TRENTON, NJ – Since taking office as New Jersey’s junior U.S. Senator in January 2025, Andy Kim has quickly established himself as a vocal critic of President Donald Trump’s administration.
However, his tenure thus far has been marked less by substantive legislative achievements or bold stands for American interests and more by what some constituents and observers describe as persistent whining about Trump’s policies.
From his opposition to the widely supported Laken Riley Act to his apparent indifference to competitive fairness in women’s sports, Kim’s early record suggests a disconnect between his rhetoric and the priorities of many Americans.
Now, he’s turned his attention to lamenting the federal minimum wage—ironic, critics say, given his long career in Washington, D.C., dating back to his days in the Obama White House.
One of Kim’s earliest and most controversial moves as senator was his vote against the Laken Riley Act, a bill that passed with significant bipartisan support in both the House (263-156) and Senate (64-35) in January 2025.
Named after a Georgia nursing student murdered by an undocumented immigrant in 2024, the legislation mandates the detention of unauthorized migrants accused of theft and violent crimes until their removal from the country. Proponents hailed it as a common-sense measure to enhance public safety, with even 46 House Democrats and 12 Senate Democrats crossing party lines to back it.
Kim, however, joined a minority of Democrats in opposing the bill. Critics argue this decision reflects a refusal to address the concerns of Americans about illegal immigration and crime—a stance that has drawn ire from some New Jersey voters.
Posts on X have accused Kim of prioritizing ideology over safety, with one user lamenting, “Andy Kim voted NO alongside 8 other Democrats on the Laken Riley bill that had overwhelming bipartisan support… Our Democrat Congressmen and Senators are awful!”
While Kim has not publicly detailed his reasoning, his vote has fueled perceptions that he’s out of touch with constituents demanding stronger border security measures and in favor of protecting violent illegal aliens instead of protecting the health and welfare of American citizens.
Kim’s voting record has also sparked debate over his positions on gender and sports.
Critics point to his apparent support for policies allowing transgender athletes—specifically men who identify as women—to compete in women’s sports, a stance they claim undermines fairness and opportunity for female athletes.
Kim has opposed President Trump’s executive order banning biological men from competing against America’s daughters and sisters in youth, high school, and collegiate sports.
New Jersey Assembly woman Dawn Fantasia today reminded New Jersey, “Andy Kim wants men in women’s sports,” tying this to a broader narrative of his misalignment with traditional values.
Now’s he complaining about the federal minimum wage, despite his party being in control of Washington, D.C. for 16 of the last 20 years. Kim has been a fixture in D.C. since his time as an advisor for former President Barack Obama, yet this week, he blamed President Trump and the Republican majority in the House and Senate.
Kim has turned his attention to the federal minimum wage, decrying its stagnation at $7.25 per hour—a figure unchanged since 2009. In a February 2025 appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, he framed this as part of a broader fight against Trump’s agenda, suggesting Democrats might leverage a government shutdown to force action.
“We’re on the cusp of a constitutional crisis,” Kim warned, positioning himself as a defender of working Americans.
This pivot has drawn skepticism. Kim’s career in D.C. stretches back to the Obama administration, where he worked at the U.S. Agency for International Development and later served three terms in the House of Representatives (2019-2025). During that time, the minimum wage remained static despite Democratic control of Congress and the presidency from 2021 to 2023. Critics question why Kim, with over a decade in Washington, didn’t champion this cause earlier.
“Now he’s ‘concerned’ about safety and wages? Spare us. Your voting record tells the story,” quipped one X user, highlighting what they see as opportunistic griping rather than principled leadership.
Underpinning Kim’s early Senate tenure is an unrelenting focus on Donald Trump. Whether it’s the Laken Riley Act (signed into law by Trump on January 29, 2025), executive orders, or budget battles, Kim has cast himself as a resistor-in-chief. His Meet the Press comments about potentially shutting down the government to counter Trump’s efforts to “smash” it underscore this approach. But for a senator representing a state with pressing needs—high property taxes, infrastructure woes, and coastal vulnerabilities—some argue this Trump obsession leaves little room for proactive governance.
Kim’s defenders might say he’s standing up to an overreaching executive, a role he previewed as a congressman during Trump’s first term. Yet his track record thus far offers scant evidence of tangible wins for New Jerseyans or Americans at large. Instead, his votes against popular measures like the Laken Riley Act and his late-breaking wage critiques paint a picture of a senator more comfortable complaining than legislating.
A Pattern of Inaction?
As of February 21, 2025, Andy Kim’s Senate career is barely two months old, yet the criticism is mounting. His votes and public statements suggest a pattern: decry Trump, align with progressive orthodoxy, and sidestep issues that resonate with mainstream voters. Whether it’s public safety, fairness in sports, or economic security, Kim’s record—dismal to some—raises questions about his ability to move beyond rhetoric. For a freshman senator with a long Washington resume, the clock is ticking to Prove he can do more than cry and whine.