Who is giving the Democratic response to Trump's State of...

Democrats will respond to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Feb. 24 with a rebuttal delivered by Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, which traditionally follows the president’s speech. Spanberger, the first woman elected governor of Virginia, won her November 2025 election by more than 15 points. Democratic leaders say she was chosen to outline the party’s priorities and contrast them with Trump’s agenda. In a joint statement, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both from New York, said Spanberger understands that Americans want “lower costs, safer communities, and a stronger democracy — not chaos and corruption.” Trump is scheduled to deliver his State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress earlier in the evening. Democrats will also offer a Spanish‑language response, delivered by Sen. Alex Padilla, who drew national attention last year after an incident in which he was tackled by Department of Homeland Security agents. Here’s what you need to know — and where to watch the Democratic rebuttal. Who is Abigail Spanberger? Spanberger, 46, worked at the CIA as an operations officer, gathering intelligence on nuclear proliferation and terrorism between 2006 and 2014. After working in the private sector for a few years, she was appointed to the Virginia Fair Housing Board by former Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Following that, Spanberger served as a U.S. Representative for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District between 2019 and 2025 before choosing to run for the Virginia governorship. Her win against Virginia Lt Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears marked the first time a Democrat won the office since Terry McAuliffe, who served for four years between 2014 and 2018. "As the 75th Governor of Virginia and first woman ever elected to lead the Commonwealth, Abigail is a champion for lowering the high cost of living, saving healthcare from the relentless far-right assault and protecting the federal workforce so they can serve the American people without political interference," Jeffries and Schumer said in a statement. Where can you watch the Democratic rebuttal? USA TODAY will stream coverage of the Democratic rebuttal following the State of the Union on Tuesday night. Apart from USA TODAY, the Democratic rebuttal will be broadcast live on all major networks, including ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, NPR, PBS and the BBC. USA TODAY’s Katherine Swartz contributed to this report. Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.