Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) visited campus Monday evening for a two-part event hosted by President Doug Hicks and the Institute for Public Good. The visit opened with a private dinner reception at President Hicks’ home, where the senators met with representatives from Davidson Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and the newly founded Turning Point USA chapter.

The dinner offered the student leaders an opportunity to speak informally with the senators before the evening’s public discussion.

The senators then moved to Duke Family Performance Hall to deliver their talk. The event, organized by Dr. Chris Marsicano’s Institute for Public Good, drew a full audience with tickets selling out over a week in advance.

Klobuchar and Tillis are widely regarded as bipartisan dealmakers who bridge divides in the Senate to solve policy problems. For example, they cosponsored the creation of a VA program for veterans exposed to toxic waste on military bases.

Moderated by President Hicks, Senators Klobuchar and Tillis discussed America’s growing political radicalization, and the need for discourse, debate, and public deliberation. They also covered AI policy, disinformation on social media, and the need for strong foreign aid programs abroad.

The ongoing government shutdown loomed over the discussion. Onstage, Klobuchar called it “the elephant in the room.” Over dinner, Tillis had remarked, “Right now, Trump holds all the power.” Neither senator expressed much faith that the shutdown would be resolved soon, even as more than 750,000 federal workers are furloughed and critical agricultural funds are suspended.

Klobuchar and Tillis disagreed on their treatment of AI.

“I talk to AI every day,” Tillis said. “AI will make the smart people smarter, and the lazy people dumber.”

Klobuchar was more skeptical, recounting her battle to take down a viral deepfake, in which an AI recreation of her voice claimed that Democrats were “too fat to wear jeans or too ugly to go outside.” The senators agreed that more AI regulation is needed, but Tillis looked to private companies to set norms, while Klobuchar expressed interest in a sweeping approach which would require all AI-generated content to carry identification labels.

When the talk concluded, both senators elicited applause. Klobuchar’s proposal of a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and her condemnations of the human cost of mass shootings received a long round of applause. Tillis also received warm responses for highlighting the need for continued humanitarian support to Africa.

Many political voices on campus were deeply dissatisfied by the talk, finding it self-congratulatory and lacking substance.

“It is this sort of lack of urgency from politicians in our party that is so disheartening,” said Saeran Dewar ‘28, Policy Chair of the Davidson College Democrats. “We missed the opportunity to critically engage with the senators on shutdown negotiations, Israel-Gaza, or resistance to executive overreach.”

“It was like watching a sitcom,” another attendee remarked. “It felt like Klobuchar was trying to cultivate a Mamdani-esque, TikTok-friendly image, even as she decried our obsession with likes and hit tweets.”

A few students disagreed, expressing their renewed faith in bipartisanship.

“Leaving the talk, I felt quite good,” said Oliver Genovese ‘28, president of Davidson’s Turning Point USA chapter. “It was good to have different perspectives in the room, and I liked Senator Tillis’ emphasis on the importance of immigration. While there are differences of opinion on the issue, there is a lot of common ground.”

Still, Genovese expressed disappointment in the mild rhetoric produced by Hicks’ questions, and the questions of students in attendance.

“I wish,” he said, “that one of the questions evoked a more passionate response to see how the Senators would react to a question on an issue they sharply disagree on.”

It’s possible that this provocative question was among the many left unasked. Although dozens of students raised their hands to ask the senators a question, only four students were given the chance.

“That’s not what the Institute for Public Good is all about,” a student said. “The whole event was about the desperate need for conversation across party lines, and then discussion was stopped as soon as it began.”

For many, the stakes have never been higher. The talk came at a moment of unprecedented polarization, in the wake of a recent spate of political violence, and sweeping federal actions that have reshaped debates over immigration and civil rights.

“The unsubstantive discussions this evening took place against a backdrop of masked ICE agents wreaking terror across the country, the National Guard occupying cities, and layoffs of federal workers,” Dewar said. “I find it difficult to have a more positive outlook on American politics after this.”

Senators Tillis and Klobuchar Visit Davidson