“The president of the United States, Donald Trump, is abusing his power,” Sen. Andy Kim said to a round of thunderous applause. This bold opening statement encapsulated his driving point throughout much of the hour-and-a-half town hall that followed.

Kim first touched upon one of the most high-profile cases of Trump’s abuse of power, directly mentioning the erroneous deportation of Kilmar Garcia to El Salvador. While he expressed sympathy toward Garcia, Kim noted that there was a much larger, overarching issue at hand than the deportations.

“The president wants you to think about this as a simple issue about immigration. It is not,” Kim said. “It fundamentally gets to this tension … when it comes to the different branches of government.”

In fact, Kim expressed his fear that Trump has undercut the constitutional separation of powers several times, citing the president’s blatant disregard for court orders and legislation. Some crowd members took offense and spoke out against Kim, claiming that Article II of the U.S. Constitution gives the president power over the executive branch. Kim promptly responded, supporting the rights acknowledged in Article II, but also reminding the crowd members that he equally supports Articles I and III that establish the powers of the legislative and judicial branches.

“The president does not have unlimited power,” Kim said, addressing the crowd’s outburst.

While on the topic of abusing power, Kim also mentioned the massive Liberation Day tariffs that Trump enacted on April 2, placing a universal 10% tariff on imported goods with even higher tariffs on countries like Canada, Mexico, and China. Kim has been a staunch critic of the tariffs, boldly speaking out against them on his social media and at his town halls.

In reference to Trump justifying the tariffs by claiming they will promote American-made goods to U.S. consumers, Kim said, “I worry very much that we see this idea that America first translated into foreign policy means America alone.”

Furthermore, Kim touched upon Trump’s revenge spree on those he deemed his opponents, from college and university budget cuts to federal employee layoffs. Many of these revenge cuts in higher education — which have amounted to billions of dollars — were alleged to be a result of Trump’s plan to eliminate DEI and target schools that did not align with his political agenda. In a similar fashion, the federal employee layoffs included thousands of FBI agents who were involved in the investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol attack. Kim even compared the federal layoffs and replacements to the spoils system under Andrew Jackson’s presidency, when federal positions were given to the president’s supporters, rather than qualified employees.

“We’re seeing retribution and direct harm to the American people,” Kim said. “We see it right now when it comes to university and colleges, government officials, [and] … even private companies.”

Adding on to the budget cuts to universities and colleges, Kim spoke briefly on Trump’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education, highlighting the need for increased emphasis on education, especially as a result of the increasingly competitive global market. He repeatedly mentioned his fear that he cannot guarantee a good future or even opportunity for his own children as a result of the threats to education.

“The role that our federal government plays … in trying to help communities such as this to be able to provide the kind of education that we want for our kids … is something I am very concerned about right now in terms of how things are going to be able to proceed.”

Another major point in Kim’s speech was his concern for America’s current state in foreign affairs, particularly the several recessions made to U.S. commitment within international organizations like the EU and NATO.

“When I was in the Munich Security Conference, I saw Vice President Vance give a speech in front of the European allies that I thought was shameful … a speech in which he denigrated our allies, [sat] before them, and lectured them,” Kim said. “We also see the president questioning the value of NATO without mentioning the fact that the only time that NATO has initiated collective defense was for the defense of the United States after September 11.”

Kim even accused Trump of fraternizing with Russia’s President Putin in the negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, saying that “Trump seems to be doing everything he can to give Putin an advantage when it comes to the negotiations.”

The town hall was nothing short of concerning with Kim’s description of these times as “a moment of grave concern” and “a constitutional crisis.” However, Kim’s dedication to acknowledging these issues and willingness to hear his constituents’ opinions left an enduring sense of hope despite the many fears, reminding the town hall’s attendees that justice will prevail so long as there are politicians willing to fight against such abuses of power.

On April 3, the Senate rejected two resolutions blocking potential arms sales of offensive weapons from the United States to Israel. Fifteen senators voted to approve these joint resolutions to disapprove these sales to aid Israel. One of these 15 was New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim, who was elected to the Senate on Dec. 8, 2024.

Kim held a town hall at Cherry Hill High School East where he, among other topics, addressed the criticism from certain members of New Jersey’s Jewish community, including 168 rabbis, toward his agreement to block potential arms sales to Israel. Kim shared that back in February, he traveled with a group of senators to Israel for the purpose of highlighting diplomacy and helping to restore peace between Israel and Palestine. 

