After a unifying, American feel-good State of the Union address Tuesday by President Donald Trump, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer rejected U.S. division in presenting the Democratic response to the nation.
"Bullying people on Twitter doesn't build bridges, it burns them," Whitmer said, adding Republicans and Trump are "blocking the path" for gains for Americans.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, rejected on a handshake with Trump, was seen ripping up his speech at its conclusion.
"A courteous thing to do considering the alternative – it was such a dirty speech," Pelosi said after.
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Whitmer mostly ignored Trump's unifying words in his address, preferring to turn her listeners to Democratic Party campaign talking points.
"It's pretty simple: Democrats are trying to make your healthcare better; Republicans in Washington are trying to take it away," Whitmer said.
"It doesn't matter what the president says about the stock market," Whitmer, 48, whose name has surfaced as a potential vice presidential nominee, added. "What matters is that millions of people struggle to get by or don't have enough money at the end of the month after paying for transportation, student loans, or prescription drugs."
"Americans are hurting," she continued. "All over the country. Wages have stagnated, while CEO pay has skyrocketed.
"When the president says the economy is strong, strong for whom?"
"If the economy doesn't work for working people, it just doesn't work."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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