Former Minnesota Congressman and also former presidential candidate Dean Phillips (D) is optimistic following Monday's transition of power in Washington during the inauguration and the start of the second presidency for Donald Trump.
"I think we're going to see some good from this administration," Phillips told WCCO's Chad Hartman. "I think you will address some of the issues that have been existing for some time going unaddressed, and I just hope and pray that the United States Congress, particularly my Republican colleagues, put the Constitution first, put our country first, and do their jobs."
Phillips says it's the responsibility of all Americans to give President Trump a chance despite their political leanings. Phillips served six years in Congress before stepping down earlier this year and an unsuccessful run as a challenger of former President Joe Biden.
In July of 2022, Phillips became the first Democrat to sound the alarm on Biden's inability to defeat a Trump a second time, telling Hartman on WCCO it was time for a new candidate, and new generation of Democrats.
“I have respect for Joe Biden," Phillips said in 2022. "I think he has, despite some mistakes and missteps, despite his age, I think he’s a man of decency, of good principal, of compassion, of empathy, and of strength. But to answer your question directly, which I know is quite rare, no, I don’t.”
Phillips later decided to challenge Biden in the Democratic Primaries, a rare move against a sitting president. Biden eventually bowed out of the race in the summer of 2024 after a disastrous debate performance, with Vice President Kamala Harris getting the Democratic nomination and losing the race to Trump.
For Phillips, while he's hoping for some positives coming from a Trump presidency, isn't as confident in Trump's cabinet picks. However, Phillips says he's hoping for the best.
"I think we will see people like Pete Hegseth, not qualified based on most perspectives on the right and left, but again likely to be confirmed along with a number of others who are non-traditional picks," Phillips explains. "And I can only hope and pray that they manage with integrity and that we don't see an exodus of thoughtful, experienced public servants that we do need."
Already, in his first day on the job, Trump began his term as 47th president of the United States with a dizzying display of force, signing a blizzard of executive orders that signaled his desire to remake American institutions while also pardoning nearly all of his supporters who rioted at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
After giving a speech pledging that “never again” would the government “persecute political opponents,” Trump then gave a second, impromptu address to a crowd of supporters. The president lamented that his inaugural address had been sanitized, said he would shortly pardon the Jan. 6 rioters and fumed at last-minute preemptive pardons issued by outgoing President Joe Biden to the members of the congressional committee that investigated the attack.
“I did have a couple of things to say that were extremely controversial,” Trump told the crowd in the Capitol’s Emancipation Hall. It was the same space that had filled with rows of National Guard troops sleeping on the hard floors for weeks in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack.
Hours later, Trump followed through on a campaign promise to pardon those involved in the attack — some 1,500 of his supporters, including ones who had assaulted police officers. That came after an extraordinary pardon issued by Biden — announced by the White House as he greeted Trump at the inaugural ceremony — for several members of Biden’s extended family. The 11th hour Biden pardons were a response to Trump’s continual threats to carry out a campaign of retribution against his political opponents.
The head-spinning developments of Trump’s first day back in power suggested there will be no lack of controversy during his second term.
Even after regaining the highest office in the land, Trump continued to lie about his 2020 election loss. He didn’t mention it in his formal address, but in his impromptu, second speech, Trump falsely contended it was only due to voter fraud and that if votes were counted accurately he would win California, a state he lost by more than 3.2 million votes.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.