On Tuesday, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), a freshman lawmaker, delivered the Democratic response to President Donald Trump's address to Congress. She is the youngest Democratic woman elected to the Senate.
What Happened: Slotkin, who is a former CIA analyst, started the rebuttal by giving her introduction and saying, “there is a responsible way to make change, and a reckless way.”
She first spoke about the economy and accused Trump of talking big game that doesn't really work in favor of the middle class. “The President talked a big game on the economy, but it’s always important to read the fine print,” the Senator warned.
She said that grocery and home prices are increasing and that Trump doesn't have proper plans to deal with it. The senator also said that Trump's tariffs on allied countries will start a trade war that will "hurt manufacturing and farmers."
"The national debt is going up, not down," Slotkin said, adding that if Trump isn't careful he could steer America toward recession.
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She raised concerns about the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk.
“Is there anyone in America who is comfortable with him and his gang of 20-year-olds using their own computer servers to poke through your tax returns, your health information, and your bank accounts,” she stated.
Slotkin then addressed the matter of national security, saying that as someone who “spent my whole career protecting our homeland,” she is all up for strict border security. However, the senator stated that securing borders without fixing the immigration system isn't going to work.
“America is a nation of immigrants. We need a functional system, keyed to the needs of our economy, that allows vetted people to come and work here legally. So I look forward to the President's plan on that,” she added.
Slotkin also condemned the confrontation that happened between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. “As a Cold War kid, I'm thankful it was Reagan and not Trump in office in the 1980s. Trump would have lost us the Cold War.”
She concluded her rebuttal by saying that U.S. citizens also must act to save democracy and take actions like putting leaders, including herself, on a pedestal and demanding answers.
Image via Shutterstock
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