TINA SMITH

In the wake of tragedy, Minnesota lawmakers call for truth, respect and humanity

Mary Murphy — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 17:53:27 GMT

ST. PAUL — As the state and country reel from deadly attacks on Minnesota lawmakers this weekend, local and national politicians are confronting a swirl of misinformation and speculation on the internet.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, took to X Saturday and posted on his account “BasedMikeLee,” about the Saturday, June 14 shootings that injured Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, and killed Speaker of the House Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark.

“This is what happens … When Marxists don’t get their way,” Lee wrote. In a separate post, he said, “Nightmare on Waltz street” — seemingly a play on Gov. Tim Walz’s name. Lee has since deleted the posts.

The posts received swift criticism, including from Sen. Tina Smith and her staff.

Minnesota House Leader Rep. Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, took to X to denounce the posts, as well. Niska said Tuesday that Lee is someone he has met and has “had a lot of respect for,” but thought his actions were inappropriate.

“Well, there's been a lot of … people from all different angles, saying a lot of, I think, baseless and inhumane things on social media,” Niska said. “And it's … just disappointing. I just don't think there's any basis to, at this point in time, assign blame to anyone, including Governor Walz … what Senator Lee said, I didn't think was appropriate, if it was supposed to be a joke, I didn't think it was particularly funny.”

Vance Boelter was arrested Sunday night and has been charged in Saturday's shootings.

Niska said he wishes everyone could think more about “the actual humans that are involved … hurting and grieving because of the crime of Vance Boelter.”

Speculation on social media intensified after news entities reported that Walz had appointed Boelter to a state workforce board in 2019.

President Donald Trump, in an interview on Air Force One, was asked if he would call Walz about the assassination. Trump declined and said, “Why waste time?” Trump later added, “He appointed this guy.”

A spokesperson for Walz's office said Tuesday that Walz does not directly interview prospective members of the 60-person workforce development advisory board that Boelter was appointed to. The spokesperson said that Walz does not know Boelter and that there are thousands of volunteers who serve on state advisory boards.

Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, said Tuesday that misinformation in politics is like “a cancer.”

“I watched … beginning on Saturday and continuing into these last days, people, I don't know who they are, busy building a ridiculous narrative around some partisan bent, and trying to ascribe that to a heinous madman who went to people's homes with the intention to murder them, and I find that unforgivable,” Murphy said.

“What we are experiencing in Minnesota is not a Democratic loss or Republican loss. It is a Minnesota loss," Murphy said.

On Sunday, hours before law enforcement announced Boelter had been caught following a two-day manhunt, Drew Evans, Superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, urged the public to wait for answers as the investigation is ongoing.

“We often want easy answers, just for complex problems, and this is a complex situation that our investigators are going to need time to sift through the information and evidence, and those answers will come,” Evans said.

Niska said Tuesday that he wants everyone to keep their humanity in view.

“We have to … keep our humanity in view when we have those disagreements, and each one of us has the right to our opinions and the right to be wrong," Niska said. "And one of the things that makes Vance Boelter and his crimes such an attack on our system is that he not only took Melissa Hortman’s life, but he did it to take her right to disagree with him … that's not something that we can accept as something that's within the bounds of our society.”

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Bipartisan PROTECT Act aims to combat drug trafficking in tribal communities

Pioneer Staff Report — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 16:47:57 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Steve Daines recently announced the bipartisan Protection for Reservation Occupants Against Trafficking and Evasive Communications Today – PROTECT – Act aimed at combating drug trafficking in tribal communities.

According to a release, drug traffickers exploit prosecutorial loopholes, including the fact that tribal courts do not have jurisdiction over non-Native American offenders who traffic illegal drugs onto tribal lands.

The PROTECT Act would address this problem by enabling tribal nations to exercise their inherent authority to prosecute non-Native offenders for drug crimes and gun crimes. The act also includes provisions for tribal courts to execute warrants for electronic communications to better combat drug traffickers and other criminals.

