Who is Abigail Spanberger, who delivered the Democratic Party's response to Donald Trump's State of the Union address
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger supported the Democratic Party's response to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address to Congress. In his speech, Spanberger harshly criticized the White House leader's economic and immigration policies, accusing him of “lies, scapegoats and distracts” without offering real solutions to the problems of Americans, notes the BBC.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger. PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Spanberger, 46, is the first woman elected governor in Virginia history. She won the November election after previously serving as a member of Congress and a CIA officer.
At the start of her speech, the Democrat asked Americans three questions: Is the president working to make life more affordable, is he acting to keep America safe, and is he working in the interests of citizens. “The answer to all these questions is no”Spanberger said.
The governor specifically criticized the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Democratic-led cities, citing the Minneapolis crackdown. She claimed that federal agents “poorly prepared” they arrested and detained people without a warrant and accused the lack of responsibility in the conduct of operations.
Spanberger also attacked Trump's trade policies, calling them right “imprudence” the tariff strategy of the administration. She said these measures cost each American family about $1,700 on average. Although the Supreme Court ruled against the administration's tariff policy, Spanberger argued that “the damage to the population has already been done.”
At the same time, she criticized Republican congressmen for not standing up to the president, stating that “make their lives harder' and 'more expensive' Americans.
Spanberger's choice to support the Democratic line was considered a politically safe one. Recently elected and ineligible for a new term because of Virginia's one-term limit, she faces no immediate electoral loss.
In the speech, Spanberger was optimistic about Democrats' chances in the midterm elections, recalling that in 2018 she was able to defeat a Republican incumbent and help secure a majority in Congress. In November's election, she won the governorship with 57.6 percent of the vote in one of the first major contests after Donald Trump's re-election.
