Abigail Spanberger Delivers Democratic Rebuttal, Hits Trump on Tariffs and Immigration

abigail spanberger, the first female governor in Virginia's history, delivered the Democrats' response to the State of the Union and attacked President Donald Trump's economic and immigration policies in a speech that followed the address on Capitol Hill.

Abigail Spanberger seized the rebuttal moments after the State of the Union

The official Democratic rebuttal — first delivered in 1966 and generally given by a rising star in the opposing party — came just moments after Trump finished his remarks on Capitol Hill. Spanberger opened by challenging the president's record and framing the night's central questions for voters.

She laid out three direct questions for voters

Spanberger began her speech by asking Americans three concrete questions: 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 answered each of those questions with a flat no.

She then accused the president of a pattern of behavior in his remarks: "Tonight the president did what he always does, " she said. "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 attacked immigration raids and named two people killed in Minneapolis

Spanberger criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Democratic-led cities and praised resistance to those 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 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 last month during immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, both identified in the rebuttal as US citizens. The administration replaced the top official and withdrew agents from the city after an outcry following the deaths.

Spanberger called tariffs "reckless" and put a price on the policies

Turning to economic policy, Spanberger criticized rising housing and healthcare costs and described the president's tariff policy as "reckless. " She said the administration's actions have cost American families $1, 700 (£1, 260) each.

She noted the Supreme Court ruled against the tariff policy but insisted "the damage to the American people has already been done. " She also blamed Republicans in Congress for failing to oppose the president: "They're making your life harder, " the governor said. "They're making your life more expensive. "

Her selection posed little political risk and drew on recent electoral success

Spanberger, 46, 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, since Virginia has a one-term limit, a factor cited in discussions of the political risk in choosing her for the rebuttal.

In her remarks she suggested Democrats could be well positioned to win seats in November's midterm elections, noting her own track record in Congress. She noted she ousted a Republican incumbent in 2018 to win a seat in the US Congress and helped Democrats secure a majority. "In my case, I was the first Democrat elected in 50 years, swinging our district [by] 17 points, " Spanberger said. Observers noted that history as part of the rationale for her selection.

abigail spanberger's rebuttal focused on affordability, public safety and immigration enforcement; party officials and the campaign timetable indicate attention now turns toward the November midterm contests and how those issues play with voters.

The next scheduled political milestone is the November midterm elections, which Spanberger referenced directly in her rebuttal as a moment for Democrats to contest Congressional seats.