Barnard callsis himselfgenerally considered to be a conservative, with ties to many prominent Republican politicians. Minnesota Senator [[Norm Coleman]], Minnesota Governor [[Tim Pawlenty]] and a variety of personalities from network news organizations.{{citation needed}} In the fall of [[2002]] Barnard made comments about the late Minnesota Senator [[Paul Wellstone]], joking that he wished Wellstone would "drop dead." Barnard had felt that Paul Wellstone used controversey with the KQRS morning show for his own political gain. Barnard often quotes Wellstone as saying "my proudest moment ever was standing up to the KQ Morning Show". After the senator died in a small plane crash days before the 2002 senate election, Barnard came under fire by Star Tribune gossip columnist CJ on his comments, and made an on-air apology several days after the election.
Independence Party Minnesota Governor, [[Jesse Ventura]], who was once a regular on the show, was congratulated upon winning the governorship in 1998, but had a falling out with Barnard shortly after and is now the butt of numerous jokes.
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Barnard angered the Somali community in 1998 over remarks made following the murder of a Somali cab driver. The remarks came after news reports showed angry somali men claiming that there is "no justice in America". Star Tribune columnist CJ quoted Barnard's comments which some believe inspired the rally. According to the hosts of the morning show, the demonstrators sped through streets, even speeding next to elementary school buses with their "stop" arm extended to protest at the station. Angry Somali men rallied at the radio station shouting, "Tom Barnard, this is for you!". According to the morning show and articles in the Star Tribune in the days following, many of the demonstrators held up the CJ article.
Barnard has also critized the Hip Hop community by portraying how acceptable gang violence has become, especially in the neighborhood he once grew up in. Minneapolis local officials refused for years to acknowledge that Minneapolis had a gang problem, despite many well known crimes that started in the mid-1980's. Barnard also has been critical of community activists, who critize police action in predominantly ethnic neighborhoods. Many of these activists are quick to blame police for their actions. Most notable was in 2003 when an African-American man falsely accused police of abusing him with a toliet plunger. It was later proven he lied and falsified such claims. However, local community activists had riled the residents of the neighborhood against the police because of these false accusations.
