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- Moments ago: Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar took questions from voters at a CNN town hall in Manchester, New Hampshire.
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Amy Klobuchar takes questions at CNN town hall
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Our live coverage of the CNN town hall with Sen. Amy Klobuchar has concluded. Scroll down for highlights.
They wanted more from Klobuchar, who was "more moderate than expected"
Stephanie Scherr and Sue Durling just attended Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s town hall and said they wanted more from her tonight.
Durling said she found that her ideas were more to the left of Klobuchar.
Scherr, a Fitzwilliam resident, said Klobuchar was “more moderate than expected.”
Scherr live-tweeted her thoughts about Klobuchar:
Klobuchar gets emotional talking about guns, Uncle Dick and Sandy Hook
Sen. Amy Klobuchar looked to set herself apart from other Democrats running for office on Monday by telling voters here in New Hampshire that she judges gun control bills by whether they would “hurt my Uncle Dick in the deer stand.”
Klobuchar, in an answer that found her touting her ties to rural Minnesota, grew emotional as she reflected on the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut and the fact that the Senate couldn’t pass a gun control bill after the massacre.
“Like New Hampshire, Minnesota is a state that values the outdoors. We value hunting and fishing. And so I come at it from a little different place than some of my colleagues running for this office,” she said, adding that she doesn’t believe “banning assault weapons” and “common sense background checks” hurt her uncle in the deer stand.
Klobuchar choked up when she remembered working with the parents of children killed in Sandy Hook, especially when she had to tell them that a bill proposed by West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin and Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey would not pass the Senate in the wake of the shooting.
She added: “Those parents had the courage to come to Washington to advocate for something that wouldn’t save their babies. We should join the majority of Americans and actually many gun owners in having the courage to pass common sense gun safety legislation.”
Klobuchar describes the moment she got "hooked on public service"
Sen. Amy Klobuchar entered the political world after becoming a new mom and realizing how difficult it was get her new baby medical assistance.
Her daughter, who is now 23, was sick and couldn’t swallow when she was born.
“We had no idea it was going to happen. And back then the insurance companies had a rule in place you get kicked off the insurance in 24 hours,” she said.
Klobuchar was upset so she went to a legislator to help get a law passed guaranteeing mothers and their babies a 48-hour stay.
She went on to say:
“And I stand here today as the granddaughter of an iron ore miner, as the daughter of a teacher and a newspaper man, and as the first woman elected to the United States Senate from the state of Minnesota and a candidate for president of the United States because of that opportunity that is America.”
Why Klobuchar's plan to tackle racial inequality in the US is centered around economics
Sen. Amy Klobuchar said on Monday that economics, including raising the minimum wage and retraining people for in-demand jobs, was central to her plan to tackle racial inequality.
After CNN’s Don Lemon asked Klobuchar about her agenda for black Americans, Klobuchar mentioned a number of changes she made as county attorney in Hennepin County, Minnesota, but said she believes economics is central to her plan to tackle the issue.
“To paraphrase Martin Luther King, you can do all you can to integrate a lunch counter but if you can’t afford a hamburger what good did you do? So for me the economics is key right now,” she said, arguing that African American workers need to gain more training in science and math fields and make a livable wage.
“Increase the minimum wage, right … so that we make it easier for people who are not in the same position as everyone else and weren’t born with the silver spoon in their mouth, that they are able to pursue the American dream because no matter where you come from or where you worship or what you look like this should be a country of shared dreams,” Klobuchar said.
How Klobuchar says she would restore faith in the US government
High school teacher Christine Carter, an audience member, said her students have become cynics about the US government.
So she asked Sen. Amy Klobuchar, “How could you intend to help to restore faith in the American system of governance for those coming of age under President Trump?”
Klobuchar said that she would start by being someone who respects the institution of the presidency.
Here’s how Klobuchar responded:
Klobuchar shows humor and wit when tackling tough questions
Sen. Amy Klobuchar comes armed tonight with something many presidential candidates do not have: humor. For those who know her in Washington and Minnesota, she has a quick wit. Those watching from home are learning that, too.
That is one side she is trying to show tonight, by saying things like: “Women candidates should speak softly and carry a big statistic. They have to carry a big statistic, which means be accountable.”
Klobuchar knows people are watching to see how she manages her campaign: Will staff members want to work for her? Will she keep the ones who sign up? The whispers about how she treats her staff likely won’t go away until she answers those questions – over time.
“Undertaking a presidential campaign,” she said, “is a pretty good way to judge people.”
Why Klobuchar doesn't support free college for all
Amy Klobuchar made it clear tonight that she doesn’t support free college for all.
Realizing her answer might not be popular among some of the college students in the crowd – many of whom are likely burdened with debt of their own – she explained why:
Klobuchar invoking the national debt is a significant break with numerous top Democrats, who often dismiss the debt in face of pressing issues like climate change, health care and education.
She said she wants to find a mix of incentives for students, and talked about expanding Pell grants for students and refinancing student loans as some examples.
Watch the moment:
Klobuchar described how her father's alcoholism shaped her view of fighting addiction
In an emotional moment, Sen. Amy Klobuchar described how her relationship with her father, a prominent journalist who dealt with alcoholism for much of his life, shaped her view of fighting addiction and helping people find redemption.
Klobuchar’s history dealing with alcoholism featured prominently in her questioning of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh – a contentious moment that numerous voters in Iowa and New Hampshire said is when they first took note of the Minnesota senator.
“For me, like a lot of people, I grew up in a family with alcoholism and addiction,” Klobuchar said, adding that she hoped her questioning of Kavanaugh showed she “knew what it was like to live in a household with drinking, but that I also knew what it was like to see someone find redemption.”