“For years, tribal leaders in Minnesota have raised the alarm that drug traffickers are exploiting complex legal jurisdiction on tribal land, making Native communities some of the most harmed by the opioid and fentanyl epidemics,” Smith said in the release. “I hear directly from tribal leaders about how their tribal law enforcement routinely arrests the same people for selling drugs, drop them off with the county police and have to arrest them again the next day. The tribe can’t do anything about it.

“The PROTECT Act would help tribes fight back against these drug traffickers. This proposal is bipartisan and common sense, and it respects and upholds tribes’ inherent sovereignty and right to protect their people.”

The release notes that American Indians and Alaska Natives are two and a half times more likely to become victims of violent crime and are more likely to die of an overdose than other demographics. In 2021, American Indian Minnesotans were 10 times more likely to die from a drug overdose than white Minnesotans.

Over 1,000 Minnesotans died from opioid overdoses in 2023 alone.

“Protecting our most vulnerable members is the fundamental goal of all governments," said Shane Drift, interim chairman of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. "The PROTECT Act enhances tribal sovereignty and public safety and is an idea whose time has come."

Red Lake Tribal Chair Darrell Seki also thanked Sen. Smith for supporting the legislation.

“We thank Sen. Smith for her leadership in ensuring tribal governments have the authorities we need to keep our communities safe. This bill will hold predatory drug dealers accountable for the havoc they are wreaking on Red Lake families,” Seki said. “We look forward to working with Congress to enact this legislation.”

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Sen. Tina Smith slams Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful’ budget bill

Mary Murphy — Thu, 29 May 2025 14:20:22 GMT

ST. PAUL — U.S. Sen. Tina Smith held a press conference at the Minnesota Capitol on Wednesday, May 28, voicing concerns about President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” that she said there is “nothing beautiful about.”

The U.S. House passed the budget reconciliation bill on May 22, and it now heads to the Senate. As passed by the House, the bill includes provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including adjusted income tax deductions and increasing the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap.

It also allocates additional funding for defense spending, scales back clean-energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act, and includes reductions in government spending, particularly on programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“Let’s be clear, there is nothing beautiful about this bill,” Smith said. “It’s the largest rollback in health care in American history, and it will raise health care costs for the very people who are struggling to afford their lives and hold it together.”

Budget reconciliation bills require a simple majority, so to pass the Senate, it would need 51 votes or 50 with the vote of Vice President JD Vance. Smith said Wednesday that she has gotten feedback from some of her Republican colleagues that “they see some problems with this legislation.”

Other members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation have shown support for the bill. Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-MN6, said in a statement following passage May 22 that House Republicans delivered “historic America first policy.”

“Not only does our ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ include the largest reduction in mandatory spending in history and bring out-of-control government programs to account, it also allows President Trump to continue his essential border security and deportation operations and creates a pro-growth tax code that prioritizes the working class,” Emmer said.

Smith said Wednesday that the federal budget reconciliation bill would shift costs to state budgets. The Minnesota Legislature has yet to pass a full budget, and is facing a potential $6 billion deficit by 2028, with roughly $2 billion in proposed net spending cuts over four years.

“You didn’t vote to shift a bunch of costs onto Minnesota taxpayers, which is going to make it a lot harder for the folks upstairs to balance the budgets, as they’re trying to do right now,” Smith said.

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Sen. Tina Smith, advocates rally to protect Boundary Waters

Mary Murphy — Thu, 08 May 2025 23:07:21 GMT

ST. PAUL — U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and advocates for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area rallied Thursday, May 8, as the federal government makes moves on mining projects and public land sales.

Thursday’s rally at the Capitol featured roughly 200 advocates and comes as Congress advanced a bill on Tuesday with language introduced by Rep. Pete Stauber, R-CD8, to lift a 20-year mining moratorium covering federal land south of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and reinstate two federal mineral leases to Twin Metals that Former President Joe Biden had revoked.

It also comes as U.S. House Republicans advanced a bill on Wednesday to authorize the sale of public lands, and as President Donald Trump’s “National Energy Dominance Council” designated NewRange Copper Nickel’s Northmet project as a priority for federal permitting on May 2.

Smith introduced legislation on April 9 to place a permanent ban on mining roughly 225,000 acres of Superior National Forest land currently covered by the moratorium.

