US Senator Elissa Slotkin’s response to President Donald J. Trump’s speech to Congress was a breath of fresh air and good sense. A young senator with great experience, particularly in national security, Senator Slotkin exhibited a care for the truth, knowledge of her subjects, an effort to communicate across partisan lines, while conveying a sincere decency – maybe the most important quality of a leader.

Senator Slotkin gives me hope in the future of American democracy post-Trump. Moreover, in the near-term, we need voices to help lead resistance to bad ideas and dangerous actions. The rise of leadership such as Senator Slotkin will help the public cope with Trump’s lies and insults of Americans who are not consumed in the MAGA bubble, including our former allies, that Trump is alienating every time he speaks.

As the Trump administration makes the US an enemy of our most cherished allies across Europe and beyond, we need leaders that can project a ray of hope and stand up for the values Americans have long cherished. The decline of the US and its democratic processes can be reversed. There is hope that the times are changing. I had not heard of the Senator before her speech, but I thank the voters of Michigan for delivering her to the Senate. If you haven’t seen her short response, you can find it on PBS here: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-sen-elissa-slotkin-delivers-the-democratic-response-to-trumps-address-to-congress