Morrison calls for ‘kindness revolution’ at first town hall

Editor’s note: After publication, this article was updated to include additional quotes and context from Rep. Kelly Morrison’s remarks on civic engagement and bipartisan efforts.

Standing before nearly 2,000 people at Jefferson High School in Bloomington on Thursday, March 20, U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison called for something unexpected amid what she described as political turmoil: a “kindness revolution.”

“We’re in a moment of cruelty,” Morrison said about halfway through the event. “But most people aren’t cruel. I think something shifted — with COVID, with social media, with loneliness. We need each other as human beings. Even the smallest acts of kindness matter. Being decent to each other is important.”

It was a defining theme of the freshman Democrat’s first in-person town hall since taking office in January. Morrison, a longtime OB-GYN and former state senator, was elected in November 2024 to represent Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes Eden Prairie and other west metro suburbs. She succeeded Dean Phillips, who chose not to seek reelection while making a bid for president.

While her tone was often hopeful, Morrison didn’t sugarcoat the gravity of the moment.

For more than an hour, Morrison fielded questions on Social Security, veterans’ care, science funding, transgender rights, campaign finance and President Donald Trump’s second term. The crowd, largely supportive, responded with frequent cheers and applause, especially during her sharpest critiques of the administration.

At one point, she accused President Trump of firing more veterans than any administration in history, “gutting science,” and “doing nothing to lower costs for everyday Americans.”

“We are not powerless,” Morrison said more than once. “This is our democracy. We can’t let it be dismantled.”

Morrison said civic engagement itself can be a form of kindness — a way to find purpose, be part of something bigger than yourself, and build relationships, even across disagreement. 

“It doesn’t have to be dramatic,” she said. “Attend your local city council meeting. Ask respectful questions. Listen. You can be engaged and challenge ideas — and still be kind.”

‘Chaos, confusion, carelessness and cruelty’

The evening opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, led by a local Scout troop. Bloomington Mayor Tim Busse, serving as moderator, welcomed the crowd and urged respectful engagement, civil discourse, and pledged to address as many audience questions as possible. Two men in plain clothes flanked the stage, presumably security.

Busse later drew laughs, comparing the stack of audience questions between him and Morrison to his “pull-tab basket at the Lindbergh VFW on a Saturday night.”

His first question referenced the loss of federal earmark funding for two major infrastructure projects in Bloomington. Morrison didn’t hesitate.

“This administration – and we’re not even 100 days in – has been marked by chaos, confusion, carelessness, and cruelty,” she said. “It’s hard to plan for the future when priorities and funding shift overnight.”

She cited specific local examples: a domestic violence shelter that could lose 15,000 “safe nights” for clients without federal grants; Eden Prairie’s fire department, which relies on SAFER grants to recruit new firefighters; and the TRIO program at Kennedy High School, which supports college access for low-income students and is now at risk.

“These are real people being hurt by reckless decisions,” Morrison said. “It’s not how government is supposed to work.”

Despite the political tension in Washington, Morrison said she entered Congress hopeful she could find bipartisan partners. During new-member orientation, she said, two Republican colleagues privately expressed interest in working with her — but only under one condition.

“Two of them said, ‘Kelly, I’d love to do that with you – if I could be anonymous,’” Morrison said. “Their leadership told them not to work with Democrats, and in their deep-red districts, it would be toxic to be seen doing so.”

Still, Morrison said she left orientation feeling more hopeful than expected, having made some cross-aisle connections. A lifelong Democrat, she noted she grew up in a Republican family that debated politics around the dinner table.

“I can still hear my dad saying, ‘Kelly, cite your source!’” she told the crowd. “We argued, but we loved and respected each other. I’m used to doing battle with, teasing, and ultimately respecting – and even loving – Republicans. Love you, Dad.”

‘This isn’t what I signed up for’

Throughout the night, Morrison painted a picture of what she called a “full-scale assault on American values” under Trump and his allies – with Elon Musk emerging as a central unelected force.

“Elon Musk seems to be running the country right now,” she said. “He’s got the president’s ear, access to our private information, and zero accountability.”

One of the most sobering moments came when Morrison recounted a conversation with the national VFW commander about proposed VA workforce cuts.

“‘Ma’am,’ he told me, ‘it’s going to kill us.’”

The crowd reacted with audible dismay.

Morrison said she’s pushing back with letters, legislation, and advocacy. “We need to speak up. Protest. Tell our Republican colleagues: this is not acceptable,” she said. “I suspect even some voters are saying, ‘This isn’t what I signed up for.’”

Science, justice, and social threats

Applause surged when Morrison criticized the administration’s cuts to science and education funding.

“This is right out of an autocrat’s playbook,” she said. “Countries like France and Canada are recruiting our best scientists now because we’re driving them away. That’s where we are.”

The crowd also responded emotionally to Morrison’s defense of transgender rights after a question from a concerned parent.

“She just wants to live her life,” Morrison said of the parent’s daughter. “And the Republican House’s first bill this year? Attacking trans kids. It was disgusting. I voted no.”

On the courts, Morrison said the country is approaching – if not already in – a constitutional crisis. The crowd applauded her call for standing up against attacks on judges and the rule of law.

“We are not powerless,” she said again. “Your voice is your power. Your story is your power.”

A warning – and a challenge

Applause reached a crescendo when Morrison denounced Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance for their treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a recent White House visit.

“One of the most shocking and disgraceful displays I’ve ever seen,” she said.

The crowd erupted.

Despite that, Morrison ended on a note of resolve.

“I want to repeat: We are not powerless in this moment,” she said. “We are the people of the United States of America. Use your voice. Support organizations that support the values that you hold dear. Be in community, be kind to each other, and ultimately, it’s going to be on all of us to stand up in the streets and say, this will not stand.”