The Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union turned sharply toward costs and safety on Feb. 24, as Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger used her remarks to argue that the country is not living in the “golden age” Trump described to Congress. Speaking from Colonial Williamsburg, Spanberger said the nation’s affordability problems remain and framed her message as a blueprint Democrats plan to carry into the fall campaign season.
Spanberger offered a direct contrast to Trump’s portrayal of lower costs during his second year in office, arguing that “costs remain high for many Americans more than a year into his second term.” She said Democrats are now emphasizing affordability in capitals and communities across the country, pitching the issue as the central point of comparison for voters in advance of November’s midterm elections.
At Colonial Williamsburg, a living history museum associated with early American resistance to British rule, Spanberger said her goal was to speak “plainly and honestly” to people watching at home. She structured her response around a sequence of direct questions about whether the president is making life more affordable for families, whether he is keeping Americans safe at home and abroad, and whether he is working for the public.
Spanberger tied her affordability theme to her broader critique of Trump’s agenda and tactics, saying Trump “has sent poorly trained federal agents into our cities,” where they “have arrested and detained American citizens and people who aspire to be Americans.” In her remarks, she also accused Trump of trying to “pit us against one another” while, she said, “enriching himself, his family, his friends.”
She said, “Democrats across the country are laser-focused on affordability in our nation’s capital and in state capitals and communities across America,” adding that Americans deserve leaders focused on the problems that keep people “up at night.” Spanberger also warned that additional tariffs would raise costs and said Republicans in Congress “remain unwilling to assert their constitutional authority to stop him,” according to her remarks.
Spanberger’s response came with a political campaign rationale for Democrats seeking momentum after election wins, with party leaders pointing to her own performance last November as evidence that an affordability-focused approach can work in competitive races. The remarks were also part of a wider Democratic strategy that included other high-profile counterprogramming after Trump’s address.
During Trump’s State of the Union speech, Democrats largely did not react inside the chamber as the president interrupted and made remarks that included insults aimed at the Democratic side. In one moment early in the address, Texas Rep. Al Green was removed from the chamber after holding up a protest sign reading “Black People Aren’t Apes!” Democrats who skipped the speech, meanwhile, turned to parallel events, including a “People’s State of the Union” featuring Democratic lawmakers and state and local leaders and celebrities.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said at that event, “We know our state of the union. We know it is under attack,” as Democrats continued building a message for the midterms. In California, Sen. Alex Padilla delivered a Spanish-language response to Trump’s address, describing the nation as “living a nightmare that divides and destroys our communities” and urging viewers to “prepare, starting today, for your voice to reverberate this November,” while referring to Padilla’s prior experience questioning immigration raids.
Across the Democratic response, Spanberger returned to her questions about whether the president is acting in the public interest, saying of Trump, “We all know the answer is no.” With less time than Trump had to deliver his address—about 13 minutes compared with just over an hour and 48 minutes for Trump—she used the shorter speech to emphasize affordability, safety, and the message Democrats hope to amplify through November.