Spanberger’s Rebuttal to SOTU Manages to Enrage People on Both Sides of the Aisle

Spanberger’s Rebuttal to SOTU Manages to Enrage People on Both Sides of the Aisle

Rebuttals to State of the Union addresses have a way of evaporating almost as soon as the applause fades — dutiful responses that drift off into the political ether. If any have managed to stick in the public’s imagination, it’s probably the one delivered by then-Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) in 2013 — and not for its soaring rhetoric. It’s remembered less for its substance than for that now-infamous, awkward reach for a bottle of water, a fleeting, unscripted moment that outshone every carefully prepared line.

13 years ago today, Marco Rubio took an inopportune sip of water pic.twitter.com/yBwG4HwcsL

— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) February 12, 2026

Still, the Democrats’ decision to tap newly inaugurated Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, considered one of the party’s rising stars, to deliver this year’s rebuttal was an interesting one.

Location, location, location

Although delighted by her progressive agenda, Leftists were triggered by Spanberger’s choice to deliver her remarks from Colonial Williamsburg, due to its historical significance during the days of slavery. What kind of Democrat is she, for goodness’ sake?

After the venue was announced on Tuesday, Democrats took to Blue Sky to vent their anger. One infuriated liberal posted: “At some point, we have to realize the Democratic Party’s active role in preserving all of these systems and institutions that have led us to this fascist moment and ARE NOT WORKING.”

Another noted:

The establishment Democrats chose Spanberger to respond to King Con’s SOTU, and she’ll be speaking from Colonial Williamsburg–a faux colonial village created by JD Rockafeller [sic] in the early 1900s… let that sink in!

They are spitting in the Left’s face and giving us a preview of 2028!

And a third wrote:

The more I think about this choice for Democrats to rebut SOTU with Spanberger in Colonial Williamsburg, the more it reads as just an intentional kick in the face to just about everyone who has voted for Democrats in the past, and a direct appeal to MAGA Lite. It’s incredibly insulting.

Abigail Spanberger's counter-SOTU from Williamsburg Va. is triggering. pic.twitter.com/CwBGqdtzI5

— Tim Carney (@TPCarney) February 24, 2026

‘Lies, damned lies, and statistics’

More predictably, Spanberger’s disingenuous and hypocritical speech also enraged those on the Right. She began her remarks by telling Americans that “tonight … we did not hear the truth from our president.”

After claiming that President Donald Trump’s tariff policies were making the price of goods more expensive, she told a whopper: “But here in Virginia,” she said, “I am working with our state legislature to lower costs and make the Commonwealth more affordable.”

Spanberger continued, “And it’s not just me. Democrats across the country are laser-focused on affordability — in our nation’s capital and in state capitals and communities across America.”

What?

After campaigning on affordability, her administration unveiled a series of tax increase bills within the first 48 hours of her inauguration. And these tax hikes weren’t aimed solely at high-income earners; most targeted ordinary Virginians. The sheer speed and scope of this legislative blitz drew immediate criticism, with detractors branding it a classic bait-and-switch. The sweeping power grab quickly commanded national attention, dominating headlines for weeks. And no one has forgotten.

The bills included the creation of two higher tax brackets of 8% and 10% on people making over $600,000; a 4.3% sales tax on services like Uber rides, DoorDash, and Amazon deliveries; a 3.8% investment tax; an increase in hotel taxes; a new personal property tax on landscaping equipment; a $500 sales tax on firearm suppressors; an 11% sales tax on all firearms and ammunition; and more.

With a Democratic supermajority in Richmond, most, if not all, of these measures are likely to become law.

The Center Square reported on a policy memo that was sent to Republican members of Congress by the Advancing American Freedom Foundation last week. According to the memo:

Seven proposed bills would raise taxes by an estimated $6.6 billion in fiscal year 2027 alone. The analysis states those projected increases would be more than 300% higher than previously forecasted growth in Virginia tax collections between fiscal years 2026 and 2027.

…

Taken together, the memo estimates the proposals could raise taxes by more than $37.2 billion over five years, covering fiscal years 2027 through 2031. The authors describe that figure as conservative because it excludes proposals lacking formal fiscal impact statements.

Yet there the new governor stood, lying straight faced to the American people about how she was working with state lawmakers to make life more affordable for her constituents. This charlatan, who campaigned as a moderate, is turning Virginia into a socialist nightmare.

She began her speech by asking three rhetorical 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?”

In due course, she determined that the answer to each was a resounding “no.”

She also criticized the Trump administration’s deportation efforts, particularly in Minnesota. This was predictable. She ended her state’s cooperation with ICE on her first day in office, telling constituents, “And in Virginia, our hard working, law abiding immigrant neighbors will know that when we say that we will focus on the security and safety of all of our neighbors, we mean them too.”

Abigail Spanberger can spare us the sanctimonious bullshit.

For Spanberger, criminal illegals > Americans.

FACT: Weeks after becoming Governor, she swiftly terminated Virginia’s agreement with ICE, halting state law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement —…

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 25, 2026

Finally, after all that’s been revealed about the corruption inside the Biden administration, Spanberger nonetheless invoked George Washington’s warning in his farewell address about the danger of “cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men” rising to power — a reference that strikes most of us as profoundly ironic.

Her full remarks can be viewed below.

WATCH FULL Democrat rebuttal by Abigail Spanberger, newly elected Virginia Governor responds to President Trump's State of the Union pic.twitter.com/eb3o5mmYJH

— LiveNOW from FOX (@livenowfox) February 25, 2026

Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.

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