It was a good night for Connecticut Democrats on Tuesday: U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and all five Democratic U.S. representatives held onto their seats.
But the tone of Wednesday morning's press conference with Democratic leaders wasn’t celebratory.
Gov. Ned Lamont (D), U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, Attorney General William Tong and Comptroller Sean Scanlon spoke about former President Donald Trump’s reelection for nearly an hour on Wednesday morning.
They covered many concerns about the second Trump administration, including access to reproductive health care, undocumented immigrants, tariffs, the Supreme Court and more.
“I wish the outcome were different,” Lamont said. “But I have worked with President Trump before and can work with President-elect Trump.”
Here’s what they had to say about three top issues.
Immigration
Trump has threatened mass deportations during his second term.
“I don't know what that looks like,” Tong said. “I don't know how it's going to manifest, but I can tell you when Trump 1.0, hardly a day went by when the governor and I, you know, didn't get a call about somebody who was being targeted.”
Connecticut’s Trust Act limits local police authority to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Law enforcement can’t arrest or detain a person based solely on an immigration detainer. The law was updated in 2019, during Trump’s first term.
Tong said that the law will continue to be enforced.
“Immigration law enforcement is the province of the federal government, and we won't do their job for them. We're going to protect Connecticut families,” Tong said.
Reproductive rights
The right to an abortion up to 24 weeks has been codified in state law since 1990. After 24 weeks, an abortion can be obtained if a person’s health is in danger.
But Blumenthal said that’s in danger.
“A national abortion ban will preempt state law in Connecticut,” Blumenthal said. “That's just a reality of the federal system. So, we need to be prepared for a fight. There's no question that people around this president want to ban abortion across the country.”
The concern was echoed by Tong, who said he would fight any effort to interfere with the right to an abortion in Connecticut in court.
People close to the Trump campaign have given varying takes on what he plans to do about reproductive health care.
Foreign wars
Trump has repeatedly said he can end the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 24 hours if he’s president.
Blumenthal said he’s concerned with how Trump will handle the war.
“I have deep concerns about what President Trump may do, not only as to Ukraine but also as to NATO and as to potential aggression by China, as well as needing to stand up to North Korea, which now is in fact putting troops on the ground in Ukraine,” Blumenthal said.
Officials at the press conference did not speak about the war in Gaza. But campaign members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have said they would prefer Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris, according to NPR.
Connecticut legislative Republican leaders did not respond to a request for comment on Trump’s reelection.