He spoke to the mother of Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old from New Jersey who was abducted by Hamas and is still currently being held as a hostage in Gaza. Kim also got to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where he was eager to figure out the direction and goals toward peace in the Middle East. 

“When I met with [the] prime minister, I told him that this is a very precarious moment … I urged [him] to do everything possible to keep diplomacy going – to allude to phase two of the negotiation between the United States, Israel and Hamas,” Kim said.

Kim continuously emphasized both to Netanyahu and the crowd of the town hall that there is no military-only solution to be able to destroy a terrorist organization like Hamas. Without a diplomatic agreement, peace isn’t achievable. These words sparked uproar in the crowd, with a prominent proponent of this anger throughout the night being a man wearing a “F*ck Hamas” T-shirt.  

Kim explained his ultimate reason for wanting to hold back on sending arms to Israel.

“When I asked Netanyahu about his plan for what happens next, his answer was the Gaza Riviera – which is not a solution,” Kim said.

Netanyahu’s Gaza Riviera idea alludes to President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to take over and own the Gaza Strip. Kim was very unsatisfied with this answer, and ultimately couldn’t support sending arms to the Israeli government with this plan of “peace” in mind. 

While Kim expressed this criticism towards the Israeli government, he vocally supported the civilians of both Israel and Palestine. He recognized the tragedy of Oct. 7 toward innocent Israeli civilians and the continuous brutality of Hamas. He reassured angry people in the crowd that his goal to return Edan Alexander and the other remaining hostages was still one of strong desire.

Kim further discussed how this conflict parallels other political conflicts today, and how even though there are disagreements on many serious issues, it is important to recognize the humanity of all people. While repeatedly stating his fear of increased polarization, Kim emphasized the understanding that the situation in Gaza is not a binary choice.

“We have a crisis of empathy right now as a nation,” Kim said. “Recognizing someone else’s opinion does not mean that your opinion is diminished.”

Kim’s statement is a true representation of where he falls on the issues in the Middle East; his primary goal will continue to be one of diplomacy and peace for all innocent civilians, and his empathy will not be restricted to merely one group of people.

Sen. Kim takes notes as he listens to his constituents’ concerns. (Elias Kang)

Sen. Kim designated the latter half of his town hall for his constituents to directly voice their concerns to him.

Q: I think as a show of good faith, to contrast against the tax cuts of billionaires, I think it would be really good if the Congress and Senate could pass a bill that would prevent members of the legislature from trading stocks.

A: I can’t agree with you enough. 84% of people in New Jersey surveyed believe that their politicians are corrupt. A lot of it fundamentally gets [to] this question of, who is it that they are fighting for? Are they fighting for themselves? For friends? Are they fighting for the American people? And that’s why I think it’s so critical. So in fact, I wrote a piece of legislation that not just banned members of Congress from owning and trading stocks, but also executive branch leaders.

Q: I would like to encourage you to hold more town halls in these red districts. It turns out last week, we went to Herb Conaway, who’s an NJ Congressman from Burlington County and other counties, and he’s agreed to have a town hall in Chris Smith’s district. So I’d appreciate it if you could contact him and get together with him.

A: Every opportunity I have to come back from D.C., I’m continuing to do these town halls. I did three town halls a couple weeks ago in the three different congressional districts that currently have Republican members of Congress in New Jersey. I hope to continue to do so. Beyond that, it’s very much on all of us to be able to raise that pressure, whether it’s phone calls or other things like that. Trying to make sure that we’re lifting up some of those voices that we know we can connect through.

Q: My business is potentially going to go bankrupt from this disaster, and so we all know this is 100% caused by the tariffs. My question is what is Congress or even the state potentially preparing to do to help small businesses like mine? If the tariffs don’t go away, what’s the plan to help small businesses?

A: We did, as an office, try to mobilize and come up with a coalition of small business owners to try and be able to have their voices heard in terms of what dangers are out there. We’re engaged in that conversation at the state level as well as trying to figure out how we can build support to offset the high costs that you all will have to face.

Q: It looks like there’s about 34 nominations pending in the Senate for when you return. And it seems obvious that these nominations are put forward based on their willingness to obey the President. Have you considered, or has the Democratic conference in the Senate considered, placing holds on these nominations? And have you considered withholding consent to proceed on the reconciliation bill?

