Sen. Elissa Slotkin will give Democratic response to Trump's joint address
WASHINGTON – Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin will deliver the Democratic response to President Donald Trump's joint address to Congress on Tuesday.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Slotkin is "nothing short of a rising star in our party" who has "proven she can get things done" on economic and national security, health care and lowering costs.
"She will offer a bold vision of hope, unity and a brighter future for everyone, not just the wealthy few at the top," Schumer said.
Trump will deliver his first joint address of his second term Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST. New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat will deliver the Democrats' Spanish-language response. The progressive Working Families Party will also have a rebuttal, which will be delivered by Rep. Lateefah Simon, D-Calif.
Slotkin won her statewide seat in Michigan by .03 percentage points in 2024. Trump won the state at the presidential level by 1.4 points.
Before Slotkin was elected to the upper chamber, the first-term senator served three terms in the U.S. House representing the Lansing area. She also was a CIA analyst in Iraq and worked at the State Department and the Pentagon.
"The public expects leaders to level with them on what’s actually happening in our country," Slotkin said in a statement. "From our economic security to our national security, we’ve got to chart a way forward that actually improves people’s lives in the country we all love, and I’m looking forward to laying that out."
The last Democrat to deliver a response to the State of the Union (as it's called for the second, third and fourth year of a president's term) was Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who gave the address in 2020.
When President Joe Biden was in office, Arkansas Sen. Katie Britt, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott delivered rebuttals to his annual addresses to Congress.
Rebuttals are a high-profile opportunity for political parties to elevate emerging leaders. Slotkin, 48, is among the younger members of the Senate, which is dominated by people in their 60s, 70s and 80s.
(This story was updated to add new information.)