‘We did not hear the truth’: Spanberger criticizes Trump over cost of living

Virginia’s new governor gives State of the Union rebuttal while Alex Padilla echoes similar themes in Spanish response

Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger gave a crisp and pointed rebuttal to Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, focusing on what she called the president’s failure to deliver costs, safety and humanity to the American people.

“We did not hear the truth from our president,” Spanberger said in the 12-minute speech on Tuesday night, asking voters to reflect on how Trump’s agenda has directly affected their lives. “So let’s speak plainly and honestly,” she said. “Is the president working for you?”

Democratic party leaders have repeatedly sought to return policy discussion to kitchen-table economic issues of affordability. More than half of Americans wanted Trump to focus on the economy in his address, according to a CNN poll released Tuesday, while a Harris poll commissioned by the Guardian in December suggested that almost half of Americans believe their financial security is getting worse.