Elissa Slotkin to give Democratic rebuttal to Donald Trump's speech to joint session of Congress

(FOX 2) - Michigan's newest U.S. Senator was selected to give the Democratic response to the president's first official address before a joint session of Congress in March.

Elissa Slotkin won the race for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat in the 2024 election.

Big picture view:

Republican President Donald Trump will deliver his speech to a joint session of Congress on March 4. 

While technically not a State of the Union address, Trump's speech will follow a similar format of laying out his plan for the next year. Normally, State of the Union addresses are given between Jan. 3 and Feb. 2.

The party not in power typically delivers a response to the president's speech. It's often delivered by an elected official considered a rising star within the party.

Slotkin, who has won every race for Congress since first campaigning in Michigan's 7th District in 2018, won the statewide race for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat after Debbie Stabenow announced she would not be running.

What they're saying:

Announcing on the social media website X, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote that Slotkin would "deliver our Democratic response to Trump's Joint Address."

He called the Michigan Democrat "nothing short of a rising star in our party" and said Slotkin would "layout the fight to tackle the deep challenges we face and chart a path forward."

"She's dedicated her life to our country," he wrote.