Smith said Tuesday that Stauber’s legislation is “nothing more than a huge giveaway to this foreign mining company,” and that the leases, if passed, would have immunity from any federal judicial review.

“These are our public lands,” she said at the rally. “They are our resources, and we are not going to stand by while they get auctioned off to the highest bidder. We’re not going to put up with it.”

The rally was co-organized by Save the Boundary Waters, Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters, Minnesota Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Trust for Public Land, Minnesota Conservation Federation, Audubon Society, Minnesota Trout Unlimited, National Parks Conservation Association and Voyageurs Conservancy.

“If those who wish to sell the boundary waters like Representative Pete Stauber succeed, the wilderness could be next in line for industrial mining that threatens everything that makes it so special,” Ingrid Lyons, executive director of Save the Boundary Waters, said Thursday. “The second that any of this package becomes law, it’s not just about one mine, it’s about a precedent that says no public land in America is safe.”

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Sen. Tina Smith reflects on 10 years in office, what she will do after 2026

Mary Murphy — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 20:12:13 GMT

ST. PAUL — From a young age, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith was taught to be civic-minded, but never imagined she'd be where she is now — preparing to close out two terms in Congress and 10 years in public office.

Smith moved around a lot, growing up in New Mexico, Alaska and California. Her parents were always very politically active — her dad on the school board and her mom with the League of Women Voters.

“There was kind of this ethic that there's more to being a good citizen than just keeping your sidewalk shoveled; you have to figure out what more you're going to do to contribute,” Smith said during an interview this month with Forum News Service.

Journey to Congress

When she and her husband, Archie, moved to Minnesota in 1984, Smith said she immediately became involved in grassroots politics — door knocking for state legislative races, and eventually going on to work for Planned Parenthood.

“I never had any aspiration to run for political office,” she said. “I was never like, ‘Someday, you know, I’m going to work hard and I’m going to do everything right, and maybe someday I can be in the United States Senate.’ I never thought that.”

In 2005, after R.T. Rybak won his second term as Minneapolis mayor, Smith was recruited to serve as his chief of staff. In 2010, when Rybak’s bid for governor was unsuccessful, his opponent Mark Dayton asked Smith to stay on as chief of staff.

“Being the chief of staff to the governor was like being the chief operating officer for the state of Minnesota,” she said. “I thought it was so interesting to figure out how to make that big, unwieldy bureaucracy work as well as possible and really deliver results.”

Come 2014, Smith said she still wasn't considering running for public office. When Dayton asked her to run as his lieutenant governor, she said she laughed and walked out of the room. But as time went on, she said it began to make sense to her, and she accepted the position of lieutenant governor in 2015.

When former Sen. Al Franken resigned in 2018, Dayton approached Lt. Gov. Smith to fill the role. Smith said she had roughly 72 hours to mull the decision.

“After I kind of got used to the idea, and I felt that I really needed to do it,” Smith said, adding that she had an hour and a half to find an apartment in D.C. “It was a bit like jumping off the deep end of the swimming pool.”

Smith accepted the appointment and started campaigning for the 2018 special election that would determine who served the rest of Franken's term. Smith said that at one point, she had considered running for governor in 2018, but that she would have been running against now-Gov. Tim Walz.

Smith won the 2018 special election with 53% of the vote and has since served as one of Minnesota’s two senators in D.C. She won re-election in 2020 with 48% of the vote.

Then it was time to consider running for re-election in 2026.

Deciding against 2026

Smith said that in a normal job, people usually think about the next two or so years, but for the Senate, she was thinking about the next eight years — two for campaigning and six for her next term. She said that if she was re-elected in 2026, she would be 74 at the end of her term.

“74 doesn't feel like it's ancient, but it's not 54 or 44 and there are other things I want to do in my life,” Smith said. “It's a bit of a cliche, when politicians decide not to run and they say, ‘Oh, I want to spend more time with my family,’ but I actually really like my family, and I really do want to spend time with them. I'm a grandmother. We didn't have any grandchildren when I started in the Senate. Now we have four. My father will be turning 95 this year.”

