Scores of people are eagerly awaiting Stacey Abrams’ response to President Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night—many of them are taking to Twitter to show their support for the rising star of the Democratic Party.
See Also: With Stacey Abrams, Democrats Look For Black Women To Save Them, Again
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York announced on Jan. 29 that the Democrats picked Abrams to rebut Trump’s address.
“She is just a great spokesperson. She’s an incredible leader. She has led the charge for voting rights, which is at the root of just about everything else. … I’m very excited that she’s agreed to be the respondent to the president,” Schumer said.
Meanwhile, Vermont’s Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, planned to deliver his own response to Trump’s speech on Tuesday night. Sanders’ office told The Hill that his speech will come after Abrams rebuts the president.
Sanders, who is reportedly considering a 2020 run for the presidency, angered many Democrats with that announcement. Marc Lamont Hill, a Temple University professor and political commentator, called Sanders’ plan “a bad move.”
Abrams, who had a historic run for Georgia governor as the nation’s first Black woman nominee of a major party, was among the wave of Black women candidates in 2018 who displayed their ability to compete effectively for office despite the obstacles.
Although Abrams fell short of winning the governorship–in a contest that was plagued with voter suppression targeting African-Americans–she has emerged as a rising star in the party.
Schumer and other top party leaders have reportedly tried to recruit Abrams to run for a U.S. Senate seat in 2020. Her name has also come up as a possible party nominee for president in 2020.
Unlike last year, Trump will deliver his address from a Democrat-controlled House chamber. His speech was delayed because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to host the president’s annual address in January after Trump partially shut down the federal government in their dispute of funding to build a wall along the border with Mexico.
In addition to speaking about his immigration policy in his address, the president was expected to announce a plan to stop transmission of HIV by 2030, according to the New York Times. Trump will likely also talk about his plan to withdraw American troops from the war in Afghanistan and Syria, which could get some push back from members of his own party.
Also, Trump will likely take full credit for the robust economy, even though it was President Barack Obama who revived the economy. Trump was also expected to lie about what he has done for Black people during his two years in office.
Here’s what folks are saying on Twitter about Abrams’ response to the president:
