GOP Rep Andy Barr endorses Trump for 'strong leadership both at home and abroad'

A source close to Barr says he could run for Senate in 2026

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EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Andy Barr is endorsing former President Trump, telling Fox News Digital that Americans "must rally behind" him to ensure "strong leadership both at home and abroad." 

Barr, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital on Monday about his endorsement.

"I can not sit idly by while Joe Biden and his disastrous policies continue to erode what makes America the greatest country in the world," Barr said. "Since Biden took office, we have seen record-high illegal immigration at the Southern Border, 40-year high inflation, and threateningly weak foreign policy that has invited aggression from our adversaries."

Rep. Andy Barr

Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr speaks at a press conference on the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 25, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

TRUMP PICKS UP MORE SENATE GOP ENDORSEMENTS

However, Barr said, "despite all of this, Democrats and the ‘mainstream media' are doing everything they can to ensure Joe Biden remains president."

"Donald Trump is the only candidate who can defeat Joe Biden and reinstate an America First agenda," he said.

Andy Barr and Trump split image

Rep. Andy Barr, left, and former President Trump (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Scott Eisen)

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Barr, reflecting on the Trump administration, said Americans "paid less at the pump and the grocery store."

"American families’ incomes rose, and their small businesses flourished," he said, adding that none of those developments were "coincidences."

Former President Donald Trump on stage at an event pointing to the crowd

Former President Trump gestures on stage during the Alabama Republican Party’s 2023 Summer meeting at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel on Aug. 4, 2023, in Montgomery, Alabama. (Julie Bennett/Getty Images)

"They were a direct product of Trump’s low-tax, pro-economic growth policies," he told Fox News Digital, saying Biden’s policies have "resulted in the opposite." 

"As Kentuckians and Americans, we must rally behind a leader who understands the importance of strong leadership, both at home and abroad," he said. "That is why, to protect our country and ensure prosperity, I am endorsing Donald J. Trump for President of the United States." 

FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP’S LEAD IN GOP PRIMARY WIDENS

Trump is dominating the 2024 Republican primary field. A new Fox News poll released over the weekend also showed that if the election were held today, Trump would beat President Biden by four points in a head-to-head match-up. 

Meanwhile, a source close to Barr told Fox News Digital that should a Senate seat become open for 2026, the congressman could be "a serious contender."

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"Barr is a prolific fundraiser and a skilled legislator who would be a formidable ally for the America First agenda in the Senate," the source told Fox News Digital.

That source said Barr’s early endorsement of Trump "could preview a closer working relationship" between Barr and Trump in the coming years.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Brooke Singman is a Fox News Digital politics reporter. You can reach her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or @BrookeSingman on Twitter.

Authored by Brooke Singman via FoxNews December 18th 2023