Spanberger slams Trump, calls for unity

By Andrew Rice
The Center Square

Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger slammed the Trump administration Tuesday night during the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.

Spanberger slammed the Trump administration’s tariff policies, immigration enforcement and called for a greater focus on affordability.

“As we watched our nation’s lawmakers gather for a joint session of Congress, we did not hear the truth from our president,” Spanberger argued.

Spanberger claimed Trump’s tariff policies have cost Americans more than $1,700 and caused small businesses to struggle. Spanberger and majority Democrats in the Virginia state legislature have proposed tax increases that could cost state taxpayers up to an estimated $6.6 billion in fiscal year 2027 alone, according to a police memo from the Advancing American Freedom Foundation.

She cited the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” as the cause of rural hospital closures.

“Tonight, the President celebrated this law, the one threatening rural hospitals, stripping health care for millions of Americans and driving up costs in energy and housing, all while cutting food programs for hungry kids,” Spanberger said.

Spanberger criticized the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement measures. She referenced the killing of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota at the hands of federal agents in January.

“Our broken immigration system is something to be fixed, not an excuse for unaccountable agents to terrorize our communities,” Spanberger said.

The governor also slammed Trump’s cabinet appointees and accused him of ceding power to international leaders in China and Russia. She referenced the White House ballroom construction project and the U.S. Department of Justice’s release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

She praised student groups and other activists across the country for engaging in walkouts to protest ICE. She also pointed to her 15-point margin of victory to become the first female governor of Virginia.

Spanberger also highlighted other Democratic victories in New Jersey, Georgia, Iowa and Texas. She called on Americans to honor the country’s 250th anniversary by uniting around a common cause.

“We, the people, have the power to make change, the power to stand up for what is right, the power to demand more of our nation.