Illinois Democrats dispute Trump statements during State of the Union

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker says President Donald Trump spewed lies and attempted to gaslight the American people during the State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

“We endured two hours of baseless claims, shameless propaganda and the ramblings of a wannabe dictator outlining his plans to steal American elections,” Pritzker said in a statement released after the speech.

During the address, Trump thanked congressional Republicans for delivering what he called the largest tax cuts in American history.

“All Democrats, every single one of them, voted against these really important and very necessary massive tax cuts,” Trump said.

Trump said the Big Beautiful Bill provided no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and no tax on Social Security for seniors.

Democratic Illinois U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez was one of several Democrats who skipped the State of the Union.

“Today in that gallery, my seat is empty, representing the more than 40 lives we have lost to the violence of the Trump administration, who want our resources, our freedoms, our lives to advance their imperialistic, fascist, authoritarian agendas,” Ramirez said during a People’s State of the Union rebuttal.

At least six members of the Illinois congressional delegation did not attend the State of the Union.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson traveled to the National Press Club in Washington on Tuesday and spoke at the Night of Defiance rebuttal to Trump’s speech.

The mayor said the president left out that wealth and prosperity is more and more concentrated in the hands of the few.

“See, we don’t see that wealth in the neighborhood that I live in on the west side of Chicago, where chronic disinvestment and neglect has led to unemployment rates as high as 50%,” Johnson said.

The president said half of all working Americans do not have access to a retirement with matching contributions from an employer.

“To remedy this gross disparity I am announcing that next year my administration will give these oft-forgotten American workers, great people, the people that built our country, access to the same type of retirement plan offered to every federal worker,” Trump said.

Trump said the stock market has set more than 50 all-time high records since he was elected.

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