Democratic incumbent Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Republican challenger Royce White faced off Sunday morning in the only U.S. Senate debate.
Klobuchar was first elected in 2006 and is seeking a fourth term in the Senate. In making the case for another six-year term, Klobuchar repeatedly pointed to the bipartisan legislation she supports.
“When drug companies got good deals with Medicare, I stepped in and introduced legislation that is now the law of the land, saying, ‘No, we have to negotiate prices.’ Our insulin cap is $35,” Klobuchar said. “When veterans came to me and said, ‘Hey, people are dying because they were stationed next to the crematorium,’ I wanted to do something about it. I did.”
Royce White, a former professional basketball player and current podcast host, said the status quo in Washington needs to change.
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“Our country is coming apart at the seams. I think we can change that, but it’s going to take some truth,” White said. “Despite the mainstream media’s attempts to silence, suppress and smear my campaign, there is one thing I am proud of: The feedback I get from people who support and follow is they say, ‘They appreciate that I’m telling the truth. ”
In addition to accusing the media of trying to silence him, White complained that the Minnesota Republican Party has distanced itself from him. White has a complicated background, including unpaid child support, pleading guilty to disorderly conduct, and questionable campaign spending in his last parliamentary election.
Ms. Klobuchar easily won her past two re-election campaigns, and by mid-October had amassed a war chest of more than $4.2 million, more than 50 times that of Mr. White. Opinion polls in September showed her leading Mr. Paik by a wide margin.
Klobuchar said the United States needs to invest more in worker training, housing, child care and technology, including high-speed internet, to strengthen the economy. White said the United States needs to stop nation-building and get out of what he called “forever wars.”
“I want America to have a strong military,” he said. “The question is where is that military involved and why?”
Klobuchar argued that the United States is involved in international conflicts out of necessity. “When you look at a situation like Ukraine, where President Vladimir Putin has invaded a sovereign country and joined forces with countries like North Korea, China and Iran, these are not our friends,” she said.
Klobuchar said the integrity of the election must be protected. White said former President Donald Trump apparently lost Minnesota in 2020, but he “didn’t know” that would happen. Joe Biden defeated Trump in Minnesota four years ago by 7 percentage points.
White said he supports Trump, saying, “I’m not a partisan hack. I’m not a Donald Trump sycophant, but I support him 1,000 percent.”
In closing, Klobuchar emphasized the importance of bipartisanship and accused White of taking an idiosyncratic approach to politics.
“He says vulgar things and insults people almost every day on Twitter and on his podcast,” she said. “That’s his job. I think being a senator is a different profession. I think you have to actually listen to people and get things done.”
Mr. White remained adamant that the time had come to oppose spending that did not benefit the country.
“Ultimately, this is a conflict between the old guard and the new generation of American politics,” he said. “Are we going to vote for leaders who will stand up in Washington, D.C. and ask the questions that need to be asked? More importantly, will we vote for leaders who will stand up in Washington, D.C. and ask the questions that need to be asked? And more importantly, will we vote for leaders who will stand up in Washington, D.C., and ask the questions that need to be asked? And more importantly, will we act alone when necessary and eliminate legislation that does not serve the American people?” Are you trying to obstruct progress?”
