FLINT, Mich. — Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin said it’s no secret Democrats don’t have their strategy figured out, but insists the “yelling” coming from some progressive Democrats has not stopped President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Slotkin was responding to a constituent who asked the freshman senator what Democrats can do besides reiterating they are against the administration while at a town hall Wednesday in Flint, Michigan. The exchange highlights ongoing division in the party on how to play defense with the administration when Democrats are out of power in both chambers of Congress.
“I get it that it makes people feel good to see people yelling,” Slotkin said. “But not one of those words is stopping the actual things that Donald Trump is doing.”
A constituent, Kristin Fellows, 62, had asked Slotkin and Democratic U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet what they would do to stand up to Trump like progressive Democrats Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“We know that you are against these current awful happenings going on in the world, but it is simply not enough for you to repeatedly tell us that you are,” Fellows said.
Her question, posed at a gathering to address cuts to federal agencies made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and concerns about social services like Medicaid, was met with applause, the first of any questions asked of the congresswomen.
Slotkin responded by saying she also serves Michigan residents who voted for Trump and that she is responding to the needs of residents who are impacted by changes at the federal level and executive orders from Trump.
Sanders has gone on a national tour to rally against Trump. Ocasio-Cortez, a longtime Sanders ally, said she would join him on the road in the coming weeks.
“My job is to be more than just an activist,” Slotkin said. “It is to answer the call when there’s an immigration raid and we need to figure out where our people are. All of those things require me to be more than just an AOC.”
Slotkin’s firm response was also met with applause from the audience. Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Slotkin delivered the Democratic response to Trump’s address to Congress earlier this month. Both she and McDonald Rivet delivered key wins for the party in a battleground state that elected Trump in the November election.
They have both been looked to as potential models of the Democratic Party’s future that is closer to the center than the progressive wing.
Slotkin acknowledged to the town hall that Democrats are not united on how to handle the Republican control of Congress and Trump himself, pointing to a split vote in the U.S. Senate to foreword the GOP’s funding bill last week. Slotkin did not elect to advance the bill to a final vote while 10 other Democrats including Leader Chuck Schumer did.
When asked by The Associated Press if Schumer should retain his leadership position, Slotkin said, “Sen. Schumer is our leader, it’s a tough job.”