If you’re not from the Midwest, you might associate Sen. Amy Klobuchar with, well, being covered in snow. Speaking to a sizable crowd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, she didn’t let a little blizzard stop her when she announced she was in the race for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president. Which absolutely charmed her constituents—they probably would have counted her out if she was afraid of a little snow—but, along with reports of her eating salad with a comb, the image has now ingrained itself into the minds of the American public.
Many people are also familiar with the allegations that the senator has mistreated her staff and created a hostile work environment, which she recently tried to spin in an interview with CNN. Her angle? She has “high standards” for her staff, and that toughness would help her handle Putin. Which … is one way to spin it?
Here are five quick facts about the senator that might surprise you. Her campaign announcement is embedded at the bottom of the article.
1. She isn’t afraid to call out the president on Twitter
Like the rest of us, Trump caught the senator’s campaign announcement. Despite being the president, he decided it was a good use of his time to tweet about her hair, and, of course, knock her appearance.
His tweet:
Her response:
Touché, senator.
2. Her experience with hospitals and insurance led her to activism
The senator’s daughter, Abigail, was born with a health condition that prevented her from swallowing properly. Klobuchar had to leave the hospital after a 24-hour stay, while her daughter remained there under care. Why? Health insurance policies.
This obvious injustice led Klobuchar to testify before the Minnesota state legislature, with the goal of mandating that 48-hour stays would be covered by insurance. She was successful! In 1996, then-President Bill Clinton signed a similar bill into federal law.
3. She wasn’t afraid to call out Brett Kavanaugh
During the Kavanaugh hearings, Klobuchar was a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and took the opportunity to ask the now-Supreme Court justice about his drinking: Basically, had he ever been so drunk, he couldn’t remember what happened? (An incredibly fair, and even mild, phrasing of the question, given the allegations against him.) Kavanaugh reacted, as we all remember, like a furious child. He flipped the question on the senator, saying, “If you’re asking about blackout, I don’t know. Have you?” He eventually “apologized” to the senator.
4. She was the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Minnesota
In 1996, Klobuchar became the first woman elected to the Senate from Minnesota, winning 56 percent of the vote. Since then, she’s continued to serve the state as a Democratic senator.
5. She leans moderate
The senator is pro-choice, wants to reduce defense spending, and supports green initiatives. However, she doesn’t support free college for all. She calls the Green New Deal and Medicare For All “aspirations.”
She’s pro-immigration reform, but got considerable flack for her willingness to negotiate with Trump over his demand for money for his hideously racist border wall. Her logic at the time? That the money wouldn’t go just to a literal wall, but to other related forms of security and personnel. Hmm...
You can watch the video of her campaign announcement here: