While a largely supportive audience listened to and asked questions of U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal inside Duffy Elementary School, a raucous group of Trump supporters chanted and waved flags outside Duffy Elementary School in West Hartford on Saturday.

By Ronni Newton

Residents from all over Connecticut gathered at Duffy Elementary School in West Hartford to attend a “Citizen Meeting,” with U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and fellow U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal speaking to a largely-supportive crowd in the auditorium and answering questions mostly focused on actions taken by President Donald Trump and his administration in the past several weeks.

Executive orders issued since Trump took office, along with moves by his appointed head of the newly-established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), billionaire Elon Musk, have targeted federal funding, federal jobs, and the existence of various agencies, creating chaos, uncertainty, and anxiety in Washington and beyond, and what the senators called a “constitutional crisis.” Some of the actions have been halted by court orders.

The total number who attended Saturday’s event – both inside the auditorium and in an overflow space – was estimated at 700. Advance RSVP was required and the event, which was planned just a few days earlier, was also live-streamed on Murphy’s YouTube channel.

A visible police presence was on hand at Duffy providing security, and ensuring that the event remained peaceful as a vocal throng of Trump supporters – anywhere from 50-75 people, also from throughout the state – waved flags and shouted from the sidewalk and lawn at those waiting in line to enter the school.

 

Before taking questions, Murphy addressed the audience in the auditorium. Blumenthal, who arrived later due to attending a funeral service in Stamford, also shared some brief remarks.

“First, I’m here because our democracy is worth fighting for,” said Murphy. “Second, I’m here because I demand to live in a country where we do not fear our neighbors, we love our neighbors.” He said what we also fight for is the ability to organize, and to protest as those outside were doing.

Very few people get to live in a democracy, Murphy said, and at some level it’s unnatural for everyone to have an equal vote. “The idea that we all get to make decisions together, that is a very inconvenient form of government, especially for the elites, especially for the folks who have lots of power, who think they should just make the decisions for us, because in a democracy we can protect ourselves against abuses from those elites, from those billionaires, from those corporations who just want to amass power.”

Murphy shared his opinion of the current state of the country. The economic elite class is trying to “seize control of our government and we cannot let them get away with this,” he said, as the room erupted with applause.

The “dangerous developments” over the past few weeks, Murphy said, are “all part of that central story to take power and resources away from us and consolidate it all in the hand of an oligarchy class. … What it comes to is a fundamental challenge to the constitutional order” that is “unconstitutional and illegal.”

Murphy said the tactic is to “flood the zone with as much chaos, and corruption, and outrage on a daily basis,” and those opposed should not wait to call it what it is – “a constitutional crisis, the seizure of spending power by the executive branch, the closure of departments that have been statutorily authorized, the normalization of violence, the targeting of journalists and political opposition,” crushing dissent “to get away with a deeply unpopular agenda.”

Only Congress – which represents the whole country – has the ability to spend according to the constitution, and that was established by the founding fathers to avoid another monarchy and keep order, said Murphy. Allowing the administration to have that power, he said, “is a fundamental perversion of democracy.” Nonprofits in Connecticut are scared, having trouble paying the bills, and are afraid to speak up.

“The plan can only succeed if they are successful in making us fearful of speaking up. Their plan can only succeed if we are so overwhelmed by the moment that we just decide to stay home or focus on something else in our life that matters,” Murphy said. But a crowd, like the one at Duffy, needs to send a message that people are going to stand up and make noise, and demonstrate its might.

Right now, only the courts are being successful in stopping the attacks on democracy, Murphy said.

Murphy shared what he plans to do going forward, including not voting  for any of Trump’s nominees. “If you’re signing up to destroy the constitution of the United States, I don’t want any part of your journey.” He said Democrats will also continue outreach to Republican colleagues to encourage them to stand up as well. And, Murphy said, he will continue to speak out about what is happening in plain terms, and will support the “heroic legal efforts that are underway” like the one that halted the layoffs of USAID staff. He referenced a list he posted on the social media platform “X” with suggestions of what people can do, stressing the importance of in-person action.

Today I will be holding a citizen meeting in West Hartford to talk about what I’m doing and what people can do to fight back against Trump’s seizure of government for the billionaire class.

1/ Unfortunately, we’ve maxed out the space, so here’s a 🧵 on what you can do.

— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 8, 2025

Blumenthal said democracy is being tested. Like Murphy, he pledged not to vote for any cabinet nominee – although he did admit that he made a mistake, confessing that both he, and Murphy, voted to approve Marco Rubio for Secretary of State.

“We seen this administration … a historic theft of information, of money going to billionaires, benefitting Elon Musk. He’s the face of this administration, make no mistake,” Blumenthal said.

At least 40 people lined up to ask questions and express concerns, which were addressed by both senators. Topics ranged from protections for the military, what will happen if the Department of Education is dismantled, and the budget and the debt ceiling, to what is being done to protect members of the country’s intelligence agencies.

Some speakers called for others to join movements, including West Hartford resident Loretta Waldman, a member of Indivisible Connecticut, as well as a member of Immanuel Congregational Church in Hartford who spoke about the role of faith communities.

“When are we going to do the civil disobedience, because I’m ready?” one woman asked.

Blumenthal said the people outside “have a voice, too.” He praised the court system for protecting the voices of the people, for doing what they are supposed to do in abiding by their oath to support the constitution.

“The big unknown here is the U.S. Supreme Court,” Blumenthal said as the crowd booed.

An audience member asked why Democrats didn’t vote to invoke the 14th amendment before the election results were certified in January. The crowd booed when Blumenthal said they were “going to show what our better angels looked like,” but he added that “we are in a different era now.”

Murphy said it’s really an indictment of the Democratic Party, which needs to take a good look at itself, because “Donald Trump didn’t really disguise what he was going to do … and he still won.”

West Hartford resident Joe Visconti, a former member of the Town Council and a stalwart Trump supporter, was outside Duffy with a bullhorn as those attending the event arrived. He said he invited people from throughout the state to attend what he said was not a protest, but rather a celebration. “We’re celebrating the end of illegal aliens in our school systems, illegal aliens on welfare, Medicare, Medicaid. It’s over,” he said.

What Trump is doing is just beginning, Visconti said. “The Department of Education, it’s over,” he said. And when asked if people are going to be happy about what happens, he said, “Yes they are. They voted for this. Trump was very clear when he ran and said what he was going to do, even DOGE. He said it, they voted for it. He did it.”

In the Duffy auditorium, West Hartford Mayor Shari welcomed the audience and the senators, thanking the police for providing security “so that we can practice democracy.”

Cantor added that it’s impossible to ignore the “chaotic and unprecedented nature of the times we are living in, particularly with this new presidential administration. There is a great deal of concern and anxiety surrounding the turmoil in Washington, and like many of you I also have deep worries about the instability created by executive actions and challenge to our long-held democratic norms, constitutional privileges, and at times – basic human decency.” The disregard for groups – including law enforcement and marginalized communities – is “staggering,” Cantor said, and attacks on foreign allies have left people feeling unsettled.

“While the disorder may be deliberate, shock and awe is not an effective way to govern,” said Cantor, adding that Connecticut’s senators continue to “stand up for the stability and normalcy” that has served our country well, to protect rights, and “ensure that government functions as it should. … Government is not a game, nor should it be used as a platform for destabilizing policy.”

West Hartford is committed to civil dialogue and meaningful conversation involving all points of view, Cantor said, noting that while the Town Hall was unavailable due to another event, and both high schools were also in use, she appreciates being able to use the Duffy auditorium for the event.

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