{"id":2573274,"date":"2026-02-25T00:25:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T05:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/spanberger-squares-up-to-trump-in-state-of-the-union-rebuttal\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T00:27:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T05:27:41","slug":"spanberger-squares-up-to-trump-in-state-of-the-union-rebuttal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/spanberger-squares-up-to-trump-in-state-of-the-union-rebuttal\/","title":{"rendered":"Spanberger squares up to Trump in State of the Union rebuttal"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fspanberger-squares-up-to-trump-in-state-of-the-union-rebuttal%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2573274&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia delivered the official Democratic rebuttal to President Trump\u2019s State of the Union from Williamsburg, arguing that the nation did not hear the truth from the president and making affordability and the cost of living the central theme.She criticized Trump\u2019s immigration agenda, saying ICE and Border Patrol have spread fear, and she asserted that tariffs have cost families money and would do more harm. The setting in Colonial Williamsburg was chosen for its symbolic link to American history, and Spanberger\u2019s remarks drew on her background as a former congresswoman and the first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ann-coulter-2023s-first-list-of-openly-gay-transgender-non-white-accomplishments\/\" title=\"Ann Coulter: 2023\u2019s First List of Openly Gay Transgender Non-white Accomplishments!\">woman elected governor<\/a> of Virginia, highlighting her focus on affordability as a democratic priority. Following spanberger, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) delivered the Spanish-language rebuttal, emphasizing the economy, immigration, and fair elections, and he quoted Bad Bunny to underscore unity with the message \u201cTogether, we rise.\u201d The State of the Union address itself was noted as the longest in the record-keeping era dating back to 1964.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">&lsquo;We did not hear the truth from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-taking-regeneron-drug-remdesivir-therapy-for-coronavirus-diagnosis-ex-wh-doctor-explains\/\" title=\"... taking Regeneron drug, Remdesivir therapy for coronavirus diagnosis: ex-WH doctor explains\">president&#038;rsquo<\/a>;: Spanberger squares up to Trump in State of the Union rebuttal<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2515403\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/abigail-spanberger\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11780\">Abigail Spanberger<\/a> (D-VA) said the nation did not hear the truth from <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">President Donald Trump<\/a>&nbsp;during his State of the Union address Tuesday night.<\/p>\n<p>Spanberger, who was speaking from Williamsburg, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/virginia\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"96\">Virginia<\/a>, for the official Democratic rebuttal, made Trump&rsquo;s economic stewardship the key thrust of her remarks.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4470980\/white-house-democrats-failed-trump-state-of-the-union-test\/\">White House unloads on Democrats who &#8216;failed&#8217; Trump&#8217;s State of the Union &#8216;test&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4470556\/these-people-are-crazy-six-takeaways-from-trumps-state-of-the-union\/\">&#8216;These people are crazy&#8217;: Six takeaways from Trump&#8217;s State of the Union<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4469718\/robert-de-niro-joins-democrats-protest-trump\/\">Robert De Niro joins Democrats to protest Trump at &#8216;State of the Swamp&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) delivers the Democratic response to President Donald Trump&rsquo;s State of the Union address Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Williamsburg, Virginia. (AP Photo\/Steve Helber, Pool)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;Is the president working to make life more affordable for you and your family?&rdquo; she asked. &ldquo;We all know the answer is no.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Spanberger also said in her rebuttal that the cost of living is too high, a complaint she said she heard repeatedly from Virginians. She added that Democrats across the country were also focused on affordability.<\/p>\n<p>The governor also delivered a response to Trump&rsquo;s deportation agenda, adding that Trump&rsquo;s Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents have spread fear across America.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Every minute spent sowing fear is a minute not spent investigating murders, crimes against children, or the criminals defrauding seniors of their life savings,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Our president told us tonight that we are safer because these agents arrest mothers and detain children. Think about that.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In her 12-minute rebuttal, she also took aim at Trump&rsquo;s tariff policies, claiming they had cost families more than $1,700 each and said that other tariffs Trump said he would introduce would cost them even more.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) delivers the Democratic response to President Donald Trump&rsquo;s State of the Union address Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Williamsburg, Virginia. (AP Photo\/Steve Helber, Pool)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Spanberger spoke live from Colonial Williamsburg, the restored historic district that preserves Virginia&rsquo;s colonial-era capital. The setting was selected for its symbolic role in American history: In 1776, Virginia leaders gathered there to advance independence from Britain and approve the Virginia Declaration of Rights &mdash; a document that helped shape both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution&rsquo;s Bill of Rights.<\/p>\n<p>Spanberger was tapped to deliver the Democratic response, in part,&nbsp;due to her successful gubernatorial campaign, which centered on affordability and prosecuting the case against Trump. It has been seen as a blueprint for other Democrats to emulate going into this year&rsquo;s midterm elections.  <\/p>\n<p>The governor, who previously served in&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\">Congress<\/a>&nbsp;for six years, became&nbsp;the first woman elected governor of the Southern state, flipping control of the office from Republican to Democratic in November.<\/p>\n<p>The former congresswoman and CIA agent&nbsp;won the Virginia governorship last year by 15 points, a victory that buoyed Democrats and gave them hope following a disastrous&nbsp;2024 election where they not only lost the presidency but also the U.S. Senate and House.<\/p>\n<p>Following Spanberger, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Screenshot-2025-06-16-at-5.08.01%E2%80%AFAM.webp\" type=\"attachment\" id=\"3442601\">Sen. Alex Padilla<\/a> (D-CA) delivered the Democratic Party&rsquo;s Spanish-language rebuttal to the State of the Union address. He focused on the economy, immigration, and fair elections. <\/p>\n<p>The son of Mexican immigrants and the first Latino senator from <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/california\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"60\">California<\/a>, Padilla made headlines last year after federal agents forced him to the ground and handcuffed him after he tried to ask Homeland Security Secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kristi-noem\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"3710\">Kristi Noem <\/a>questions about ICE during a news conference.<\/p>\n<p>Padilla quoted Puerto Rican singer <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4451648\/why-nfl-does-not-care-bad-bunny-maga-backlash\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4451648\">Bad Bunny<\/a> in his speech, saying,&rdquo; Together, we are America.&rdquo; Bad Bunny delivered the message, which was written on a football, at the end of his Super Bowl halftime show.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Together, we rise, because our faith is stronger than any disappointment or any obstacle &mdash; including Trump,&rdquo; Padilla added. <\/p>\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s speech was the longest State of the Union address made by any president since&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.presidency.ucsb.edu\/documents\/presidential-documents-archive-guidebook\/annual-messages-congress-the-state-the-union-0\">the American Presidency Project<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >began keeping records<\/a> in 1964.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spanberger: Trump didn&#8217;t tell the truth in SOTU<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2646,"featured_media":2573275,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26056155491191.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546,33651],"tags":[5894,10099,32249,74074,3634],"class_list":["post-2573274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","category-the-western-journal","tag-politics","tag-rebuttal","tag-spanberger","tag-stateoftheunion","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26056155491191.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2573274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2646"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2573274"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2573274\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2573278,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2573274\/revisions\/2573278"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2573275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2573274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2573274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2573274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}