A: Right now, we’re proceeding in the Senate as if we’re having a hold on every single nomination. Every single nomination is two hours. We’re not able to block it beyond that amount, so everything is going to the maximum amount. We’re trying to make sure we’re shining a light on a lot of the challenges that we’re facing when it comes to candidates being unqualified, their qualifications being a sense of loyalty and fealty. 

Q: My question is about age verification legislation, specifically for pornographic websites to protect children from being exposed to their harmful content. Would you be willing to put aside partisanship and be willing to work with [Republicans] to get this legislation passed?

A: Thanks for raising that. I certainly have to take a closer look at the legislation but I’m very open to that idea. As the father of two boys, I do worry about this. I certainly wouldn’t want my kids to have that type of access online and it’s something that I struggle with immensely as a father. Another big part of what we’re trying to do right now is, in a bipartisan way, trying to come up with a major investment when it comes to mental health, especially youth mental health challenges.

Q: As a trans person and as a representative of the LGBTQ community, what’s your message to us as we fear for our very existence?

A: I wish I had words to be able to give you enough comfort, saying you can guarantee that sense of safety, but we live in dangerous times. Out in the open, in a way that is so alarming, the willingness that people have to just be able to do harm to all those within our society, it’s scary. We recognize the importance of this on so many different fronts. Yes, we will continue to push for the Equality Act, and other things that would codify LGBTQ rights.

Q: The federal government owns medical data of everybody in the Medicare system, everybody in the military, people on Social Security. Are measures being taken to protect the data that DOGE is trying to access?

A: I say this with all honesty. I don’t know if there is enough being done on this point; in fact, I really do worry about this a lot as well, about your personal data. Right now, this is exactly why we need to have Inspector Generals in these different offices. We’re trying to push for that. We’re also going to the GAO to try to engage and have those responses necessary to be able to do this. 

Q: There were mentions of getting Medicaid records, looking at pharmaceuticals that people filled prescription-wise. I feel like that’s a violation of my privacy. Would people be able to get any of that?

A: What I appreciate about what you’re saying is, you’re speaking from the heart, speaking personally, and that’s important. And that is exactly why I invited, to the joint address, a gentleman from Willingboro named Kevin who has cerebral palsy, someone who’s relying upon Medicaid for his health care. And he showed up there with a message, saying that without Medicaid, he wouldn’t be able to live. And he can engage and talk about this in a way that I can’t. And he expressed this to me in a way that really helped me further understand what is at stake. And I’m on the healthcare committee in the U.S. Senate.

Q: I know you have been a strong supporter of the federal workforce in our region. My ask for you today is simply to continue supporting us and the safety plans desperately rely on. 

A: We’re about to have our 250th anniversary as a nation, and I really hope we take that moment as a country and reflect upon the last 250 years and to think through what is going to push us more. I’ve been drafting my legislation for a while. I tried to use the 250th anniversary to supercharge civic education. I want to dedicate my life to trying to address one singular question, which is, how do we heal this country? And I don’t have all the answers, but I think one necessary part of that answer is I really do think we need to reignite a new era [of] public service. 

Q: We have seen where a lot of men have been deported to the prison in El Salvador. Will you and your Democratic colleagues attempt to locate where the women and children that have been deported are being sent to?

A: You’re right, there needs to be accountability. We’re certainly trying to make sure that we are having our goals on this as much as possible across the state of New Jersey. And we’re trying to make sure we have that sense of transparency and visibility here.

Commander Emily Shilling, a naval aviator of 19 years, has 20 million dollars worth of naval training and 60 combat missions – including ones in Iraq and Afghanistan – under her belt. Yet, according to a series of policies pertaining to “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness” issued by President Trump in late January, “the adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful and disciplined lifestyle.” Hence, despite her astounding two-decade-long military career, Shilling – according to President Trump – poses a detriment to her unit’s fortitude and is mentally and physically incapable of upholding the virtues of the U.S. Navy… because she began her sexual transition in 2021. 

The prohibition of trans troops – among other anti-trans orders issued by President Trump on his first day in office – were just upheld by the Supreme Court on May 6 after previously being deemed unconstitutional by lower courts. President Trump’s immediate and insistent clampdown on trans rights acts in direct violation of equal protection principles, annulling the work of previous administrations to protect LGBTQ+ individuals. One attendee of Sen. Kim’s Cherry Hill town hall – Melissa Firseenberg – spoke with Eastside about her concerns as both a trans and Jewish woman living against the backdrop of President Trump’s anti-semitism and attacks on trans rights. 

