State of Connecticut Office of the Attorney General
01/20/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/20/2025 07:38
A Message from Attorney General William Tong Ahead of the Inauguration of President-Elect Donald Trump
Press Releases
01/20/2025
A Message from Attorney General William Tong Ahead of the Inauguration of President-Elect Donald Trump
"Many tell me they have never been more worried for the future of our country. I have never been more resolute and determined to fight for it."
(Hartford, CT) - Attorney General William Tong released the following statement and video message to Connecticut ahead of the inauguration of President-Elect Donald Trump.
Click here to view the video.
"Today, we inaugurate a new President. While the vast majority in Connecticut wanted a different direction, this is the path our nation chose. Many tell me they have never been more worried for the future of our country. I have never been more resolute and determined to fight for it.
Today and every day, I draw strength and purpose from my immigrant parents and families like ours who know only one direction - forward. Nancy and Ady Tong did not have the luxury of being afraid, of worrying for the future, doubting the choices they made, or making a retreat. My parents had nothing when they came here and nothing about their future was given or guaranteed. They had to fight for it.
It wasn't pretty, sometimes it was messy, but my parents were strong and fearless, and they had a clear vision that if they worked as hard as they possibly could, their children would prosper. In other words, they are Americans. I do not have to imagine or wonder what it must have been like for my immigrant parents, because I worked side-by-side with them in our Chinese restaurant. I saw both of them work themselves sick; my Dad had a heart attack as a young man, and my mother carried the five of us to term, on her feet every day in the restaurant until each of us came into the world. And when we were born, each of us was born an American citizen, by right of our birth on American soil and the plain text of the Fourteenth Amendment.
So many Connecticut and American families share our story. This is the enduring beauty of our country and the core of the American Dream. And it is possible only here, where in just one generation one can go from a hot Chinese restaurant kitchen to be the Attorney General of one of the original thirteen.
Many in Connecticut have asked where we go from here. How will we respond to the risks and threats against Connecticut and Connecticut families? We will do what we always do - we will look out for each other. We will not turn our backs on our family, friends and neighbors. We will fight anger and division because we know it does not feed our families, educate our children, power our economy, or make us whole.
As Attorney General of the sovereign state of Connecticut, I will enforce our law and implement our policy. It is the policy of the state of Connecticut to respect, honor and protect immigrants and immigrant families. It is the policy of the state of Connecticut to respect, honor and protect women, patients, doctors, and nurses, and the reproductive rights of all people. It is the policy of the state of Connecticut to respect, honor and protect working people the and the right to organize and form a union. It is the policy of the state of Connecticut to respect, honor and protect all Connecticut families, including LGBTQ+ families. It is the policy and the law of the state of Connecticut to take care of each other. If the President and the federal government violate Connecticut's sovereignty, laws and policy, Connecticut will stand its ground and fight back.
Connecticut led the way at the founding of our nation. We have a special responsibility to lead again. Our response today must be more than opposition and defense. We must go on offense. When this President and this Congress fail to deliver on their most basic promises and obligations, Connecticut will lead. We will continue to be confident, affirmative and strong in the fight against gun violence, the opioid epidemic, the public health and civic crises of social media addiction, and the fight to protect our climate.
We are prepared for the fight ahead because we have been on these front lines before. When Trump 1.0 tried to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, we stopped him. When Trump 1.0 tried to defund Connecticut police, we blocked him. When Trump 1.0 tried to dismantle the U.S. Postal Service to for political gain, we sued and we stopped him. When Trump 1.0 tried to roll back federal climate and clean air regulations, we sued and we won. That firewall never came down. I do not know how these fights will go, and I cannot promise we will win every battle. But I know this -- when my parents fell and failed they barely took a breath before they were on their feet again. Attorneys general across the country are on our feet today, and we have never been more coordinated, determined and ready for this fight.
I spend my days in every corner of Connecticut, listening to our neighbors, helping them whenever I can, and when I am lucky, sharing a bite to eat. I know our people and my relationship with Connecticut families grows deeper every day. I know that Connecticut families are confident, affirmative and strong. We are unbowed and we will not be intimidated, no matter what they throw at us. And like the people of our state, I will never quit, I will never surrender, and I will never, ever back down."
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