Smith said she knew she'd have to let people know in early 2025 to leave enough time for campaigning. As she talked with her family more, she decided she was "ready to move to the side," and announced to the public mid-February that she wouldn't be seeking re-election.

"If I wasn't going to run, I wanted to make sure that I left plenty of time for my Democratic colleagues to be able to mount and win a successful campaign," she said.

Smith said she decided not to endorse a candidate for her seat, but added that she isn’t "indispensable" as a senator and that there is “incredible talent" positioned for a congressional run.

As she looks back on her time in office, Smith said she’s particularly proud of her work on the Inflation Reduction Act, clean energy, mental health care, lowering prescription drug costs and making Juneteenth a federal holiday. She said the greatest honor during her time in the Senate was feeling like “Minnesotans invited me into their living rooms.”

“I hope that when people look at my time in the Senate, they will think that I was able to get stuff done ... that I wasn't just a talker, but that I was a doer,” she said. “And I also think, over these next less than two years left in the Senate, that they will see that I was not afraid to speak out loudly and clearly and strongly, and I wasn't afraid to make a little trouble in order to keep our country a democracy.”

Smith said she can’t imagine running for a different public office, but that she has “huge wells” of energy for trying to make her community better, potentially through grassroots organizing.

“I don't know what shape that's going to take,” she said. “I am committed to giving myself a little bit of a break … and I’m really looking forward to that,” something she said she hasn’t truly had since 2010.

Smith said that not having to campaign over the last two months has allowed her to put that energy elsewhere. She said there have been many "traumatic" moments for the country so far in 2025 and that she's grateful she doesn't have campaigning to take up her time.

“I thought to myself, ‘I wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing right this minute if I were running,’ ” she said.

Working the physical and virtual earth

Smith said she’s “kind of a putterer” in her free time, something she'll have a lot more of after she officially leaves office in January 2027.

She said she likes to garden, hike, snowshoe and bird watch. She’s not so good at sitting around, she said, with one exception: computer games.

The senator said her favorite game right now is called “Terra Nil.” A computer game that tasks players with restoring a polluted wasteland. She said it’s a good “mental break.”

“I find these really obscure games … this game is, this is … very telling,” she said. “The whole purpose of the game is that you go into this wasteland. There's nothing living, there's no animals, there's no plants, and you have to restore it. In like, 45 minutes, I can completely heal this world.”

Smith was showing her son, Sam, the game one day, and when they finished restoring the planet, he asked her, “Where are the people?”

“I said, ‘Oh, there are no people, just me and the animals, just how I like it. I got plenty of people in my real life,’ ” Smith said.

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Avian flu tops list of concerns for Minnesota’s turkey industry

Tom Cherveny — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 16:06:07 GMT

WILLMAR, Minn. — Dealing with the two different viruses harming turkey production is their top concern, but turkey growers and processors told Minnesota's U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith that there are a wide range of other worries for the industry.

The two Democrats, who are members of the Senate’s Agricultural Committee, hosted a roundtable session Tuesday with turkey industry representatives at the Fahlun Farms turkey barns south of Willmar. The start of the spring waterfowl migration makes the potential spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza a top concern, participants said.

At Fahlun Farms, located about midway between Lakes Wakanda and Big Kandiyohi, two lasers beam streams of colored lights at the sky, day and night. They’ve been effective, Jake Vlaminck, president of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association and general manager of Fahlun Farms, told the senators. The wild birds perceive the random patterns of light as a threat, “so they don’t stop and keep going,” he said.

There are around 100 laser systems on turkey farms in Minnesota, and that has helped the state reduce its losses due to avian influenza while losses nationwide have not declined, Vlaminck said.

The turkey industry is coping with bird losses due to both the highly pathogenic avian influenza, or H5N1, as well as an avian metapneumovirus that primarily infects breeder stock. Producers are relying on foreign-made vaccines to manage the avian metapneumovirus until a domestically produced vaccine is available. Klobuchar expressed optimism that a waiver allowing the importation of the vaccine will be extended.

Producers said they also want the federal government to support the development of a vaccine.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza is estimated to have reduced the supply of turkey by 5%, and the avian metapneumovirus by another 4%, Matt Schrupp, vice president of supply chain operations for Jennie-O Turkey Store, told the senators.

