WYANDOTTE, MI — Speaking from the working class city of Wyandotte in her home state of Michigan, Senator Elissa Slotkin delivered the Democratic response the speech given earlier in the evening by the President of the United States.
In her speech, Slotkin began the speech by introducing herself to Americans who may not have heard of the freshman Senator, elected in November, to replace retiring Senator Debbie Stabenow.
“Hi everyone. I’m Elissa Slotkin. I’m honored to have the opportunity to speak tonight. It’s late — so I promise to be a lot shorter than what you just watched.
I won’t take it personally if you’ve never heard of me. I’m the new senator from the great state of Michigan, where I grew up. I’ve been in public service my entire life, because I happened to be in New York City on 9/11 when the twin towers came down. Before the smoke cleared, I knew I wanted a life in national security.
I was recruited by the CIA and did three tours in Iraq, alongside the military. In between, I worked at the White House under President Bush and President Obama, two very different leaders who both believed that America is exceptional,” Senator Slotkin began.
Slotkin was chosen in part because she won a state as a Democrat while Trump won the same state as a Republican. Slotkin pointed out that fact and the fact that Wyandotte voted for both her and Trump, “You can find that same sense of patriotism here in Wyandotte, Michigan, where I am tonight. It’s a working-class town just south of Detroit. President Trump and I both won here in November. It might not seem like it, but plenty of places like this still exist all across the United States – places where people believe that if you work hard, and play by the rules, you should do well and your kids do better.”
From there, Slotkin began to point out the differences between her patriotic vision for America and Trump’s policies and agenda. She pointed out that the economy has soured significantly since Trump took office and laid the same policies that have failed in the past at his feet:
- President Trump is trying to deliver an unprecedented giveaway to his billionaire friends. He’s on the hunt to find trillions of dollars to pass along to the wealthiest in America. And to do that, he’s going to make you pay in every part of your life.
- Grocery and home prices are going up, not down — and he hasn’t laid out a credible plan to deal with either.
- His tariffs on allies like Canada will raise prices on energy, lumber, cars — and start a trade war that will hurt manufacturing and farmers.
- Your premiums and prescriptions will cost more because the math on his proposals doesn’t work without going after your health care.
- Meanwhile, for those keeping score, the national debt is going up, not down. And if he’s not careful, he could walk us right into a recession.
Slotkin then attacked the most unpopular parts of the Trump agenda, including his ceding of power to Tesla and X CEO and world’s wealthiest man, Elon Musk:
“And one more thing: In order to pay for his plan, he could very well come after your retirement – the Social Security, Medicare, and VA benefits you worked your whole life to earn. The President claims he won’t, but Elon Musk just called Social Security “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.”
While we’re on the subject of Elon Musk, is there anyone in America who is comfortable with him and his gang of 20-year-olds using their own computer servers to poke through your tax returns, your health information, and your bank accounts? No oversight. No protections against cyber-attack. No guardrails on what they do with your private data.
We need more efficient government. You want to cut waste, I’ll help you do it. But change doesn’t need to be chaotic or make us less safe.
The mindless firing of people who work to protect our nuclear weapons, keep our planes from crashing, and conduct the research that finds the cure for cancer — only to re-hire them two days later? No CEO in America could do that without being summarily fired, Slotkin fired back.
Slotkin then leaned on her national security experience to point out how Trump’s most recent antics have made America and the world less safe:
“President Trump loves to promise ‘peace through strength.’ That’s actually a line he stole from Ronald Reagan. But let me tell you, after the spectacle that just took place in the Oval Office last week, Reagan must be rolling over in his grave. We all want an end to the war in Ukraine, but Reagan understood that true strength required America to combine our military and economic might with moral clarity.
And that scene in the Oval Office wasn’t just a bad episode of reality TV. It summed up Trump’s whole approach to the world. He believes in cozying up to dictators like Vladimir Putin and kicking our friends, like Canada, in the teeth. He sees American leadership as merely a series of real estate transactions.
As a Cold War kid, I’m thankful it was Reagan and not Trump in office in the 1980s. Trump would have lost us the Cold War.
Donald Trump’s actions suggest that, in his heart, he doesn’t believe we are an exceptional nation. He clearly doesn’t think we should lead the world,” Slotkin stated matter of factly.
Slotkin closed the speech with a call for all Americans to get engaged, get off the couch and to quote Kendrick Lamar, “Turn the TV Off” and do something:
“Don’t tune out. It’s easy to be exhausted, but America needs you now more than ever. If previous generations had not fought for democracy, where would we be today?
Second, hold your elected officials, including me, accountable. Watch how they’re voting. Go to town halls and demand they take action. That’s as American as apple pie.
Three, organize. Pick just one issue you’re passionate about — and engage. And doom scrolling doesn’t count. Join a group that cares about your issue, and act. And if you can’t find one, start one.
Some of the most important movements in our history have come from the bottom up,” Slotkin implored the American people.
