Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D., has condemned the beginning of President Trump's second term in office for his democratic response to his speech at the Congress' joint meeting on Tuesday.
In a speech that lasted about ten minutes, Slotkin laid out her view that most Americans share three main beliefs. The middle class is the “engine” of the country, strong national security keeps the country safe, and national democracy is worth fighting “no matter how troublesome.”
Slotkin has made an attack on Trump, claiming that he prioritized tax credits on the wealthy at the expense of the middle class, ignored national security interests and rejected democratic norms and institutions.
“Donald Trump's actions suggest that in his mind we don't think we are an exceptional country,” she said. “He obviously doesn't think we should lead the world. Look, America is not perfect, but I stand with the majority of Americans we still believe are exceptional and unparalleled.”
Slotkin pointed out that she represents the states that voted simultaneously in the president and her Senate.
“It may not seem like that, but places like this still exist in the United States. It's a place where people believe that if you work hard and play with the rules, you should do well and your kids should be better,” she said.
She revealed that the country was too expensive, but said Trump took a “reckless” approach to enact the change the country wanted.
Slotkin accused Trump of giving his “billionaire friends” an “unprecedented giveaway” while trying to cut down the size of the government.
“Because he's hunting, he's going to find trillions of dollars to give to the wealthiest person in America and to do that, he's going to have you pay for every part of your life,” she said. “Grocery and home prices are rising, not lowering, and he has no reliable plans to deal with either.”
Trump has made the size of his government a key pillar of his administration as the Elon Musk-led government's efficiency department pushes for cuts.
She also warned that Trump may fund tax cuts for the wealthy, pursuing his retirement account and saying the president calls Social Security the “Ponzi Plan” and that he says he won't.
Trump has repeatedly said he will not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, but the approved House budget resolution has directed the Energy and Commerce Committee to make large spending cuts, some who say programs like Medicaid are difficult to achieve without cutting them.
Slotkin attacked Trump's customs policy saying it would likely launch a trade war that would raise prices for energy, wood and cars and harm manufacturers and farmers. Trump, who implemented substantial tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China on Tuesday, argued that tariffs are needed to ensure that the US is treated fairly in trade.
Slotkin also condemned Ukrainian President Voldymir Zelensky and Trump's tense, oval office meeting on Friday, during which the two leaders stood up to each other about the future of US support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.
She argued that former President Reagan must be “rolling inside his grave” about the tense conflict in the oval office between Trump and Zelensky.
She said that Trump often describes his ideology as achieving “peace through force,” something Reagan said, but that would be very different from Trump's foreign policy.
“After the sight that happened last week in an oval office, Reagan has to be lying in his grave,” she said.
“We all want to end the war in Ukraine, but Reagan realised that true strength would require America to combine our military and economic life with moral clarity. “It summarises Trump's holistic approach to the world.”
She said the US government system is “at risk when the president chooses and chooses the rules you should follow, when he ignores the court orders and the constitution itself, or when an elected leader stands up and lets it happen,” he said.
Trump and his allies have denounced various judges who issued rulings that would stop his policies from coming into effect, and some House Republicans moved to fire each.
Slotkin said that when Trump “puts Americans against each other,” democracy was also threatened, and “demonizes different people.”
She urged the public not to “tune” to avoid “tuning” if she's been exhausted from politics lately.
“It's easy to get tired, but America needs you more than ever,” she said.
“Thank you for caring for your country tonight. Just seeing you qualify as a dedicated citizen, I promise you and your fellow Democrats will do everything in our power to become the key leader you deserve,” she concluded.
