In their first and only broadcast debate, Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar called for unity amid divisive national politics, while Republican candidate Royce White questioned the legitimacy of the American political order.

Klobuchar, 64, who is seeking a fourth term in the U.S. Senate, and White, a 33-year-old former professional basketball player turned right-wing online media personality, appeared on WCCO Radio’s Sunday Take with the Nov. 5 election a little more than a week away. Hundreds of thousands of voters have already cast their ballots in Minnesota.

Moderator Blois Olson asked the candidates questions on issues ranging from immigration to the economy and foreign policy. While Klobuchar and White described their different policy stances on the issues, the biggest distinction between the two candidates may have been their views on the American system itself.“We are living in incredibly divisive times right now, politically, yet through it all, I see the best in Minnesota when I go to all 87 counties, whether it’s in the rural areas, the suburbs or in the cities,” Klobuchar said in her opening remarks. “And what I do is listen to people and get things done, and I think that’s what we need in Washington right now.”

Klobuchar described many of the bipartisan bills she worked on, including one that would boost border security, and efforts with Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley to address misinformation spread by artificial intelligence-generated “deepfakes.”

White, a self-described “MAGA extremist” with ties to prominent conspiracy theorist Alex Jones who has advocated abolishing the Federal Reserve Bank and shuttering the FBI, painted a bleaker picture, and called for upheaval in the traditional political order.

“Our country is coming undone at the seams, and I think we can change that, but it’s going to require some truth,” he said.

‘Uniparty’

White criticized not just Klobuchar, but who he deems pro-establishment Republicans like former Minnesota U.S. Sens. Norm Coleman and Rudy Boschwitz for their involvement with the permanent political class.

“If you vote for the same things, you’re most likely going to get the same result, and that’s certainly the case in this race, but all across the country,” White said. “There is a permanent political class in America, there is an establishment on both sides of the aisle.”

White is a protege of former President Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannon and has often derided traditional Republicans as being part of a “uniparty” with establishment Democrats who he says keep the country involved in perpetual war and engage in cronyism with entrenched corporate interests.

“This is an old guard versus a new generation of American politics,” he said.

Klobuchar said White’s talk of “uniparty” was a rejection of bipartisanship and criticized her opponent for his vulgar and combative style and close association with figures on the conspiracy right. On social media, White has often used anti-gay slurs and profanity while criticizing his opponents.

“My opponent says vulgar things nearly every single day, on his Twitter feed, in his podcast, every single day, insulting people,” she said. “That’s what he does. I think a senator is a different kind of job. I think you actually have to listen people and get things done.”

Klobuchar also noted White’s past remark that the “bad guys” won World War II, calling it an insult to American veterans.

“This is not the kind of rhetoric that we need. We don’t need untruths. We need someone who’s going to be in there and be willing to stand up for our country, our democracy, not just here, but around the world,” she said.

White defended his remarks on World War II as a criticism of the post-war “Democratic liberal order,” a theme he has repeatedly brought up in his campaign and during the debate.

On the issues

White railed against Israel’s efforts to influence U.S. politics and suggested a withdrawal from overseas conflicts in general. He has said his number one national security priority is the border, which he said should be closed to immigrants until the country can “get a grip” on vetting new arrivals.

Klobuchar said the U.S. plays a major role in global security and needs to continue doing so while balancing that role with domestic needs. Her top priority on immigration, she said, is to pass a border bill backed by her Republican Senate Colleague James Lankford of Oklahoma, which would fund 1,500 new border guards.

She also said the country needs to streamline its legal immigration process and pointed to a bipartisan bill she backed that would allow foreign doctors who studied at American universities to stay in the country and help underserved communities.

Asked about Israel’s ongoing and escalating conflicts in the Middle East, Klobuchar said she believes there could be a diplomatic solution, starting with a cease-fire and the release of hostages by Hamas in Gaza.

On the economy, Klobuchar said she wants to focus on creating more housing, incentives to grow the availability of childcare, creating more opportunities for workforce training, and expanding rural broadband internet. White said the Federal Reserve Bank’s monetary policy contributes to inflation which has weakened the dollar over time, and said he wouldn’t oppose a return to the gold standard.

The candidates were also asked if they believed Donald Trump lost in Minnesota in the 2020 election when President Joe Biden carried the state by 7 percentage points. Klobuchar said yes, while White said it appeared to be the case but he “can’t be sure.”

The race

Klobuchar was elected to the Senate in 2006 and handily defeated her Republican opponents in 2012 and 2018.

Republicans haven’t fared well in statewide elections for nearly two decades. The last time a GOP candidate won was when Gov. Tim Pawlenty was reelected in 2006.

Klobuchar has significantly outraised White, and as of Oct. 16 had $4.3 million in campaign funds, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. White had just under $80,000.

White has been a divisive figure among Minnesota Republicans, and his endorsement at the party’s May convention over establishment pick Joe Fraser surprised many party officials and observers of state politics.

Despite the state GOP chair David Hann calling White an “unusual candidate” in a May KSTP interview, the party has backed White even amid his many controversies, including his use of funds from his 2022 Congressional campaign at a Miami strip club, accusations of antisemitism and back child support payments.

White has said he reimbursed the campaign money and was ordered to pay child support at levels matching his former NBA salary, making payments overly burdensome and unrealistic. He has said banks are controlled by “Jewish elites” and drawn condemnation from the Republican Jewish Coalition, but says he has “many people in my life who are Jewish, who love me and support me and support the things I say about cultural issues.”

Around three-fifths of GOP primary voters supported other candidates in August, and many moderate Republicans have expressed reservations about White’s self-described extremism, controversies, associations with the conspiracy right and combative online style.