It’s meant the loss of workdays for employees, Schrupp said, as there are fewer birds for processing. His company is trying to even out the loss of work time among its plants to reduce the economic impact on workers.

Some of the worst flock losses are occurring on independent farms in Minnesota that are located relatively close to one another, according to Michael Barber, a grower and member of the Minnesota Turkey Research and Promotion Council.

“I know two guys who already shut down,” he said.

Klobuchar said the United States Department of Agriculture “accidentally fired” employees involved in helping manage the disease, but that they have now been rehired. She is reaching out to Republican colleagues with turkey producers in their states to emphasize the importance of including the turkey industry in the federal response to avian influenza.

The turkey industry is concerned that U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins did not directly mention turkeys when she outlined federal plans for avian influenza in a recent opinion piece published by the Wall Street Journal.

Roundtable participants expressed their concerns Tuesday about the biosecurity audits that are now being required as part of the National Poultry Impact Program. The audits are required at barns where avian influenza has infected flocks, and at farms in their vicinity. Erica Sawatzke, chair of the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, said producers told her the audits are “burdensome” and slow down the reintroduction of birds to the barns, while providing no value.

At the session’s start, Klobuchar cited the economic value of turkey exports and her concerns about the potential impact of tariffs. Minnesota is the nation’s leading turkey producer. Roughly 15% of the nation’s turkey production is exported. Mexico is the largest buyer, and Canada is an important customer as well, according to Klobuchar.

She said the threat of tariffs on Mexico, though now paused, is “like a dark cloud out there.”

Smith said she is also concerned about the $300,000 USDA block grant that the federal government would usually provide the state for testing costs associated with the avian influenza response.

Dr. Brian Hoefs, executive director of the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, said the state still expects to receive the funds, but the delay means the state had to cut some of its program contracts for testing. It also means growers are paying for testing costs, he said.

After the session, Klobuchar told reporters she will redouble her efforts to enlist Republican support to address the vaccine and avian influenza concerns cited at the roundtable. In response to questions, she said there is no assurance that funding for indemnification will be part of a new farm bill.

“Everything is in some danger right now,” she said.

On the optimistic side, she said she had not known about the use of lasers and will now promote support for their use. Lasers are something she believes President Donald Trump would support.

A laser costs roughly $16,000, and two are recommended for a site, according to Vlaminck. Minnesota offers a grant for a cost-share program for lasers, and consequently, more farms in Minnesota have adopted their use than in other states, according to Dr. Jill Nezworski, a poultry veterinarian.

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Former Minnesota Sen. Melisa López Franzen to run for U.S. Senate in 2026

Mary Murphy — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 16:48:58 GMT

ST. PAUL — Former Democrat state Sen. Melisa López Franzen announced on X early Monday morning that she will be running for U.S. Senate.

"I'm running for the United States Senate to protect our Minnesota values, restore sanity and bring decency and common sense back to Washington," she said in the video announcement Monday, March 10.

The U.S. Senate bid comes after her Feb. 21 announcement to step down as executive director of Government and Community Relations at the University of Minnesota. López Franzen formerly served in the Minnesota Senate for District 49 from 2012 to 2022, representing parts of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, as well as parts of Edina, Eden Prairie, Bloomington and Minnetonka.

"Our rights are being stripped away while unelected billionaires slash services for everyday Americans," she said in her announcement. "Everything we work so hard for is under attack. So it's time to work harder than ever before to protect the next generation."

López Franzen was elected as minority leader for the DFL in 2021, shortly before declining to run for reelection in 2022 after redistricting put her in the same district as Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park.

Minnesota is about 20 months out from the November 2026 election, in which it will elect a governor and U.S. senator, as well as attorney general, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and state auditor.

Alongside López Franzen, other major Democrats have thrown their names in the mix for statewide races. Gov. Tim Walz's team said he is considering what could be a rare three-term governorship but is out for U.S. Senate, and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan quickly announced her Senate bid following Sen. Tina Smith's announcement that she will not seek reelection.

