In the United States, it is customary for a member of the opposition to deliver a rebuttal speech after the president's congressional address. On the evening of the 4th at 9 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time), the Democratic 'response speaker' appearing after President Donald Trump's address to Congress will be Senator Elissa Slotkin (49).
Slotkin, 48, is the youngest Democratic woman elected to the Senate and one of ten senators representing 'swing states' where Trump won in the last presidential election. Although Trump won in Michigan against then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the last election, Slotkin was elected to the Senate, narrowly defeating Republican Congressman Mike Rogers from Michigan.
She first entered Congress in 2018. Elected as a House member when the Democrats were gaining ground, Slotkin was elected three consecutive times. Before entering politics, she held various government positions regardless of party affiliation. During the George W. Bush administration, she worked at the National Security Council and held positions at the Department of Defense as Acting Deputy Minister for International Security and at the State Department.
A former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer, Slotkin is regarded as a 'security expert.' During her time at the CIA, she was deployed to Iraq three times. Slotkin, a descendant of Jewish immigrants from Belarus in Eastern Europe, is fluent in both Arabic and Swahili, which is spoken in East Africa. She was recruited by the CIA after obtaining a master's degree in international relations from Columbia University in New York.
The Democratic Party, which lost the presidential election, assigned Slotkin the task of delivering the response speech as part of a strategy to reach moderate voters. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer referred to Slotkin as a 'rising star,' stating, 'She will present a bold vision of hope, unity, and a brighter future for everyone, not just the wealthy elite.'
Slotkin is expected to explain the vision of the Democratic Party in rebuttal to Trump's speech. In a statement, she noted, 'From economic security to national security, we must present ways to actually improve the lives of people in the country we all love' and added, 'I look forward to outlining that path in my speech.'
As Michigan is the center of the U.S. automotive industry, Slotkin is also expected to mention the impact of the Trump administration's tariff policy on the automotive industry and its workers. When asked if she would discuss the impact of Trump's policies on Michigan, Slotkin responded, 'I am from Michigan. I won't suddenly pretend to be from somewhere else.'