“Right now, I am terrified. They are trying to erase us. They are removing us from the public record. They are attempting to remove us from visibility in society, and it’s very difficult right now to continue [attempting] to exist,” Firseenberg said. 

The Supreme Court’s upholding of Trump’s transgender soldier ban is only the first piece glued down on his larger puzzle made against the LGBTQ+ community: the administration has sought to bar transgender athletes from sports competitions, force people to use bathrooms designated for their sex assigned at birth and objected to the usage of personal pronouns – among other policies whose fates are still to be sealed by justices. 

“When there was a day one edict from the administration saying, ‘No, trans people don’t exist,’ I felt the need to ask Sen. Kim as a man of the people, ‘What is your message to the 10 to 15% of New Jersey that is LGBTQ? What is your message to us right now because we are scared?’” Firseenberg said. 

Given the increasingly polarized cultural climate of the United States, the expectation for a homogenous, far-leaning political identity has become commonplace. Democrats advocate for purely liberal causes; Republicans hold maximal conservative beliefs. The idea of interceding one’s left-leaning political affiliation with their right-leaning religious and cultural community can feel hypocritical. Firseenberg discussed her advocacy for Democratic policies as a trans woman surrounded by vehement Republicans within her Jewish community. 

“[With] the way this administration has polarized people, somehow they have managed to pit Judaism and the LGBTQ+ community against each other. It is very difficult to be Jewish in an LGBTQ+ community at this point without being subject to anti-semitism, and similarly, it’s very difficult to be trans in a Jewish community right now without being subject to transphobia,” Firseenberg said. “To claim that there is only one statement for all of Israel is fundamentally flawed. The Israeli people are as complex and amalgamated as the United States or any other country built on immigration is. This is a complicated issue, and it stinks that when I say ‘it’s complicated,’ both sides – my Jewish side and my LGBTQ+ side – come to attack. The reality is … it’s not simple, and I do agree with a lot of what Sen. Kim said tonight. When it comes down to it, violence is not the answer to violence.”

Still, as the trans community continues to await rulings with bated breath, it has become more important than ever to keep speaking out. 

“Ben Franklin said it 250 years ago: ‘We must all hang together, or surely we will all hang separately.’ And that’s never been more true than it is today,” Firseenberg said. “If we don’t stand together as a community, they will continue to divide us, and that makes us easier to take down.”

With the recent election of President Donald Trump, millions of Americans have been affected by the new administration’s policies and actions. Americans have felt the effects of the fluctuating economy, department cuts, and impediments on personal liberties. In February, the Trump administration appointed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Since his appointment, Kennedy has made offensive remarks about autism, spreading misinformation and stereotypes.

Kennedy made comments about the causes and prevention methods for autism in response to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, detailing that autism rates among children have increased. This information demonstrates a pattern of continuity from previous reports by the C.D.C. Researchers attribute some of this increase to more screenings and awareness for autism.   

During Senator Andy Kim’s town hall meeting, many concerns with the Trump administration were discussed, including Kennedy’s comments on autism. Jack Neary (’25) is a Cherry Hill East High School senior with autism who attended Senator Kim’s town hall to vocalize his concerns. He expressed his fear and anger about Kennedy’s recent statements and the cuts towards Medicaid.

“He spoke as if we were plighted … as if we were diseased and he had to find a cure and a cause. And I don’t see it like that,” Neary said. “I feel my existence is in threat at every moment right now.”

Senator Kim, a member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, expressed his mutual opposition with the administration’s approach towards children with autism and Medicaid. Many others in the town hall were moved and inspired by Neary’s impactful words. When the town hall concluded, Neary was approached by numerous people thanking and praising him for his public speech. He has previously used his voice for change at board meetings and with Senator Kim’s correspondents.

“The goal ultimately is to try to do what we can now … as more people are prepared, as more people register to vote, and they do their diligence on what they know, and of course talking,” said Neary. “We need to organize. We need to send the message that it’s not okay [and] that some of our most vulnerable population is being treated like crap. And that is not okay.”

The worries shared among people at the town hall are common concerns among millions of Americans. While Trump remains vague regarding his administration’s plan for autism research and the cuts on Medicaid, people are speaking out against the administration’s harmful policies. Like Neary, Americans can use their voice to inspire change. As Sen. Kim has said time and time again, “The opposite of democracy is apathy.”