Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger definitely didn’t hold back as she delivered the Democratic response to President Trump’s State of the Union address, really laying into the administration over issues like affordability and immigration, as reported by The Hill. Spanberger, a former CIA officer and House lawmaker who was just elected governor of Old Dominion in November, made it clear she wasn’t pleased with several of President Trump’s policies.
She specifically called out the administration’s use of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It sounds pretty intense when she described how “poorly trained federal agents” were sent into cities. She claimed these agents arrested and detained American citizens and people aspiring to be Americans, often without a warrant.
This is awful to hear about, especially when she mentioned agents “ripping nursing mothers away from their babies” and sending children, including a “little boy in a blue bunny hat,” to far-off detention centers. She even stated that American citizens have been killed on the streets, all while these agents’ faces were masked from accountability.
Spanberger was referring to the prior detainment of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, which really struck a nerve
Liam and his father were actually detained by ICE officials last month and then moved to a detention facility in Texas. The Trump administration has stated that ICE was targeting the boy’s father, who is from Ecuador, and not the child himself. However, the family’s representative, Marc Prokosch, noted that both Liam and his father had applied for asylum in 2024. Thankfully, a federal judge eventually ordered both of them released, but the incident, alongside two ICE-involved shootings in Minnesota, has certainly intensified the immigration debate.
The governor also took aim at President Trump’s tariff policies, arguing that they’ve been really hurting the country’s economy and everyday Americans. She brought up a report from Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee, which suggested that the costs associated with these tariffs have hit families with more than $1,700 each. It’s a big deal, she said, because “Small businesses have suffered. Farmers have suffered, some losing entire markets. Everyday Americans are paying the price.”
She even pointed out that while the Supreme Court struck down these tariffs just four days before her speech, the damage to the American people had already been done. The court delivered a blow to President Trump last week, ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) “does not authorize the President to impose tariffs.”
Focusing on immigration and affordability isn’t a huge surprise, as Democrats have been leaning into both issues quite a bit ahead of the November midterm elections. Being asked to deliver the State of the Union rebuttal is often reserved for the rising stars within a party, even though it can be a pretty difficult task.
Spanberger used her platform not just to criticize, but also to highlight some of her own accomplishments. She proudly stated, “In November, I won my election by 15 points, and we won 13 new seats in our state legislature. Because voters decided they wanted something different.” She emphasized that her campaign earned votes from Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and everyone in between, because “they knew as citizens, they could demand more.”
Published: Feb 25, 2026 11:30 am