Senator Slotkin Criticizes President, Calls for Bipartisan Leadership 

United States: Moderate Democratic U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan delivered a platform concerning bipartisan principles and quoted former Republican president Ronald Reagan while delivering oppositional remarks to Trump’s congressional address. 

Bipartisanship and National Security Take Center Stage 

Slotkin used her background as a CIA analyst to align with political opponents and American voters by emphasizing mutual priorities between Democrats and Republicans, including national defense and democratic support, as reported by Reuters. 

Following Trump’s comeback, Republicans faced internal conflicts, which resulted in selecting a centrist speaker while their liberal members disrupted Trump’s television appearance and left during his broadcast. 

Reagan’s Legacy vs. Trump’s Policies 

Slotkin brought up former American president Ronald Reagan in her analysis of Trump’s Ukrainian conflict to argue that Trump has abandoned fundamental Republican principles. 

“After the spectacle that just took place in the Oval Office last week, Reagan must be rolling over in his grave,” Slotkin said, referring to Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s contentious conversation last week that prompted Trump to pause all aid to the U.S. ally. “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.” 

Economic Concerns and Middle-Class Voters 

According to Slotkin, the increasing prices caused by Trump’s policies caused middle-class voters to abandon Democrats for his presidency in the November election. 

Since Trump became president for his second term, Democrats have consistently promoted this argument based on their realization that they sent insufficient attention toward the economy in the previous year’s election despite economic issues being foremost on voters’ minds. 

“Do his plans actually help Americans get ahead? Not even close,” she said. 

According to Slotkin, the increasing prices caused by Trump’s policies caused middle-class voters to abandon Democrats for his presidency in the November election. 

A Call for Principled Leadership 

Since Trump became president for his second term, Democrats have consistently promoted this argument based on their realization that they sent insufficient attention toward the economy in the previous year’s election despite economic issues being foremost on voters’ minds, as reported by Reuters. 

“I promise that I, and my fellow Democrats, will do everything in our power to be the principled leaders that you deserve,” she said.