America, President Trump said Tuesday night, is “bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever.”
“We are the hottest country in the world,” Trump said in his State of the Union address. “The economy is roaring like never before. America is respected again like never before. We are making so much we can't stand it.”
Not so, responded U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).
“We just heard Donald Trump do what he does best: lie,” Padilla said.
In a rebuttal in Spanish delivered on behalf of the Democratic Party, Padilla refuted the president's claim that he has brought about “America's golden age,” accusing Trump of spurring economic uncertainty and plunging American cities into violence.
President Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington.
(J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press)
“The truth is that the State of our Union does not feel strong for everyone,” Padilla said. “Not when rent, food and electricity costs continue to rise. Not when Republicans raise our medical costs to fund tax cuts for billionaires. And definitely not when armed and masked federal agents terrorize our communities by attacking people because of the color of their skin or for speaking Spanish, including immigrants with legal status and citizens.”
Padilla and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who delivered the Democratic rebuttal in English, countered Trump's optimistic pronouncements by painting a completely different picture of a country that is deeply divided months before critical midterm congressional elections.
Trump, whose approval ratings have plummeted amid concerns about the economy and harsh tactics deployed in his campaign of mass deportations, touted what he described as foreign policy victories, including the U.S. overthrow of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and a slowdown in inflation.
Padilla sought to counter those claims and rally support for Democrats, who have struggled to formulate an effective response to Trump as he dominates the national discourse in recent years.
Spanberger, Speaking from Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, he questioned whether Trump is working on behalf of Americans or in his own self-interest.
Trump, he said, has repeatedly tried to divert attention from accusations that he is using the Oval Office to enrich himself and his family and the scandal involving Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and sex offender.
“We didn't hear the truth from our president,” Spanberger said. “He lied, he was a scapegoat and he was distracting.”
Spanberger, who beat his Republican opponent in the purple state of Virginia last fall by 15 points, said voters are struggling with Trump's policies and are starting to turn against him. The political winds, he said, are shifting in favor of Democrats.
Padilla focused primarily on the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in cities like Los Angeles and Minneapolis, where agents this year killed two U.S. citizens protesting against deportations.
“We see ICE agents using excessive force: entering homes without warrants and shooting at cars with families still inside,” Padilla said. “We are living a nightmare that divides and destroys our communities.”
He said he spoke partly from experience.
Last year, federal agents wrestled Padilla to the ground and handcuffed him after he tried to question Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a news conference in Los Angeles.
Padilla referenced the incident in his speech and encouraged others to challenge Trump.
“I'm still standing here. I'm still fighting,” he said. “And I know you're still standing and fighting too.”
“Trump doesn't want us to recognize our power,” he said.
Padilla also slipped in a reference to Puerto Rican pop star Bad Bunny, who was criticized by Trump for performing in Spanish during the Super Bowl halftime.
“As Bad Bunny reminded us a few weeks ago: 'Together we are the United States,'” Padilla said. “Together we rise, because our faith is stronger than any disappointment or any obstacle, including Trump. And together we will build the future our children deserve.”
