LANSING, Mich. (AP) 鈥 First-term Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin accused President Donald Trump of driving up costs while pushing for an 鈥渦nprecedented giveaway to his billionaire friends鈥 in Tuesday night's Democratic response to his first joint congressional address of his second term.
Slotkin, just months into her first term in the U.S. Senate after winning an open Michigan seat despite Trump carrying the state, said Trump 鈥渉as not laid out a credible plan鈥 to address rising everyday expenses for Americans. She said early Tuesday would only worsen the economy.
Slotkin spoke from Wyandotte, Michigan, a working-class community south of Detroit, after Trump delivered the longest address to Congress by a president in U.S. history. In her opening, Slotkin acknowledged that 鈥淎merica wants change. But there is a responsible way to make change, and a reckless way.鈥
鈥淲e can make that change without forgetting who we are as a country and as a democracy,鈥 said Slotkin.
In a speech that lasted an hour and 40 minutes, Trump claimed credit for 鈥渟wift and unrelenting action鈥 in reshaping the nation鈥檚 economy, immigration and foreign policy within his first weeks in office. The Republican-controlled House and Senate have done little to check the president鈥檚 agenda.
In her rebuttal, which lasted a little more than 10 minutes, Slotkin told Americans that 鈥渃hange doesn鈥檛 need to be chaotic or make us less safe" and warned of the dangers of Trump's economic approach.
鈥淔or those keeping score, the national debt is going up, not down,鈥 Slotkin said. 鈥淎nd if he鈥檚 not careful, he could walk us right into a recession.鈥
Slotkin, a former CIA analyst with an extensive background in national security, said the meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week must have had former President Ronald Reagan "rolling in his grave.鈥
Her remarks came as Democrats struggle to find a unified message to counter Trump. That was evident Tuesday night in the House chamber, where some Democratic members held placards with various messages. Some Democrats chose not to attend the speech at all while others sat in silence. Some shouted criticism at Trump, and one House member, Texas Rep. Al Green, was escorted from the chamber after repeatedly interrupting him.
Slotkin focused on economic issues after Trump鈥檚 that 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada would begin Tuesday reignited fears of a North American trade war, which has already shown signs of driving up .
鈥淧resident Trump is trying to deliver an unprecedented giveaway to his billionaire friends,鈥 she said. "He鈥檚 on the hunt to find trillions of dollars to pass along to the wealthiest in America. And to do that, he鈥檚 going to make you pay in every part of your life.
鈥淕rocery and home prices are going up, not down 鈥 and he hasn鈥檛 laid out a credible plan to deal with either.鈥
She also warned that democracy, which 鈥渉as been the aspiration of the world,鈥 is at risk.
鈥淚t鈥檚 at risk when the president decides to pick and choose what rules you want to follow, when he ignores court orders and the Constitution itself, or when elected leaders stand by and just let it happen,鈥 Slotkin said.
Her team said her guest for the Trump address was Marine veteran Andrew Lennox, who recently spoke out after losing his job at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Ann Arbor due to cuts implemented by the , or DOGE, led by billionaire .
The 48-year-old Slotkin is seen as a leading figure in the party鈥檚 next generation. She first ran for office in 2018, defeating a two-term incumbent Republican. After redistricting, she consistently won one of the nation鈥檚 most competitive House seats, earning a reputation as one of the party鈥檚 top fundraisers. In 2023, she announced a run for Michigan's open Senate seat after Sen. announced she would not seek a fifth term.
