Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., lit into President Donald Trump on Tuesday night, suggesting that former President Ronald Reagan — whose “peace through strength” mantra Trump has adopted — would be appalled by his approach to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“After the spectacle that just took place in the Oval Office last week, Reagan must be rolling in his grave,” Slotkin, referring to Trump’s unexpectedly contentious meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week, said in her response to the president’s joint address to Congress.
“As a Cold War kid, I’m thankful it was Reagan and not Trump in office in the 1980s,” Slotkin added. “Trump would have lost us the Cold War.”
Slotkin, who addressed the nation from Wyandotte, Mich., framed her speech as a pitch for “responsible” governing over “reckless” leadership, arguing that Trump’s agenda could spell economic doom for the country.
“If he’s not careful,” Slotkin said at one point, “he could walk us right into a recession.”
Slotkin posited that Trump’s policies, as well as the sweeping cuts he has empowered billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk to oversee as part of a government efficiency initiative, would be destructive to most Americans.
“The president talked a big game on the economy, but it’s always important to read the fine print,” Slotkin said. “So do his plans actually help Americans get ahead? Not even close. President Trump is trying to deliver an unprecedented giveaway to his billionaire friends.
“He’s on the hunt to find trillions of dollars to pass along to the wealthiest in America, and to do that, he’s going to make you pay in every part of your life. Grocery and home prices are going up, not down, and he hasn’t laid out a credible plan to deal with either of those. His tariffs on allies like Canada will raise prices on energy, lumber and cars and start a trade war that will hurt manufacturing and farmers.”
Slotkin also had harsh words for Musk.
“Is there anyone in America,” she asked, “who is comfortable with him and his gang of 20-year-olds using their own computer servers to poke through your tax returns, your health information and your bank accounts?”
“We need a more efficient government,” Slotkin added. “You want to cut waste? I’ll help you do it. But change doesn’t need to be chaotic or make us less safe.”
Slotkin was one of the Democratic Party’s few bright spots in 2024 — a successful candidate for an open Senate seat in Michigan who outperformed Vice President Kamala Harris in the battleground state. A former House member who positioned herself as a more moderate voice in a party tilting left on cultural issues, Slotkin narrowly beat former Rep. Mike Rogers. Her victory has been held up in some corners of the party as a template for Democrats.
“President Trump and I both won here in November,” Slotkin said of Wyandotte. “It might not seem like it, but plenty of places like this still exist across the United States, places where people believe that if you work hard and play by the rules, you should do well and your kids should do better. It reminds me of how I grew up. My dad was a lifelong Republican, my mom a lifelong Democrat, but it was never a big deal because we had shared values that were bigger than any one party.”
Slotkin also has emerged as one of the sharpest critics of Democratic messaging, telling reporters after last fall’s election that Democrats would be wise to focus more on “issues that keep people up at night,” like their bank accounts.
“It’s not rocket science, but talking about those issues plainly, not from the faculty lounge, but from the assembly line, is, I think, a very important message,” Slotkin said then. “It’s not just what you’re saying, but from what place you are talking about those issues. … I personally think that identity politics needs to go the way of the dodo.”
On Tuesday night, Slotkin warned of an American democracy “at risk when the president pits Americans against each other, when he demonizes those who are different and tells certain people they shouldn’t be included.”
She closed her speech with a call to action.
“First: Don’t tune out. It’s easy to be exhausted, but America needs you now more than ever,” Slotkin said. “Second: Hold your elected officials, including me, accountable. Watch how they’re voting. Go to town halls and demand and take action. That’s as American as apple pie.
“Third: Organize. Pick just one issue you’re passionate about and engage and doom scrolling doesn’t count,” she added. “Join a group that cares about your issue and act.”
Bridget Bowman contributed.
