Stacey Abrams to deliver response to Trump's State of the Union

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - The Democratic Party has chosen Stacey Abrams to deliver their response to President Donald Trump's State of the Union.

"Three weeks ago, I called Stacey Abrams and asked her to deliver the response to the State of the Union, I was very delighted when she agreed," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said during an announcement Tuesday.

Schumer called Abrams a "great spokesperson" and "incredible leader."

"When you look at her background, she knows what working class people, middle-class people go through," he said.

On Monday, President Donald Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed that he would deliver his State of the Union speech on Feb. 5, a week later than originally scheduled because of the partial government shutdown.

"It is my great honor to accept," Trump said in a letter to Pelosi. "We have a great story to tell and yet, great goals to achieve!"

The speech had initially been scheduled for Jan. 29, but Pelosi postponed it amid what turned into a 35-day partial government shutdown over Trump's demand for border wall funding. It was the first known time that a speaker had rescinded an invitation to deliver the State of the Union.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.