West Virginia, Ohio Republicans rally behind Trump’s congressional address
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PARKERSBURG -- As President Donald Trump gave his first speech to a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Tuesday evening, many elected leaders from both Ohio and West Virginia, all Republicans, praised the president's vision while the Democratic Party in both states said his actions will impact many hard-working Americans.
Trump addressed both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday night in his first joint address since returning to the presidency in January. His speech touched on a number of topics including border security, illegal immigration, tariffs, DOGE, the war in Ukraine and more.
The U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators representing the Mountain State and the Buckeye State as well as party leadership in West Virginia put out statements Wednesday with their takes on what the president talked about and their reactions to it, with many Republicans agreeing with the president that America is returning to common sense governing and is entering "a New Golden Age."
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., a member of Senate Republican Leadership, found the president's address "a refreshing change from the previous four years."
"As expected, he delivered a strong and optimistic vision for our country--one that prioritizes securing our border, unleashing American energy, strengthening our military, and providing much needed tax relief for hard-working families," Capito said.
She was encouraged by Trump's focus on unleashing domestic energy production--particularly in states like West Virginia, where coal, natural gas, and manufacturing "play a critical role in powering America."
U.S. Senator Jim Justice, R-W.Va., said the president brought a message of hope for the American people and the "restoration of the American Dream."
"President Trump outlined his vision for an America that is once again the envy of the world, and that vision runs right through West Virginia," Justice said. "West Virginia is poised to be the state that powers our country forward, and I couldn't be prouder to stand with President Trump as we usher America into a New Golden Age."
Freshman U.S. Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., felt the president really delivered on the idea that the "commonsense revolution" has already begun.
"Under President Trump's leadership, America's interests reign supreme," Moore said. "We've secured the border and are unleashing American energy like never before.
"We've slashed regulations and are rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse. We're eliminating DEI, protecting women's sports, and ensuring radical transgender ideology is rooted out of our education system. We're making America healthy again."
U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio, said the president's address showed a stark contrast between two Americas--one that honors the sacrifice, grit, and patriotism of hard-working Americans, and another consumed by bitterness and anti-American vitriol. Rulli represents Ohio's 6th Congressional district which includes Washington County.
"We are in an era of tremendous opportunity--one where the people of our area, who have been overlooked for far too long, finally have an advocate fighting to restore dignity and prosperity to working families," he said. "I will do everything in my power to support the president's agenda and put our people first."
Messages left for U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, and U.S. Senator Jon Husted, R-Ohio, were not returned by presstime.
Back in the Mountain State, West Virginia Republican Party Chairman Matt Herridge said Trump was living up to the promises he made during his campaign.
"The age of American decline is over, as the Trump-Vance Administration vows to reinstate an America First, common sense theme of governance," Herridge said. "Whether it be energy dominance, secure borders, less bureaucracy, peace through strength, lower taxes, or improved educational and health outcomes, President Trump is working every day to deliver the renewal of the American Dream."
In the six weeks since returning to office, the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have taken strategic steps to achieve these policy initiatives, he said.
Herridge said while congressional Democrats wanted to create a spectacle Tuesday night, Trump spoke about the "dawn of a new American Golden Age."
"America's best days are still to come, and as the president said, 'America's momentum is back. Our spirit is back. Our pride is back. Our confidence is back ... And the American Dream is surging -- bigger and better than ever before,'" Herridge said.
An email message left for the Ohio Republican Party was not returned by presstime.
Democrats in both states had a different take on the president's accomplishments and promises.
The West Virginia Democratic Party called out the president for what it described as "failed leadership and broken promises to West Virginians," according to a statement put out on the party's website before the president addressed Congress.
"When Trump campaigned here during his first campaign, he brought a prop shovel to illustrate how he 'digs' coal," said West Virginia Democratic Party Vice Chair Teresa Toriseva. "Little did we know he would return in 2025 and use that shovel to dig the grave for West Virginia's energy economy."
The party's statement said over 156 coal miners were laid off at Leer South Mine in Barbour County earlier this year, impacting many working families; the $7 billion hydrogen hub project has stalled in West Virginia thanks to Trump's spending freeze, putting more high-paying energy jobs at risk; Trump's trade war is driving down demand for West Virginia's metallurgical coal, which is critical for steelmaking and more; and the Trump tariffs are driving down the stock market and threatening the retirement security of millions of Americans.
The party also addressed the layoffs of federal employees in the state, which includes many in Parkersburg.
"Trump talks a big game about standing up for West Virginians, but the truth is, he's costing us jobs," Toriseva said. "Coal miners, energy workers, and even federal employees are all worse off because of him.
"West Virginia deserves better than a president who sells false hope while delivering pink slips."
The Ohio Democratic Party said the president praised unelected billionaires while showing exactly how he isn't working for Ohio, in a statement put out on their website Wednesday. The party criticized Trump's actions leading to higher grocery prices for many products received from Canada (vegetable oil, beef products, and cookies) and Mexico (fruits and vegetables as well as beer and tequila) as raising grocery prices.
The party also said 771,000 Ohioans are at risk of losing Medicaid while layoffs at the Department of Veterans Affairs are preventing veterans from making it to their medical appointments.
"While Donald Trump threatens our jobs, Elon Musk and fellow billionaires are only getting richer and our senators are too weak to stand up for us," said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. "Ohio Democrats will always stand up to billionaires who would sacrifice Ohio's economy for their personal gain."