Elissa Slotkin, the Unorthodox Democrat, to Deliver Rebuttal to Trump’s Speech

Elissa Slotkin is set to deliver the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s first address of his second term, placing her in the national spotlight on Tuesday night.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced last Thursday that the freshman senator from Michigan would take on the role. She is expected to convey that the Democratic Party champions the interests of working families, at a time when the party is working to display a united front against Trump.

Slotkin stated that the public expects honesty from leaders regarding the country’s situation. She added that it is important to define a path forward that improves lives concerning both economic and national security, and she looks forward to presenting that path. Rep. Adriano Espaillat of New York will give the Democratic response in Spanish.

The rebuttal to the presidential address is often seen as a chance for rising figures in the party to gain prominence. Schumer has called Slotkin a “rising star” who will present “a bold vision of hope, unity, and a brighter future for everyone, not just the wealthy few at the top.” During President Joe Biden’s term, his addresses to Congress were rebutted by Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott; while Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, former Georgia Rep. Stacey Abrams, former Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy III, and former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear rebutted Trump’s first-term addresses.

Here’s what to know about Slotkin.

From CIA analyst to congresswoman

After earning a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University, Slotkin joined the CIA as a Middle East analyst. Proficient in Arabic and Swahili, she completed three tours in Iraq with the U.S. military. Following this, she held national security positions in the White House under both the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, where she worked on issues ranging from combating ISIS to U.S.-Russia relations.

Part of the Democrats’ optimism surrounding Slotkin may stem from her ability to appeal to more conservative voters. In 2018, Slotkin ran for Congress and successfully flipped a Republican-held seat, contributing to the Democrats regaining control of the House. She has said that her campaign was motivated by her mother’s death from ovarian cancer in 2011, after her family faced difficulties affording necessary care due to insurance price increases.

Slotkin garnered national attention – both positive and negative – when she announced her support for Trump’s impeachment at a town hall in 2019. Despite this, she was reelected in both 2020 and 2022.

In February 2023, Slotkin announced her candidacy to succeed Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D, Mich.). Her campaign focused on affordable healthcare, the cost of living, and jobs for working- and middle-class Americans, while adopting a moderate stance on gun control. She narrowly defeated Republican Mike Rogers, becoming the senator. She was one of four Democrats to win Senate races in states won by Trump.

A new direction for Democrats

Following the 2024 election, the 48-year-old, who describes herself as a third-generation Michigander, stated her belief that identity politics should be abandoned and that people should be seen as independent Americans regardless of their background or party affiliation.

Slotkin has deviated from her party’s stance on several issues and has been recognized as one of the most bipartisan members of the House. Her actions include opposing the abolition of the death penalty, instead advocating for its use only in rare cases; being one of 12 Senate Democrats to vote for the bill that mandates harsher detention rules for undocumented immigrants suspected of theft or violent crimes; and expressing regret after voting for an amendment in 2023 that prohibited Department of Defense facilities from displaying non-official flags, including Pride flags. (Slotkin explained that she wanted to ban “hateful flags” like the Confederate flag and would “rather support a no-flag policy than allow hateful imagery above U.S. military bases”; she has been criticized by the LGBTQ+ rights group Human Rights Campaign and praised for military families.)

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has stated that Slotkin will demonstrate that “Democrats are fighting to lower the cost of living and protect Social Security and Medicaid, while Republicans cut taxes for their billionaire donors and Elon Musk.”