At prime time on Tuesday, all eyes will be on President Trump at the US Capitol as he delivers the annual State of the Union address. However, those who don’t quite agree with the 79-year-old will be closely watching the Democratic Party’s rebuttal to Trump’s SOTU address.
This year, the Democratic response to Trump’s SOTU address will be delivered by the newly elected Virginia Governor, Abigail Spanberger. Spanberger, one of Trump’s fiercest critics in recent times, was confirmed as speaker for the response by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The US Constitution mandates the President from “time to time, give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union.” However, the rebuttal is not mandated by the Constitution; rather, it developed in the mid-20th century as broadcasting made national replies possible.
When Will The Democratic Response To SOTU Start?
Donald Trump’s State of the Union address will begin at 9pm ET in Washington DC. Since the rebuttal is not constitutional, it does not have a fixed time. However, it usually starts immediately after the SOTU address ends.
This year, Trump’s SOTU speech, reportedly titled ‘America at 250: Strong, Prosperous and Respected,’ is expected to go on for around 1 and a half hours. Given that timeline, Abigail Spanberger’s response is expected to start between 10:30pm ET and 11:00pm ET on Tuesday.
Unlike the SOTU address, the Democratic response is aired from a studio. In some cases, they are also prerecorded. It is unclear if Abigail Spanberger will speak live or if her speech has already been recorded.
How To Watch Abigail Spander’s SOTU Response?
Abigail Spanberger’s response will air on all major US TV news channels as well as on their respective YouTube channels.
Abigail Spanberger Calls SOTU Response Defining Moment
Abigail Spanberger has called the Democratic Party’s response to Trump’s SOTU address a “defining moment” in the history of the United States.
“Virginians and Americans across the country are contending with rising costs, chaos in their communities, and a real fear of what each day might bring,” she said last week. “Next week, I look forward to laying out what these Americans expect and deserve — leaders who are working hard to deliver for them.”
Notably, Abigail Spanberger is the first female Governor of Virginia.
