Minnesota Sen. Julia Coleman speaks to reporters at the Minnesota Capitol, Thursday, May 4, 2023, in St. Paul, Minn., after the Senate approved her bill to honor the late pop superstar Prince. (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)

During an interview last month, Minnesota state Sen. Julia Coleman (R-Waconia) praised the Trump administration’s federal spending cuts, which have deprived communities of vital funding for things like domestic violence prevention and early childhood education.

Coleman made the comments during an April 1 appearance on the “Al Travis Show,” a conservative radio program in Blue Earth, Minn. Coleman said as time goes on, she is appreciating the administration’s slashing even more.

“The longer I serve, and the longer I see fiscal notes, the rate at which the agencies want to grow, and take on new rulemaking, and get more funding and keep these programs going, the more I’m appreciating what’s going on in D.C. with them slashing and cutting,” Coleman said.

Sewer system upkeep, cancer research and food banks are just a few areas where cuts have disrupted operations, with more cuts to benefits programs being proposed by President Donald Trump and his allies. Trump has also expressed interest in completely eliminating Head Start and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which provide early childhood programs and disaster relief, respectively.

Earlier this month, Coleman introduced Senate Bill 3292, which would establish a state version of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has overseen much of the federal spending cuts. Elon Musk was leading the agency’s slashing when his efforts to elect Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel failed earlier this month. He announced last week that he would be stepping back from DOGE to attempt to mitigate the backlash his government involvement has done to Tesla, his electric vehicle company.

Coleman has served as a state senator since 2021, and she is seen as a potential U.S. Senate candidate in 2026. The 33-year-old Coleman has expressed interest in replacing incumbent Sen. Tina Smith (D), who announced she would not seek another term in February. U.S. Rep. Angie Craig (D) and Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (DFL) have announced their bids for the job on the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) side.

Former NBA player and conspiracy theorist Royce White, former Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze and former Hennepin County commissioner candidate Marisa Simonetti have declared their bids as Republicans. Simonetti is an OnlyFans creator who currently has a pending assault charge for reportedly throwing a live tarantula at a roommate.