Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., speaks during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)
WASHINGTON (KFGO-WCCO) — Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, long an outspoken critic of President Trump, spoke before his inauguration at the U.S. Capitol on Monday.
Klobuchar, the chairwoman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, issued a call to order to kick off the swearing-in ceremony.
Below is a full transcript of Klobuchar’s speech.
“Good morning everyone. Welcome to the 60th presidential inauguration. Today President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance will take their oath of office and we will witness the peaceful transfer of power at the heart of our democracy.
“For the past year, I’ve chaired the inaugural ceremony committee, which includes the leadership of Congress from both parties. We thank the committee and Capitol staff and law enforcement who worked so hard over the last year, and especially the last three days. You’ve done a beautiful job and you have shown grace under pressure.
“Our theme this year is our enduring democracy. The presence of so many presidents and vice presidents here today is truly a testament to that endurance. We welcome President Biden and Dr. Biden. We welcome Vice President Harris and Doug Emhoff. President Obama, President Clinton and Secretary Clinton, President Bush and Laura Bush, Vice President Pence, Vice President Quayle and Marilyn Quayle. The justices of the United States Supreme Court are with us — all nine of them, I counted. And of course, the Trump and Vance families.
“This ceremony marks what will soon be 250 years of our democracy. It is the moment when leaders elevated by the will of the people promise to be faithful to our constitution, to cherish and defend it. It is the moment when they become, as we all should be, the guardians of our country. Through war and peace, through adversity and prosperity, we hold this inauguration every four years and today it falls on Martin Luther King Day. A further reminder that we must strive to uphold the values enshrined in our constitution — the freedoms, the liberties and, as is inscribed on the entrance of the United States Supreme Court, equal justice under law.
“But what makes this moment more than a passing ceremony is all who are watching it across the country. The people of this nation, the ordinary people doing extraordinary things. President Kennedy, who at one point worked as a senator in this building and world often walk through this very rotunda, once said, ‘In a democracy, every citizen, regardless of interest in politics, holds office. Every one of us is in a position of responsibility.’ With that responsibility of citizenship comes an obligation not to seek out malice, as President Lincoln once reminded us, but to view others with a generosity of spirit despite our differences. With that responsibility of leadership comes an obligation to stand our ground when we must and find common ground when we can. With everything swirling around us, the hot mess of division, it is on all of us, to quote an incredible songwriter who just happened to be born in my state, to ensure that our nation’s democracy is our shelter from the storm. There’s a reason this ceremony takes place at the Capitol. In other countries, it might be in a presidential palace or a gilded executive office building. Here, it is traditionally held at the Capitol, the people’s house. It is a fitting reminder of the system of checks and balances that is the very foundation of our government. Three equal branches of government. That is how, for nearly 250 years, our great American experiment, grounded in the rule of law, has endured.
“So as we inaugurate a new president and vice president, let us remember that the power of those in this room comes from the people. The construction workers who build our country. The teachers and health care workers who nurture us. The troops defending our freedoms. And yes, the firefighters in Los Angeles putting themselves on the line for us.
“Our democracy’s strength and grit must match theirs. May god bless our nation. Thank you.”
Klobuchar’s history with Trump
Klobuchar spoke four years ago at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, as well. In that speech, the senator said it was “the day when our democracy picks itself up.”
“We celebrate a new president, Joe Biden, who vows to restore the soul of America and cross the river of our divides to a higher plain,” Klobuchar said.
Klobuchar voted to convict Trump of incitement charges in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol, though the Senate vote ultimately failed. In an interview with WCCO, she said Trump “incited this specific riot. He literally asked people to march down the mall to the Capitol.”
Klobuchar has also been critical of Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, his views on climate change and more.
During her presidential run in 2020, Klobuchar said at a debate that, if reelected, “Donald Trump will spend the next four years tearing our country apart.”
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