Stacey Abrams To Deliver Rebuttal To Trump’s State Of The Union Address

Democrats have tapped Georgia’s Stacey Abrams to deliver the response to President Trump’s State of the Union address, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced Tuesday (Jan. 29).

The Hill reports Abrams was tapped to give the rebuttal nearly a month ago.

Speaking with reporters, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, “Three weeks ago, I called Stacey Abrams and asked her to deliver the response, I was very delighted when she agreed.”

The Senate minority leader had nothing but praise for the former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, saying, “She is just a great spokesperson. She is an incredible leader.”

Schumer also stressed Abrams’ activism and background make her the perfect foil for the president, NPR notes.

“She has led the charge for voting rights, which is at the root of just about everything else,” Schumer said. “And she has, if you look at her background — she knows what working people, middle class people go through.”

On Twitter, Abrams wrote, “At a moment when our nation needs to hear from leaders who can unite for a common purpose, I am honored to be delivering the Democratic State of the Union response.”

The former candidate catapulted to national attention during her battle for Georgia’s governor’s mansion. As Blavity reported, Abrams turned what is generally considered a red state purple, running a very competitive race against now-Governor Brian Kemp.

Many controversies racked the race, including the fact Brian Kemp was overseeing the contest as secretary of state. In the end, he pulled ahead of Abrams by the slimmest of margins, taking Georgia’s top job with just 50.2 percent of the vote.

As Politico reports, Abrams has become a valuable new star for Democrats, with senior party officials reportedly working hard to convince her to run for the U.S. Senate in 2020. Abrams hasn’t issued any official statement about her plans as of yet, but it is believed she wants to stay in state government where she would be better able to fight against gerrymandering and voter suppression.

President Trump will deliver his State of the Union address on February 5; Abrams’ rebuttal will be broadcast directly after his speech.