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Sens. Smith, Klobuchar respond to potential lease termination of Bemidji’s Indian Health Service office

Pioneer Staff Report — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 22:37:23 GMT

BEMIDJI — Bemidji’s Indian Health Service office is listed on the Department of Government Efficiency’s website as a potential lease termination in an effort to cut costs, leaving the future of the office unclear.

U.S. Sens. Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar wrote a letter Tuesday demanding answers about the possible lease termination for the office, which occupies a 4,896-square-foot building located at 2225 Cooperative Court NW near Beltrami Electric.

The IHS office joins a list of 748 potential lease terminations throughout the country. According to the DOGE website, terminating the lease would save the government $178,554.

According to the IHS website, the Bemidji office provides health care services for 34 tribal nations and four urban health programs in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The office operates three federal/direct service programs on behalf of the Leech Lake, Red Lake and White Earth Nations. These programs — Cass Lake Hospital, Red Lake Hospital and White Earth Health Center — are staffed by about 500 federal employees and Public Health Service commissioned officers.

In a letter to General Services Administration Administrator Stephen Ehikian and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Smith and Klobuchar “highlighted the devastating impact this decision could have on the health and well-being of thousands of Native Americans across the region,” a release said.

“Thousands of members of federally recognized tribal nations receive health care within the Bemidji Area Office’s purview,” the letter reads. “This includes emergency care, substance use disorder treatment, mental health care, primary, specialty, and dental care, and much more. Without an operational area office, recipients of this care will face immediate disruptions in care and health consequences. It is unconscionable to risk the health care of children and families in this way.”

In the letter, Smith and Klobuchar noted that IHS services are provided under the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations to tribal nations and that any disruption in operations could jeopardize essential medical services. They requested clarity on whether GSA intends to terminate the lease and if so, what plans exist to prevent service disruptions.

“The Bemidji area is already the least resourced IHS service area, and putting the administration of those services into chaos as a result of this abrupt office closure will only exacerbate this disparity,” the letter reads. “This is not in the spirit of making America healthy again.”

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Thune takes middle ground as MN, ND lawmakers disparage, celebrate Trump's spat with Zelenskyy

Luke Hagen — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 23:48:00 GMT

MITCHELL, S.D. — Senate Majority Leader John Thune, reacting Friday afternoon to a heated joint press conference between President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, told the Mitchell Republic that Russia was the aggressor in the war with Ukraine.

Thune stood firmly in the middle among regional lawmakers who fell along party lines in responding to a heated exchange Friday, Feb. 28, between Trump and Zelenskyy, including mention of World War III from Trump.

“No question in my mind that Russia is the aggressor,” Thune said following a tour of the Muth Electric building during a scheduled stop in Mitchell. Last week, President Trump called Zelenskyy “a dictator without elections” and blamed Ukraine for starting the war.

Thune, a Republican who took over as Senate leader in January, called the meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy “spirited” while acknowledging the U.S. should do what it can to help Ukraine.

“Obviously, there will have to be some subsequent follow-up meetings that occur, but hopefully they got some of that out of their system but, you know, it was a lot,” Thune said. “It's high stakes. There's a lot riding on this.”

Thune explained it’s unlikely “at least from a financial standpoint” that the U.S. will support Ukraine with an aid package similar to the $2.5 billion in security assistance sent under then-President Joe Biden earlier this year. Thune called on Europe to do more on the security and financial side.

He said America is heavily invested in the war and “we want to support in any way possible, a peaceful resolution that respects and ends up with Ukrainian sovereignty.”

Thune also reiterated his support for the United States as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, but explained that the European countries need to fulfil their obligation to spend 2 percent of their GDP on national security on the military, a topic that was pointed out during the first Trump administration.

“And very few of them were hitting it, out of the 31 NATO nations, I think only six of them,” Thune said.

“Well, since then they started to increase and all of them realize now that this is serious business, and if you feel threatened by Russia — and I think a lot of Europe does — then they're gonna have to step up and shoulder more of that burden. I think that's a fair expectation. I think the U.S., like I said, has done a ton already.”

Still, Thune said Ukraine won’t be joining NATO anytime soon and said that right now, it would be “just too inflammatory.”

