‘He lied, he scapegoated, he distracted.’ Democrats responds to Trump

President Trump said Tuesday night that the United States is “bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before.”

“We are the warmest country in the world,” Trump said in his State of the Union address. “The economy is growing like never before. America is respected again like never before. We’re making so much money we can’t stand it.”

Not so, countered U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).

“We heard that Donald Trump was doing what he does best: lying,” Padilla said.

In a Spanish-language rebuttal delivered on behalf of the Democratic Party, Padilla accused Trump of encouraging economic uncertainty and plunging U.S. cities into violence, rebuking the president’s claim that he “kicked off America’s golden age.”

“The reality is that the State of our Union does not look strong for everyone,” Padilla said. “Not when rent, food, and utility costs continue to rise. Not when Republicans increase our medical costs to fund tax cuts for billionaires. And certainly not when armed and masked federal agents terrorize our communities by targeting people, including legal-status immigrants and citizens, because of the color of their skin or because they speak Spanish.”

Delivering the Democratic rebuttal in English, Padilla and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger countered Trump’s optimistic statements by painting a starkly different picture of a deeply divided country months before crucial midterm congressional elections.

Trump, whose approval ratings have plummeted over concerns about the economy and the heavy-handed tactics he has employed in his mass deportation campaign, has touted what he described as foreign policy victories, including the U.S. ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and slowing inflation.

Padilla has sought to counter those allegations and rally support for Democrats, who have struggled to formulate an effective response to Trump, who has dominated the national discourse in recent years.

spanberger, Speaking from Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, Trump questioned whether he was working on behalf of Americans or his own interests.

He said Trump has repeatedly tried to distract from accusations that he used the Oval Office to enrich himself and his family and the scandal involving disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“We haven’t heard the truth from our president,” Spanberger said. “He lied, scapegoated and distracted.”

Spanberger, who defeated his Republican opponent by 15 points in the purple state of Virginia last fall, said voters have struggled under Trump’s policies and have become hostile to him. He said the political winds were shifting in favor of Democrats.

Padilla focused heavily on the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in cities like Los Angeles and Minneapolis; agents there killed two US citizens protesting deportation this year.

“We are seeing ICE agents using excessive force: entering homes without judicial warrants and shooting at cars while families are still inside,” Padilla said. “We are living a nightmare that is dividing and destroying our communities.”

He said he spoke partly from experience.

Last year, federal agents held Padilla to the ground and handcuffed him as he tried to question Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a press conference in Los Angeles.

Padilla addressed the incident in his speech and encouraged others to challenge Trump.

“I’m still here, I’m still standing, I’m still fighting,” he said. “And I know you’re still standing and still fighting.”

“Trump doesn’t want us to recognize our power,” he said.

Padilla also referenced Puerto Rican pop star Bad Bunny, who was criticized by Trump for performing in Spanish during halftime of the Super Bowl.

“As Bad Bunny reminded us a few weeks ago: ‘Together we are America,’” Padilla said. “Together we rise because our faith is stronger than any disappointment or any obstacle, including Trump. And together, we will build the future our children deserve.”