Trump’s tariff wars forge rare bipartisan alliance in Kentucky as bourbon makers fear escalation

FRANKFORT,Ky.(AP)—PresidentDonaldTrump’sblunt-forceuseoftariffshasforgedararebipartisanallianceamongKentucky’stopleaders—DemocraticGov.AndyBeshearandRepublicanSens.MitchMcConnellandRandPaul—inlamentingbrewingtradewarsthatcouldstaggerthebourbonsector. BourbondistillerswhoinvestedtimeandmoneycultivatingmarketsinEuropeandCanadaarenowworriedaboutbecoming“collateraldamage”inescalatingtit-for-tatdisputes.Trump’ssaber-rattlingintensifiedthisweekwhenhethreateneda200%tariffonEuropeanwine,ChampagneandotherspiritsiftheEuropeanUniongoesforwardwithaplannedtariffonAmericanwhiskey. InsolidlyRepublicanKentucky,whereTrumphasdominatedsincehisfirstWhiteHouseelectionin2016,thegovernorandsenatorshavebeeninlockstepintheirdisapprovaloftheneardailydramaregardingtariffs.Beshear,whoisseenasapotentialpresidentialcontenderin2028,hasbeenespeciallycritical. “PresidentTrumpstartedthistradewar