Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger issued a Democratic rebuttal to President Trump’s views on Virginia celebrating its 250th anniversary. Although she was critical of President Trump, she had hope for the country.
Democrats criticize President Trump after 2026 State of the Union address
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger criticized President Donald Trump after the State of the Union address.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who is tasked with steering the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, accused the president of not focusing on improving the lives of Americans and instead focusing on “enriching myself, my family, and my friends.”
“Is the president working for you? We all know the answer is no,” Spanberger said in a speech in Williamsburg, Virginia, an early British settlement in the founding of the United States. “Who benefits from his rhetoric, his policies, his actions, and the short list of bills he has passed through this Republican Congress?”
“Someone must be benefiting,” she continued. “He is enriching himself, his family and his friends. The scale of corruption is unprecedented.”
Spanberger accused Trump of failing to make life more affordable for most Americans, putting armed and masked immigration agents on the streets, leading to the shooting deaths of two Americans in Minnesota, and weakening America’s position against rivals such as Russia and China.
“Last year, with DOGE, mass layoffs, and the appointment of deeply unscrupulous people to our nation’s most important positions, our president jeopardized the long and storied history of the United States of America as a force for good,” the governor said, apparently referring to appointees lacking the usual qualifications such as FBI Director Kash Patel and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. “So I ask again: Is the president working to keep Americans safe at home and abroad? We all know the answer is no.”
Spanberger’s speech aired shortly after President Trump finished his record-breaking one-hour, 47-minute speech in front of Congress in Washington, D.C. The governor’s speech started at about 12 minutes.
The president opened and closed his speech by declaring that the nation was experiencing “America’s Golden Age” as it celebrated its 250th anniversary.
Mr. Spanberger directly addressed Mr. Trump’s talking points, saying that Mr. Trump “lied,” “scapegoated” and “distracted.”
The governor concluded by referencing the upcoming 2026 midterm elections and predicting that in 2025 and early 2026, we will see widespread backlash against the president’s policies, leading to him being reversed at the polls.
“What’s special about America, as we celebrate our 250th anniversary, is that we know better than any other country what can happen when ordinary citizens, like those who once dreamed in this room, reject the unacceptable and demand more from our government,” Spanberger said, referring to the nationwide student strikes over immigration enforcement, among other protests.
“I’m inspired by their courage, but I’m tired of the need for it. And Americans across the country are taking action. They’re going to the ballot box… With their votes, they’re writing a new story, a more hopeful story.”
Who is Abigail Spanberger?
Mr. Spanberger is the 75th Governor of Virginia. Her landslide victory in last year’s gubernatorial race made her the first woman elected to Virginia’s highest office, marking a national Democratic victory in a year dominated by Republicans.
He was elected to the state’s top seat in November, defeating Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earl Sears.
Abigail Ann Davis was born in New Jersey and moved to Virginia as a child. According to Spanberger’s online profile, she is “a proud member of Virginia’s public schools and earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia.”
After serving as a CIA officer, she was elected to the House of Representatives from Virginia’s 7th Congressional District in 2018, winning her third consecutive term.
She, her husband, Adam Spanberger, and their three daughters live in Henrico County, home to the state capital, Richmond.
Contributed by Natalie Neysa Alund
