Abigail Spanberger accuses Trump admin of 'unprecedented corruption' in Democratic response to State of the Union address

Virginia's Democrat Governor Abigail Spanberger on Tuesday (Feb 24) slammed President Donald Trump for spreading false rhetoric and alleged that the POTUS was "enriching himself, his family, his friends" with the policies he has pushed through the Republican-led Congress.

"The scale of the corruption is unprecedented," stated the Democrat during her party's official response to Trump’s State of the Union address. She also slammed Trump's hardline anti-immigration push and invoked the detention of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis.

"Somebody must be benefiting"

Speaking from Colonial Williamsburg, the restored 18th century capital that became a cradle of resistance to British rule, Spanberger alleged that "Somebody must be benefiting" from Trump's policies. She alleged that Trump was courting foreign governments and princes for favours, listing the Qatari-gifted Air Force One and the “donations” received for Trump's White House ballroom revamp.

"There's the cover-up of the Epstein files, the crypto scams, cosying up to foreign princes for aeroplanes and billionaires for ballrooms, putting his name and face on buildings all over our nation's capital," said the Virginia Governor. "This is not what our founders envisioned, not by a long shot," she added.

'Is the president working for you? We all know the answer is no'

Spanberger framed her remarks around three questions. "Is the president working to make life more affordable for you and your family? Is the president working to keep Americans safe, both at home and abroad? Is the president working for you?"

Her answer, repeated throughout the 13-minute address, was blunt. "We all know the answer is no."

Spanberger argued that Trump’s trade policies have driven up costs for families. She noted that Trump's “reckless trade policies” have added more than $1,700 in expenses per household. "Small Businesses have suffered. Farmers have suffered, some losing entire markets every day. Americans are paying the price," she said.

Even though the Supreme Court recently struck down those tariffs, she said, "the damage to us, the American people, has already been done".

"Republicans in Congress remain unwilling to assert their constitutional authority to stop him," she added. "They’re making your life harder. They’re making your life more expensive."

While Trump described what he called a "golden age of America" during his nearly two-hour address, Spanberger said Americans "did not hear the truth" about rising costs in housing, health care and groceries.