For Immediate Release
February 25, 2025
Media Contact: six@fenton.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, President Trump addressed the nation with his State of the Union speech. In response, EJ Juárez, Executive Director of the State Innovation Exchange, issued the following response:
"Tuesday evening, the world watched as President Trump abused the State of the Union address, treating this moment like entertainment for TV in a way that was abhorrent and beneath the office. It was yet another attempt to spew lies, propaganda, and hate to the American people and communities around the world. There was no reality in the picture Trump painted of American progress. The truth, rather, is that parents are skipping meals to feed their children. Workers are devastated by stagnant wages and mass layoffs. Grocery and utility bills are rising. Families are being separated. The safety, security, and integrity of our upcoming elections are uncertain. Our bodily autonomy has been whittled down and remains under constant threat. And our communities are bearing the brunt of the self-serving policies the Trump Administration is implementing. Raking in $1.4 billion in profits while cutting SNAP benefits and hiking health care premiums proves this administration's priorities are not with the American people, but themselves.
"In the face of this administration’s attempted authoritarian takeover, state legislators have been working tirelessly to deliver for the people and fill the gaps of our failing federal government. Across the country, we are watching as power rises in state legislatures, with lawmakers on the frontlines of defense against such heinous attacks on our democracy and our fundamental freedoms. It is their policymaking that keeps us afloat in these dark times. The American people deserve leaders who will fight for them – and those leaders are in statehouses."
“Despite what the president claimed, right now, the state of the union is not strong, but there is hope if we look to the states. Communities nationwide reject the divisiveness that has plagued our country for too long, and we must continue to come together in support of real change.”
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