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In keeping with a longstanding tradition, the opposition party is set to deliver a formal response following the president’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.
WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump prepares to deliver his first State of the Union address of his second term, all eyes will be on the Capitol Tuesday night. Scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Eastern, the speech is anticipated to extend beyond an hour, in line with Trump’s previous addresses, which averaged about 1 hour and 20 minutes, based on data from the American Presidency Project.
Following the president’s remarks, the customary response from the opposition party will take place. This tradition allows the party not in control of the White House to present their counter-narrative to the president’s vision and priorities. These responses can either be live or recorded in advance, offering a platform for the opposition to voice their stance on the issues addressed by the president.
This practice of delivering a rebuttal began in the 1960s during President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration. Initially, it served as a direct response to the presidential address, providing a balanced political dialogue, as noted by the U.S. Senate’s historical records.
The tradition started in the 1960s during Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency, and it functioned more like an opposition or rebuttal to the president’s speech, according to the U.S. Senate website.
This year’s response will be delivered by Abigail Spanberger, Virginia’s newly elected Democratic governor.
Who is Abigail Spanberger?
Abigail Spanberger is the first woman to serve as governor in the state of Virginia, and she has been a vocal critic of the president and his administration.
Spanberger won Virginia’s gubernatorial race this past November by a double-digit margin during an off-cycle election that was dominated by Democratic wins.
On the campaign trail last year, Spanberger spoke out against the White House’s gutting of the civil service, an issue that hit particularly hard in Virginia, home to a large number of federal workers.
“Those who have devoted their lives to public service, you are worried about an administration that is gilding buildings while schools crumble, breaking the social safety net and sowing fear across our communities,” she said at her inauguration. “Betraying the values of who we are as Americans.”
She has served three terms in the U.S. House and previously worked as a CIA case officer for nearly a decade.
Spanberger has notably tied her political career to her public service and national security credentials. She also has pitched herself as a mother of daughters educated in Virginia’s public schools and a Capitol Hill veteran who often worked across the aisle.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement that Spanberger will be tasked with laying out a “clear path forward” on topics that include lowering everyday costs, protecting health care, and defending “the freedoms that define who we are as a nation.”
Spanberger’s speech will not be the only Democratic response to Trump on Tuesday night. Leaders also announced that California Sen. Alex Padilla will deliver the Spanish-language rebuttal.
U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, said in announcing Spanberger as the party’s pick that she “embodies the best of America as a mother, community leader and dedicated public servant.”
Since winning the election, she has vowed to work with the president when they are aligned but also has taken more pointed digs at the White House.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.