Who is Abigail Spanberger, the Democrat who gave the State of the Union response?
Abigail Spanberger, Virginia’s first female governor, delivered the Democratic rebuttal to the State of the Union and used the address to attack President Donald Trump’s economic and immigration policies, saying his actions have made life harder and more expensive for Americans.
Spanberger framed three direct questions for Americans
Spanberger, 46, began her response by asking three questions she urged viewers to consider: is the president working to make life more affordable, is the president working to keep America safe at home and abroad, and is the president working for you. She told the audience the answer to all three questions is no, opening with a broad rebuke: "Tonight the president did what he always does. He lied, he scapegoated, and he distracted, and he offered no real solutions to our nation's pressing challenges, so many of which he is actively making worse. "
She pointed to ICE raids and Minneapolis operations
Spanberger attacked Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Democratic-led cities and applauded resistance in Minneapolis, saying: "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. And they have done it without a warrant. " She added: "They have killed American citizens in our streets. And they have done it all with their faces masked from accountability. " Federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti and Renee Good — both US citizens — last month during immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, after which the Trump administration replaced the top official and withdrew agents from the city following an outcry.
On tariffs, housing and the cost to families
Spanberger criticized rising housing and healthcare costs and described the president's tariff policy as "reckless, " saying it had already cost American families $1, 700 (£1, 260) each. She noted the Supreme Court had ruled against the administration's tariff policy but warned that "the damage to the American people has already been done. "
Political footprint and the choice to have Spanberger speak
The Democratic rebuttal, first provided as an official response in 1966 and typically handed to a rising star in the opposing party, came just moments after the president finished his remarks on Capitol Hill. Spanberger was elected as Virginia's governor in November after serving in Congress and working as a CIA officer; she was elected a few months ago and cannot run for re-election because Virginia has a one-term limit. Party strategists viewed her selection as little political risk.
Spanberger highlighted past wins and warned about congressional Republicans
In her speech she argued that Republicans in Congress, by failing to oppose the president, are costing Americans: "They're making your life harder, " she said, adding, "They're making your life more expensive. " Spanberger suggested Democrats could be in a good position to win seats in Congress in November's midterm elections. She invoked her political résumé in Congress, saying, "In my case, I was the first Democrat elected in 50 years, swinging our district [by] 17 points, " noting she ousted a Republican incumbent in 2018 and helped Democrats secure a majority.
An opinion voice urged a different, unscripted response
An opinion column called the modern State of the Union response a lifeless ritual — a prewritten monologue delivered in a quiet room that "almost never responds to anything. " The column recommended that Spanberger, who was giving the Democrats' English-language response, rethink the format entirely and give Americans something unscripted, human and real: watch the president's address in a small picture-in-picture while taking notes, confer with staff and then step in front of cameras to deliver a concise, organic statement and take questions. The column summed up its prescription bluntly: "No script. No teleprompter. "
Spanberger's rebuttal tied immediate policy critiques — on ICE operations in Minneapolis, tariffs that she said cost families $1, 700, and rising housing and healthcare costs — to a broader political argument about who speaks for working Americans. The next confirmed political milestone for parties and voters is November's midterm elections, which Spanberger mentioned as a potential opportunity for Democrats to gain seats in Congress.
