Following President Donald Trump’s record-breaking joint address to Congress on Tuesday, Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin addressed the risks facing democracy. She challenged citizens to take an active role in holding elected officials accountable, including herself.

The first-term Democratic senator, representing a state Trump won, emphasized the importance of voter participation in preserving democracy.

“Our democracy—our very system of government—has been the world’s aspiration and is now at risk,” said Slotkin in her official rebuttal to the President. “It is at risk when the President picks and chooses which rules to follow, ignores court orders and the Constitution, or when elected leaders ignore these abuses of power.”

Slotkin suggested a three-step plan for citizens: staying informed, tracking representatives’ voting records, and organizing around personal issues; she promoted the idea of citizen oversight as ‘as American as apple pie.’

She disputed claims about Trump’s narrative of an economic boom, pointing out that “the national debt is rising, not decreasing.”

Concerns were echoed by the International Chamber of Commerce, which warned earlier today that the tariffs imposed by Trump on Canada and Mexico could lead to a global economic downturn. Slotkin argued that risking cuts to social security was not a solution to the national debt or government inefficiency.

“We need a more efficient government. If you want to cut waste, I’ll help you. But change doesn’t have to be chaotic or lessen safety,” Slotkin said.

In her closing, Slotkin drew from her background in national security to caution that democracies are vulnerable and require constant vigilance.

“If previous generations had not fought for this democracy, where would we be today?” Slotkin concluded.