Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivered a Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address yesterday (Tuesday), questioning whether the president was improving affordability and keeping Americans safe.
Spanberger took aim at Trump’s policies including tariffs, the One Big Beautiful Bill passed by Congress, federal immigration enforcement tied to the deaths of two Americans, federal workforce reductions through DOGE, withholding of the Epstein files, and the threat of a war with Iran.
“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,” the governor said. “Problems that dictate where you live, whether you can afford to start a business, or whether you have to skip a prescription in order to buy groceries.”
In remarks from the House of Burgesses Chambers in historic Williamsburg, Spanberger cited Virginia’s own George Washington warning about “cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men” in his farewell address.
“In his speech tonight, the President did what he always does: he lied, he scapegoated, and he distracted,” Spanberger said. “He also offered no real solutions to our nation’s pressing challenges — so many of which he is actively making worse.”
Her message, that families are still struggling under Trump’s policies, is one Democrats plan to carry nationwide ahead of the midterm elections. Party leaders point to Spanberger’s double-digit victory in Virginia last November as validation of a disciplined, cost-focused campaign they now hope to replicate across the country.
“Those who are stepping up now to run will win in November because Americans know you can demand more, and that we are working to lower costs, we are working to keep our communities and country safe, and we are working for you,” Spanberger said.
Spanberger had far less time than the Republican president to make her case, speaking for around 13 minutes. Trump’s address to Congress stretched for just over an hour and 48 minutes, the longest in history, and ran late into the night.
The Republican Party of Virginia fired back at Spanberger in a statement about Virginia Democrats’ pursuit of mid-decade redistricting, stalled efforts to eliminate the car tax, and the reversal of a policy on working with federal immigration enforcement for state and local law enforcement.
“Instead of celebrating a border that’s finally secured, inflation that’s finally under control, crime rates that are finally dropping, and long overdue tax relief for working families, Governor Spanberger chose partisan attacks and political theater,” the Republican Party of Virginia said.
In his speech, Trump described a nation with lower costs than when he took office, declaring, “This is the golden age of America.”
He also goaded the Democratic side of the House chambers throughout the speech for not standing, increasing his insults throughout the speech and calling his opponents “crazy.” Trump’s main objective was convincing increasingly wary Americans that the economy is stronger than many believe, and that they should vote for more of the same by backing Republicans during November’s midterm elections.
The president championed his immigration crackdowns and his push to preserve widespread tariffs that the Supreme Court just struck down. He drew applause only from Democrats while describing the high court’s decision, which he called “an unfortunate ruling.”
Trump vowed to plow ahead, using “alternative” laws to impose the taxes on imports and telling lawmakers, “Congressional action will not be necessary.” He argued that the tariffs are paid by foreign countries, despite evidence that the costs are borne by American consumers and businesses. “It’s saving our country,” he said.
Trump didn’t dwell on efforts to lower the cost of living — despite polling showing that his handling of the economy and kitchen-table issues has increasingly become a liability. He blamed his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, along with Democratic lawmakers in the chamber, saying they were responsible for rising prices and health care costs, two issues his political opponents have repeatedly raised against him.
“You caused that problem,” Trump said of affordability concerns. He added a moment later, “They knew their statements were a dirty, rotten lie.”
As he did during such addresses in his first term, Trump relied on a series of surprise special guests to dramatically punctuate his message. They included U.S. military heroes and a former political prisoner released after U.S. forces toppled Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump drew some of the loudest applause of the night when he invited the Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. men’s hockey team into the House chamber.
“Our country is winning again. In fact, we’re winning so much that we really don’t know what to do about it. People are asking me, ‘Please, please, please, Mister President, we’re winning too much. We can’t take it anymore,'” Trump said before introducing the team.
In California Sen. Alex Padilla’s Spanish-language response to Trump’s address, he described the nation as “living a nightmare that divides and destroys our communities” and urged viewers to “prepare, starting today, for your voice to reverberate this November.”
Outside the chamber, Democrats who had skipped the speech responded at counterprogramming events, including a “People’s State of the Union” featuring Democratic lawmakers alongside state and local leaders and celebrities.
