Lukewarm response to Trump’s speech showcases differences among Democrats
Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan responds to the president with a message focused on citizens’ concerns about the economy and Musk’s excessive role in government
One might have expected the Democrats’ response to Donald Trump’s speech in Congress to be a display of considerable outrage — perhaps a volley of boos, or a mass walkout (a small group did in fact walk out, with the word “resist” written on the back of their black T-shirts) — but they could not even agree on that. Circumspect, more silent than might be expected in the face of a defiant Trump, the Democrats showed on Tuesday that the Republican’s second term has almost no opposition to speak of. Elissa Slotkin, a Democratic senator from Michigan, responded as the presumed emerging figure of a party in disarray since the defeat of its presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, in November. But the lack of definition among Democrats has also permeated their capacity to react inside the House: on Tuesday there was some light booing, a few slogans and banners, serious faces and lost steps by the group of deserters. One Democrat, Representative Al Green of Texas, was expelled in the first few minutes for confronting Trump with a cane in his hand. As the session progressed, made interminable by the repeated applause of the Republicans, a trickle of Democrats, including Bernie Sanders and Ilhan Omar, left the chamber in a sign of disagreement.
