Democratic leaders are counting on U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA analyst and swing-state moderate, to help reshape their public image as she delivers the party’s rebuttal to President Donald Trump’s address to Congress. Slotkin, who unseated a Republican in 2018 and won a Senate seat in Michigan despite Trump carrying the state, is seen as a voice for working-class Americans.
Slotkin’s speech will highlight the Democrats’ push to lower food, housing, and pharmaceutical costs while protecting social safety nets — a message they admit wasn’t emphasized enough in the 2024 elections.
Facing voter frustration and trailing Republicans on key issues like the economy, immigration, and crime, Democrats hope Slotkin’s national security credentials and centrist stance will appeal across party lines.
Since losing the White House and Senate in November, Democrats have struggled to counter Trump and Elon Musk’s push to cut federal jobs and budgets. With midterms looming in 2026, the party is sharpening its message, criticizing Republican plans for tax cuts benefiting the wealthy and warning of threats to Medicaid.
While some Democrats, like House Leader Hakeem Jeffries, favor a measured approach, others, like Senator Chris Murphy, urge a more aggressive response to what they call Trump’s “constitutional crisis.”
Slotkin’s address offers Democrats a crucial platform to reconnect with voters and push back against Trump’s agenda, as they fight to regain control of Congress.
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