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Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger delivered a sharp Democratic rebuttal to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday (February 24), challenging his portrayal of the nation as being in a "golden age" and arguing that his policies are making life harder and more expensive for everyday Americans.
Spanberger delivered her response from Colonial Williamsburg, a living history museum in Virginia tied to the state's early opposition to British rule. The setting was a deliberate choice, meant to connect that legacy of resistance to the current political moment.
Spanberger opened her remarks with three questions aimed directly at American voters: "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 wasted no time going on the offensive, targeting the Trump administration on the economy, immigration enforcement, and health care.
"Small businesses have suffered. Farmers have suffered, some losing entire markets every day. Americans are paying the price," she said.
She also took aim at Republican lawmakers, saying they "remain unwilling to assert their constitutional authority to stop him. They're making your life harder. They're making your life more expensive."
Spanberger pushed back hard on the administration's immigration crackdown with an emotional reference to Liam Conejo Ramos, the five-year-old detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis. She also cited the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers.
Democrats hope Spanberger's message — centered on affordability and accountability — becomes the blueprint for the party heading into November's midterm elections.
"Democrats across the country are laser-focused on affordability in our nation's capital and in state capitals and communities across America," Spanberger said. "In the most innovative and exceptional nation in the history of the world, Americans deserve to know that their leaders are focused on addressing the problems that keep them up at night."