Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger led the Democratic rebuttal to President Donald Trump‘s State of the Union address late Tuesday, slamming his optimistic depiction of the economy and emphasizing everyday pressures on Americans, including high costs and public safety concerns.
Spanberger’s 13-minute response began with “We did not hear the truth…” It stood in stark contrast to Trump’s nearly two-hour address and posed a series of direct questions.
“Is the president working to make life more affordable for you and your family? Is the president working to keep Americans safe, both at home and abroad? Is the president working for you?” she said, speaking from Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia.
Spanberger Slams ‘Reckless’ Trade Policies
Spanberger, the first female governor in Virginia’s history, argued that costs remain high for many Americans more than a year into Trump’s second term.
”His reckless trade policies have forced American families to pay more than $1,700 each in tariff costs,” she said.
Even though the Supreme Court ruled against the Trump administration’s emergency tariff policy last week, Spanberger claimed that “the damage to the American people has already been done.”
Spanberger framed the Democrats’ midterm strategy around a clear economic message: that families are still struggling under Trump’s policies and need practical relief. She said that Democrats are “laser-focused on affordability in our nation’s capital and in state capitals and communities across America.”
The response came as Trump said his administration has ushered in what he described as a “golden age” for the U.S., stating that border security has improved, national morale has rebounded, inflation is falling, and incomes are climbing rapidly.
Spanberger’s response broadly mirrors the playbook Democrats believe can deliver victories in November’s midterm elections. By centering her message on affordability, she amplified an issue that has dogged President Trump for months, as voters continue to voice frustration over rising costs and economic uncertainty.
Trump ‘Endangered’ US With Immigration, Foreign Policy: Spanberger
Spanberger, a former CIA officer and House lawmaker elected governor of Virginia in November, also attacked the Trump administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Democrat-led cities and applauded resistance to the efforts in Minneapolis.
“Our president has sent poorly trained federal agents into our cities where they have arrested and detained American citizens and people who aspire to be Americans,” she said. “And they have done it all with their faces masked from accountability.”
She also slammed Trump’s foreign policy, claiming the president continues to “cede economic power and technological strength to China, bow down to a Russian dictator, and make plans for war with Iran.”
“He lied, he scapegoated, he distracted, and he offered no real solutions to our nation’s pressing challenges,” Spanberger said.
She added, “Here’s the truth. Through DOGE, through mass firings and the appointments of deeply unserious people to our nation’s most serious positions, our president has endangered our long and storied history of the United States of America being a force for good.”
Image via Shutterstock
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