Klobuchar’s father, Jim, was a prominent columnist to the Minneapolis Star Tribune and has been public about his fight with alcoholism. Klobuchar said Monday that her father has been sober for years.
“He continues to go to AA and is still friends with his AA group at age 90. True story,” she said. “And so I was literally able to see him climb to the highest mountains. He’s an adventurer, and really sink to the lowest valleys because of his alcoholism.”
Klobuchar said she and her father were “very close” and that his struggle taught her “was that I want to have other people have that kind of redemption in their lives.”
Klobuchar says Green New Deal is important to have, but 'there's going to be compromises'
Sen. Amy Klobuchar outlined a more middle ground position than some of her progressive counterparts on the Green New Deal, saying that the policy is “important to have” because of the “big ideas” it presents, in reality, “there’s going to be compromises.”
Here’s how she phrased it:
Klobuchar was asked about reports she mistreated her staff. Here's how she responded.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar confronted a series of reports that she created a hostile work environment on Monday by telling voters in New Hampshire that while she did set high expectations for her staff, she did so because she demanded the same out of herself.
“But I have kept expectations for myself that are very high,” she continued. “I’ve asked my staff to meet those same expectations, and the big point for me is, I want the country to meet high expectations because we don’t have that going now.”
Although Klobuchar has answered questions about her management before, it was noteworthy that a voter here in the Granite State asked the question.
And on Monday, the Minnesota Senator added a layer to the answer by calling out current and former staffers – some by name – who had worked for her for years or gone on to bigger jobs.
“That’s how we passed so many bills, because of the fine work of our staff.”
Klobuchar says Trump's national emergency is "unconstitutional"
Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar was just asked at CNN’s town hall about President Trump declaring a national emergency to secure funding for his long-promised border wall.
She did not hold back.
She went on to describe what she believes is a national emergency.
“Well, last time I checked, emergencies are things like the wildfires in Colorado. They’re things like Hurricane Sandy. They’re things like what we just saw happen in Florida. So this is unprecedented for him to declare something like that an emergency,” Klobuchar said.
The Minnesota Democrat said that if she were president, she “would exercise those powers very carefully.”
“I think you have to be very careful about how you do that. But you have emergencies that come up in this country all the time. You know that. And you have to be able to respond, to respond quickly, but to respond thoughtfully. And I believe in respecting the constitution of the United States of America,” Klobuchar said.
Klobuchar says she'll reenter US into Paris climate agreement on day one of her presidency
Sen. Amy Klobuchar told a New Hampshire college student who asked if climate change policy would be a priority in her administration that she would, on day one, re-enter the US into the Paris climate agreement and move to enact the clean power rules that the Obama administration had supported before President Trump halted their momentum.
“This isn’t just something that’s theoretical – that’s happening in the future,” she said while describing some of the wildfire escape videos that made our palms sweat last fall. “It’s happening right now.”
Climate change, she said, is “an urgent cause.”
Klobuchar: Medicare for All is "something we can look to for the future, but I want to get action now'
Sen. Amy Klobuchar cast a Medicare for All style health care plan as a possibility to strive for in the future, but added that she doesn’t currently support it because she wants to make changes immediately.
“I think it is something we can look to for the future, but I want to get action now,” Klobuchar said when asked by a New Hampshire voter about the universal health care plan that is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and a host of 2020 Democrats.
Klobuchar says she supports universal health care but favors doing so by building on the Affordable Care Act, expanding both Medicare and Medicaid, and creating a public option.
“We have to get to universal health care in this country,” she said. “We have to make sure we build on the work of the Affordable Care Act.”
Amy Klobuchar is taking questions at a CNN town hall. The first? "Are you my candidate?"
Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar just took her first question of the night at CNN’s town hall.
Neila Brownstein, a moderate Democrat with progressive leaning, just told Klobuchar, “I want to hear achievable goals that benefit minorities and the middle class now and are not pipe dreams for the future. Are you my candidate?”
Here’s portion of Klobuchar’s answer, in which she framed her candidacy as one of bipartisanship that reaches a “higher ground” in politics:
Watch more:
Why Klobuchar doesn't feel pressure to sign onto the latest progressive idea
CNN’s Jeff Zeleny spoke with Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar earlier today about the progressive shift in the Democratic party.
Asked if she felt pressure to sign onto latest progressive or liberal ideas, the Minnesota Democrat said she makes her decisions based on what “I think we should do.”
Watch his interview with Klobuchar below:
Let's talk about the weather in Manchester (it's real cold)
It’s cold in Manchester, New Hampshire, where Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar is taking questions from voters at CNN’s town hall.
Temperatures are expected to dip to 11 degrees tonight in Manchester, where it snowed earlier today.
New Hampshirites were bundled in coats, scarves and gloves before they headed into the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College tonight.
She came tonight after watching Klobuchar's performance during the Kavanaugh hearings
Amy Klobuchar’s questioning of then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings brought Marly Carroll out to tonight’s town hall.
She described Klobuchar as a “powerhouse” during those hearings.
The 20-year-old Wethersfield, Connecticut, who is an Independent voter, wants to see more women run for president.
“I think it’s time for that,” Carroll said.
He's looking for new leadership in Washington
Steve Chasse said he’s looking closely at Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s performance tonight, and he’ll be watching how she answers questions on economic justice, climate and balance of power.
The 47-year-old Boston-area resident said he is also “looking to see if she has the temperament and values we need to restore the presidency.”
Chasse said he wants new leadership in Washington, so he also has his eyes on Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke, California Sen. Kamala Harris and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
A peek behind the scenes of CNN's town hall
The stage is set for Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s town hall in Manchester, New Hampshire, tonight.
The show begins in less than in hour and the audience has already taken their seats.
Outside the venue at Saint Anselm College, engineers were working behind the scenes to make sure everything was running properly.
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