Elissa Slotkin to Give Democratic Response to Trump’s Congressional Address

Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin will speak for the Democratic Party in its response to President Donald Trump‘s address to Congress next week.

Why It Matters

Trump is poised to deliver the first joint congressional address of his second term in office on Tuesday. During the speech, he is expected to lay out his policy goals amid escalating concerns over some of his efforts at slashing government.

Choosing Slotkin—a moderate who won Michigan’s Senate race in November even as Trump carried the state—to deliver the Democratic response may signal a party shift after last year’s stinging losses in the general election.

After Vice President Kamala Harris‘ loss to Trump last year, Democrats have been divided on embracing more progressive policies to motivate their base, or moving toward the center to win back moderates. Some view Slotkin, whose performance saved the party from losing a crucial Senate seat, as a model for how to win swing states in the future.

What To Know

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, announced Slotkin would be giving the Democratic response in a post to X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday afternoon.

“Nothing short of a rising star in our party—she’s dedicated her life to our country,” he wrote. “She will layout the fight to tackle the deep challenges we face and chart a path forward.”

Slotkin wrote in a statement that she is “looking forward to speaking directly to the American people next week.”

“The public expects leaders to level with them on what’s actually happening in our country. From our economic security to our national security, we’ve got to chart a way forward that actually improves people’s lives in the country we all love, and I’m looking forward to laying that out,” she wrote.

The speech will help give Slotkin a national profile, and a chance to share Democrats’ message against Trump.

A former CIA agent and Pentagon official, Slotkin was first elected to the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterms in a conservative-leaning district around Lansing. She held onto the seat in 2020, even as Trump won the district while losing the state, and in 2022.

She narrowly won Michigan’s Senate race in November by 0.3 percentage points after former Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow retired.

She has established herself as a more centrist Democrat. In the Senate, she has voted for some of Trump’s Cabinet picks and supported the Laken Riley Act, a Republican-backed immigration bill.

During Trump’s first term, former Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear gave the Democratic response to his 2017 address. Former Representative Joe Kennedy III gave the response in 2018, and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams gave it in 2019. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer gave the Democratic response in 2020.

What People Are Saying

Alex Sammon, politics writer for Slate magazine, on X: “In case you thought Democrats had learned anything from the Liz Cheney debacle, they’re rolling with one of George W. Bush‘s national security advisors as their spokesperson to respond to Trump’s joint address.”

Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, on X: “@SenatorSlotkin knows Americans want to see costs come down—not more chaos and corruption. She also knows firsthand the importance of our leadership on the world stage. There’s going to be a lot to respond to on Tuesday… She’s going to do a great job!”

What Happens Next

Trump’s speech is scheduled for March 4, and Slotkin will speak afterward. The address is set to begin around 9 p.m. ET.