Laura Glesby Photo
"I can't quit": Blumenthal fields sharp Qs from Mauro-Sheridan fifth-graders.
“If you had to either quit or work with Donald Trump as president, what would you do?”
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal faced that question and others about his role in the future of American democracy — not at a press conference, or on the Senate floor, but in Lauren Bitterman’s fifth-grade classroom at Mauro-Sheridan school.
Blumenthal stopped by the Westville elementary and middle school on Friday morning. He’d planned to read a book to the fifth graders, but wound up spending the entirety of his visit fielding a stream of eager students’ questions.
When a student named Bruce asked him about the future of his career if an insurrectionist and election denier takes office again in 2025, Blumenthal responded, “Well, I can’t quit.”
Blumenthal noted that four of his 12 years as senator overlapped with Donald Trump’s first presidential term.
“I work with Republicans all the time,” he said, stressing the importance of compromising in order to pass laws. So if Trump is reelected, he’d continue to work as a senator, he said, even though “I don’t always agree with him.”
The students had practice crafting incisive questions for their political representatives. Blumenthal was the latest state leader to visit Mauro-Sheridan as part of a speaker series coordinated by Sean Hardy and Cedric Robinson; Bitterman’s class had already hosted Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz this year. In preparation for Blumethal’s arrival, Bitterman’s class spent part of the week learning about Blumenthal and about how the federal government works.
The topic of Trump resurfaced when a student named Israel asked Blumenthal, “What was a law that, when requested, you immediately knew it was a bad law?”
Blumenthal pointed to Trump’s policy of separating immigrant children from their parents at the Mexico border, eliciting nods from some of the kids.
“I said, ‘That’s not a good idea,’” Blumenthal recalled. Eventually, “the court found that it was illegal.”
“How much money do you make?” asked one student.
Blumenthal hesitated, then answered, “Around $175,000.” Several students gasped.
“Do you sleep and work in the same place?” asked Ni’el.
“My home is in Connecticut,” Blumenthal said, but he spends much of his time in D.C. when he has to work in the Capitol.
“Do you have a giant skate park in the White House?” asked another student.
“No…” Blumenthal said, momentarily stumped. “I can’t help you there.” (This winter, incidentally, First Lady Jill Biden installed an ice skating rink on the White House’s South Lawn.)
“What is your goal for this year?” asked one student.
“My main goal is to pass a law that will protect children,” Blumenthal replied. He explained the contents of his proposed Kids Online Safety Act, which would regulate and strengthen parental controls over the kind of social media posts that minors encounter.
Destiny, listening as Sen. Blumenthal answers her question about why he chose to be a politician. ("I wanted to help people," he said.)
He brought up this bill again later in the morning, while visiting Colin McDonough’s eighth-grade classroom.
“There’s a lot of bad stuff out there: stuff about bullying, stuff about dieting and eating disorders,” he said, eliciting a handful of nods from the students. “And other bad stuff.”
“Would you be in favor of that law?” he asked, to a murmured “Yes” from the class.
McDonough reminded the eighth-graders that they have a voice in the legislative process.
“I’m not trying to say we’re your bosses, Senator,” he said, “but senators get their power from the people.”
Laura Glesby Photo
Ashley (left) ponders what Blumenthal imagined for his career when he was in middle school. He said he wanted to be a baseball player, but "I wasn't very good at baseball."