“I just think that that creates all kinds of problems in the region. Is it a possibility someday? I'm not ruling it out. I just don't think it's gonna be something that's in the near-near future.”

During the spat in the Oval Office, Zelenskyy expressed doubt that Trump’s attempts to reach an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be successful in the long term, as Putin repeatedly broke previous ceasefire agreements.

“Putin will never stop and will go further and further,” Zelenskyy said, adding that the Russian leader “hates Ukrainians” and wanted to destroy the country, Bloomberg reported.

Trump said Zelenskyy was disrespectful and that his attitude toward Russia was hindering peace negotiations.

“You’ve got to be more thankful, because let me tell you, you don’t have the cards. With us, you have the cards, but without us, you don’t have any cards,” Trump said.

“You’re gambling with World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country,” he added.

Vice President JD Vance defended Trump’s relationship with Putin before accusing Zelenskyy of being ungrateful.

“Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country, please,” he said.

Zelenskyy left the White House after the meeting, and an afternoon press conference was called off.

Trump later posted to Truth Social, “Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved.”

Democratic members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation were quick to come to Zelenskyy’s defense.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said gratitude should be expressed to Zelenskyy and Ukraine.

Answer to Vance: Zelenskyy has thanked our country over and over again both privately and publicly.
And our country thanks HIM and the Ukrainian patriots who have stood up to a dictator, buried their own & stopped Putin from marching right into the rest of Europe. Shame on you.
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) February 28, 2025

“Zelenskyy has thanked our country over and over again both privately and publicly,” she said on X. “And our country thanks HIM and the Ukrainian patriots who have stood up to a dictator, buried their own & stopped Putin from marching right into the rest of Europe. Shame on you.”

Klobuchar's sentiment was echoed by Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., who also took to X to share her thoughts.

JD: The Ukrainian president has thanked America over and over. He just refuses to kiss your ass.

A stronger Putin puts America - and democracies around the world - at risk.
— Angie Craig (@AngieCraigMN) February 28, 2025

"JD: The Ukrainian president has thanked America over and over," she wrote. "... A stronger Putin puts America — and democracies around the world — at risk."

Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., suggested the press conference was an effort by Trump and Vance to impress Putin.

That press conference was choreographed for an audience of one and he sits in Moscow.

Once, we fought tyrants. Today Trump and Vance are bending America’s knee. And that weakens us.
— Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) February 28, 2025

“That press conference was choreographed for an audience of one and he sits in Moscow,” she said on X. “Once, we fought tyrants. Today Trump and Vance are bending America’s knee. And that weakens us.”

Rep. Kelly Morrison, D-Minn., echoed Smith’s sentiment.

“Today we watched President Trump do Putin’s bidding from inside the Oval Office,” Morrison said in a statement. “Bowing to a dictator instead of defending democracy. This is a disgrace to the United States and what we should stand for. Shameful.”

Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., accused Trump of displaying a “total lack of diplomacy” in a Friday statement.

“President Trump and Vice President Vance’s conduct in this Oval Office meeting was a disgrace and a missed opportunity to work together to end the unjustified invasion of Ukraine,” she wrote. “President Trump now appears to have cancelled what could have been a fruitful negotiation to move toward peace.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., kept her input on the situation short.

This is embarrassing. https://t.co/Ya2X2gmlgJ
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) February 28, 2025

“This is embarrassing,” she posted on X with a clip of the exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy. A representative for Omar said the post was her official statement on the matter.

Not every representative in Congress found the conversation unproductive or shameful.

“Americans elected President Trump because they wanted strength back in the White House,” Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., told Forum News Service. “He’s a strong negotiator and he has done more to move the ball on peace in the Ukraine than any other leader in the world since this started. This isn’t going to be solved overnight. Let’s give these negotiations time to work.”

Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., agreed that Trump was showing strength in the conversation with Zelenskyy.

Peace through strength is the only way forward.

That's the America First leadership @POTUS and @VP showed today.

