, added the congressman will also make a “prominent appearance” at the Make America Healthy Again Inaugural Ball, which will include Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Louisville Rep. Morgan McGarvey, Kentucky’s lone Democratic federal delegate, said in a statement to The Courier Journal “I take no joy in a second Trump presidency, but it is my duty to stand up for our democracy and ensure a peaceful transfer of power.”
“As the only Democrat in Congress from Kentucky, I have never been afraid to take on tough challenges and fight for what I think is right, regardless of who is in the White House,” McGarvey said. “This is nothing new for me — I attended Matt Bevin’s inauguration and spent the next four years pushing back against his efforts to hurt working families, strip teachers of their pensions, and take away women’s reproductive rights.”
“With similar determination, I will attend this inauguration and stand up to Donald Trump and his extreme agenda that will harm working families and many of our most vulnerable communities in Louisville,” McGarvey added.
Requests for comment for Republican Reps. Brett Guthrie, Hal Rogers, James Comer and Sen. Rand Paul were not answered at the time of publication.
What Kentucky state lawmakers will be attending Trump’s inauguration?
Andy Westberry, communications director for the Republican Party of Kentucky, confirmed state Sens. Phillip Wheeler and Shelley Funke Frommeyer and Reps. Vanessa Grossl and Brandon Smith will be attending the inauguration.
Funke Frommeyer said this will be the first presidential inauguration she’s attended.
“I did have the blessing of being a delegate for the Republican National Convention,” Funke Frommeyer said. “I felt completely excited and hopeful as I left the Republican National Convention. So to me, this inauguration is about celebrating very diligent work.”
She added she is excited for the incoming administration because she believes they are striving for “efficiency and excellence,” which will benefit Kentucky.
“We need to become more efficient and more excellent,” Funke Frommeyer said. “For example, our workforce participation rate is terrible. … I believe that they’ll continue to drive the message of invest in yourself, get out there and achieve cash flow through your own efforts.”
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Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at hpinski@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: McConnell, Massie among Kentucky lawmakers attending inauguration