Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) delivered the Democratic rebuttal to President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress, but instead of landing a blow against the administration, she may have delivered the final humiliation of the night for her party. In a speech that seemed more focused on nostalgic Cold War comparisons than present-day realities, Slotkin accused Trump of not believing America is an “exceptional nation” and claimed he “doesn’t think we should lead the world.”
Her remarks came as she criticized Trump’s high-profile Oval Office showdown with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his push for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, and his economic policies—including tariffs against Canada.
Elissa Slotkin adds the final Democrat embarrassment of the night by saying this about Donald Trump:
“In his heart, he doesn’t believe America is an exceptional nation.”
What a shameful, soulless showing by a completely broken party. pic.twitter.com/8RVb0OBZ01
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) March 5, 2025
“President Trump loves to promise ‘peace through strength.’ That’s actually a line he stole from Ronald Reagan. But let me tell you, after the spectacle that just took place in the Oval Office last week, Reagan must be rolling over in his grave,” Slotkin said.
Slotkin’s attempt to invoke Reagan as a contrast to Trump was particularly strained, given Trump’s strong stance on military strength and economic leverage—both hallmarks of the Reagan era. But she pressed on, painting Trump as a leader more interested in transactional diplomacy than in moral leadership.
“That scene in the Oval Office wasn’t just a bad episode of reality TV. It summed up Trump’s whole approach to the world. He believes in cozying up to dictators like Vladimir Putin and kicking our friends, like Canada, in the teeth. He sees American leadership as merely a series of real estate transactions.”
Elissa Slotkin is seriously trying to sell me on the idea that Democrats consider America an exceptional nation but Donald Trump doesn’t. pic.twitter.com/gDyv9lZJmt
— Archimusik (@Archimusik) March 5, 2025
Then came the moment that set social media ablaze:
“Donald Trump’s actions suggest that, in his heart, he doesn’t believe we are an exceptional nation. He clearly doesn’t think we should lead the world.”
The claim—coming from a party that has spent years criticizing American exceptionalism, embracing globalist policies, and diminishing America’s role on the world stage—was quickly ridiculed. Even among Democrats, Slotkin’s comments seemed off-key. The idea that Trump, who has built his presidency on putting America first, doesn’t believe in U.S. leadership was met with disbelief across conservative circles.
Slotkin attempted to recover, insisting, “Look, America’s not perfect. But I stand with most Americans who believe we are still exceptional. Unparalleled. And I would rather have American leadership over Chinese or Russian leadership any day of the week.”
I don’t think Elissa Slotkin has any idea what she’s talking about. She actually said, with a straight face, that Trump is not an American exceptionalist—and that Democrats are. pic.twitter.com/WQm3RWP7I3
— Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) March 5, 2025
By that point, however, the damage was done. Critics pointed out the irony of a Democrat suddenly championing American exceptionalism after years of left-wing rhetoric that painted the U.S. as a nation in need of fundamental change.