The bloodshed must end, and President Trump is the master negotiator and peacemaker who can get it done. https://t.co/viBJ4EQshD
— Tom Emmer (@GOPMajorityWhip) February 28, 2025

"Peace through strength is the only way forward," Emmer wrote on X. "That's the America First leadership @POTUS and @VP showed today. The bloodshed must end, and President Trump is the master negotiator and peacemaker who can get it done."

Reps. Brad Finstad, R-Minn.; Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn.; Dusty Johnson, R-S.D.; and Pete Stauber, R-Minn.; along with Sens. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.; John Hoeven, R-N.D.; and Mike Rounds, R-S.D.; did not respond to requests for comment as of publication time.

Updated at 5:48 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.]]>

Gov. Walz is out for U.S. Senate, considering running for third term as governor

Mary Murphy — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 15:24:14 GMT

ST. PAUL — Gov. Tim Walz will not be running for U.S. Senate in 2026 but is considering a third term for governor, spokesperson Teddy Tschann confirmed early Wednesday morning, Feb. 26.

“He loves his job as Governor and he’s exploring the possibility of another term to continue his work to make Minnesota the best state in the country for kids,” Tschann’s statement said.

Walz will not be endorsing a candidate in the Senate race, but is proud of the DFL’s deep bench of talent and is excited to see who the voters elect, his team said. The confirmation comes nearly two weeks after Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan announced she will be running for the seat following Sen. Tina Smith’s decision not to seek re-election on Feb. 13.

Flanagan is the only major Democrat to throw her hat in thus far.

The two other confirmed candidates for the seat are Republicans who have not previously held public office. Former NBA player Royce White declared his bid Nov. 7 on social media, following a loss in the general election to Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and Adam Schwarze, a retired Navy SEAL and former Infantry Marine, announced his bid in a Feb. 13 news release.

Minnesota politicians decline 2026 bid

Walz joins the list of current and former Minnesotan politicians, including former governor Tim Pawlenty, who have already confirmed they will not be running for the Senate seat.

“This is a prime opportunity for Minnesota Republicans to select a strong statewide candidate,” Pawlenty told Forum News Service. “I look forward to supporting such a candidate, and I don’t plan to enter this race.”

Pawlenty was the last Minnesota Republican to win statewide office in 2006 when he was elected governor.

Current U.S. Rep Pete Stauber, northeastern Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, has also turned down a bid.

Former Rep. Dean Phillips, who stepped down from Congress to announce a bid for president in 2024, released a statement on X confirming he will not be running. His exit from Congress made way for Rep. Kelly Morrison’s victory in November.

“I do not intend to run for Senate or MN Governor. My calling is to build a national movement to challenge the monopoly of the duopoly, and restore common sense, competency and cooperation,” Phillips said.

Three other Minnesotans rumored to be considering Senate bids took to X on Feb. 13 to rule out their candidacy.

U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer said he is “focused on doing the job I was elected to do and that is serving the great people of Minnesota’s Sixth District here in Congress.”

Former U.S. Sen. Al Franken said he looks forward to supporting the candidate “we nominate to work on behalf of Minnesotans in Washington.”

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, at an unrelated press conference on Feb. 14, confirmed he will not be running for the Senate seat, but rather for reelection as mayor.

Names still in the mix

Secretary of State Steve Simon has not ruled out a bid, he told Forum News Service on Wednesday. Rep. Angie Craig and Rep. Ilhan Omar have also confirmed they are having conversations about running for the position.

Attorney General Keith Ellison on Feb. 14 told members of the press that he hadn’t made a decision about entering the race for Smith’s seat, adding that “nobody is going to fill her shoes.”

Former state Sen. Melisa López Franzen is also in the mix after announcing her step down from her role as executive director of Government and Community Relations at the University of Minnesota on Feb. 21. A source close to her told Forum News Service that López Franzen is seriously considering running.

A handful of legislators are considered potential candidates but have not confirmed bids: Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, who chairs the newly created Fraud Prevention and Oversight Committee; Sen. Karin Housley, R-Stillwater, who ran against Smith in 2018; and Sen. Julia Coleman, R-Waconia.

U.S. Reps. Michelle Fischbach, Brad Finstad, Betty McCollum and Kelly Morrison are also well-positioned for a Senate bid but have not confirmed their intent to run.

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