Ambassador nominee 'proud' of KY Senate campaign that criticized Mitch McConnell

Piper Hansen, Lexington Herald-Leader on Aug 5, 2026

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In vying for confirmation from the Senate to be the next U.S. ambassador to Colombia, Nate Morris said he’s “proud” of the campaign he ran to replace one of the voters he’s counting on: Mitch McConnell.

During that campaign, Morris became known for making scathing comments about and dishing out harsh critiques of McConnell, Kentucky’s longtime, retiring U.S. senator.

The Lexington businessman and political outsider’s first TV ad featured him throwing a cardboard cutout of McConnell into a garbage truck. Morris mocked the senator’s public freezes that have been caught on camera, called him a “decrepit old mob boss,” and described his opponents as McConnell’s “puppets.”

Morris — who suspended his Senate campaign in May at the request of President Donald Trump to make way for now nominee Andy Barr — was tapped June 2 by the president for the ambassadorship. Colombia is a close ally in South America and the Caribbean Sea and is the country of origin for multiple boats targeted by U.S. forces over suspicion of smuggling drugs.

McConnell does not sit on the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and has yet to be medically cleared to return to Capitol Hill after he was hospitalized June 14. But Morris could need McConnell’s vote, as confirmation to the ambassadorship requires Senate confirmation.

In front of the committee Wednesday, Morris was questioned by the 84-year-old senator’s colleagues about his knowledge of international policy, lack of a traditional diplomatic background and things he’d said about McConnell on the campaign trail.

Utah’s Republican Sen. John Curtis took up most of the McConnell-related questioning, asking Morris if there was “anything you would like to say or have you taken any steps to rectify a perhaps damaged relationship?”

“Obviously, campaigns are very spirited,” Morris said back.

But Curtis still wanted an answer.

“That’s right, and you’re no longer in a campaign — you’re here as a diplomat, and you’ll be working with all of us and our colleagues,” the senator said. “You don’t have to do it, but I’m simply giving you the chance to say, ‘If I had an opportunity, I’d do some things differently.’ I don’t want to put words in your mouth — it’s your opportunity to do whatever you want.”

Morris didn’t take the opportunity the senator wanted him to and instead doubled down.

“Look, I’m very proud of the campaign that we ran,” Morris said. “And I think that obviously getting the (ambassador) nomination from the president was one of the great honors of my life, but I think the way we exited our campaign as well tells you everything you need to know about my character (and) bringing people together.”

“No regrets? Nothing to say?” Curtis said.

“Senator, I’m very proud of the campaign we ran,” Morris said.

When Curtis said it was “hard” to see Morris “acting like a candidate,” the nominee said the same thing again.

“Senator, again, I remain very proud of everyone who worked on our campaign, the campaign that we ran,” Morris said. “I think we were met with tremendous enthusiasm from Kentuckians and from people all over the country.”

The Senate committee did not vote Aug. 5 to advance the nomination, which still needs final approval of the full senate. The body instructed Morris to respond to additional questions by the end of the week before it schedules a vote.

Morris, a first-time candidate for office when he launched his Senate bid, regularly trailed Barr and former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the third high-profile Republican candidate, in polling numbers.

While Morris significantly self-funded his race, he also earned notable outside support from political action committees, including a $10 million donation from the world’s richest man, Elon Musk.

While campaigning, Morris was a frequent McConnell critic. In the same TV ad where he threw a cardboard replica of the senator into a garbage truck, Morris vowed to “trash Mitch McConnell’s legacy.” Morris made much of his money co-founding Rubicon Technologies, a large waste management company once based in Lexington.

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