Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Presidential Hopeful, Fields Questions During Town Hall
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar is closing out the long Presidents Day holiday weekend in New Hampshire running for President. Klobuchar campaigned Monday at a local tavern.
She compared New Hampshire to Minnesota, saying both states are full of politically independent voters. Monday night, CNN held a town hall meeting with Klobuchar and broadcast it nationwide.
The town hall presented an extraordinary political opportunity for a relatively unknown presidential candidate.
Klobuchar is campaigning on what she calls "heartland economics" and Midwestern values. Part of a large field of Democratic candidates, she is staking out more moderate positions.
During the town hall, on a college campus, she told one student she does not support free college tuition.
"I am not for free four-year college for all," Klobuchar said. "If I was a magic genie and could give that to everyone and we could afford it, I would. I'm just trying to find a mix of incentives and make sure kids that are in need – that's why I talked about expanding Pell Grants – can go to college and be able to afford it."
She does not support Medicare for all, which is popular among many Democrats, or the Green New Deal. Both are "first steps," she said.
One voter also asked about reports that she was abusive to her staff.
"Am I tough boss? Sometimes, yes. Have I pushed people too hard? Yes. But I have kept expectations for myself that are very high. I've asked my staff to meet those same expectations," Klobuchar said. "The big point for me is I want the country to meet high expectations."
Klobuchar did not mention President Trump by name, but she called his inauguration a "dark day" and decried what she called "governing by tweet."
She told the audience she has the Midwestern "grit" to win, and she says she is the Democrat who can defeat Donald Trump.