In her party’s reaction to Trump’s congressional address, Senate Democrat Elissa Slotkin criticized the Trump administration for bringing instability and irresponsibility with it. She said that if Trump is “not careful, he could walk us right into a recession” in her opening remarks, which were critical of the White House’s economic policies. Ms. Slotkin also attacked Elon Musk’s cost-cutting initiative, the Department of Government Efficiency, claiming that while change is necessary, “it doesn’t need to be chaotic or make us less safe.” Slotkin, speaking from Michigan against a backdrop of American flags, was far less enthusiastic and far more succinct than the president, who spent an hour and forty minutes entertaining Republicans on the House floor.
She briefly brought up Democrats’ crushing election loss in November before swiftly shifting her focus to Trump. “Americans have made it apparent that the government must better respond to their demands and that costs are excessive. “America is ready for change,” she declared. However, there are two approaches to change: responsible and reckless. And we can make that shift without losing sight of our identity as a nation and a democracy.” Voters repeatedly stated that the economy was their top issue throughout the election, and Democrats’ failure to adequately handle it was cited as the reason for their defeat.
Economic fears are still strong weeks into Trump’s presidency since prices for some things, including eggs, have increased while prices for many other goods have not decreased. “Grocery and home prices are going up, not down – and he hasn’t laid out a credible plan to deal with either,” she stated. Ms. Slotkin also discussed immigration, another issue on which Democrats perform worse in polls than Republicans, emphasizing the Trump administration’s lack of compassion for undocumented immigrants. “The border is treating the symptom rather than the cause of our flawed immigration system. “Immigrants make up America,” she declared. She also brought up Ukraine President Vlodomyr Zelensky’s Friday public reprimand during a meeting with President Trump and Vice-President JD Vance.
“That Oval Office scene wasn’t just a terrible reality TV show. It encapsulated Trump’s entire worldview,” she remarked. “He believes in cozying up to dictators like Vladimir Putin and kicking our friends, like Canada, in the teeth.” Many people had never met Ms. Slotkin before Tuesday night. Last year, she was elected to the US Senate from Michigan, a swing state. After winning a seat in a state that former Vice-President Kamala Harris lost last November, Slotkin, a 48-year-old former CIA analyst, became the youngest Democratic woman elected to the Senate. Although Slotkin’s speech was not a conventional State of the Union address, it was anticipated to accomplish the same goal as Trump’s.
When he introduced Slotkin as the Democratic Party’s choice to offer the reply last week, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer referred to her as a “rising star” in the party. “Great on both economic and national security” matters, he remarked. Slotkin was a member of Michigan’s delegation to the House of Representatives during her time in Congress, but she is new to the US Senate. She first won a seat from a Republican during the Democratic wave of success in 2018. She worked in a number of government positions before entering politics. During the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, she served in national security roles.