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Phil Tripp
ANSONIA — Phil Tripp, the Democratic nominee for mayor of Ansonia, issued a statement Monday saying it was wrong for him to share “anti-immigration and conservative tropes of former political colleagues” on social media.
The social media posts caused Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz to cancel her appearance at a Tripp campaign fundraiser that had been scheduled for Monday evening, according to reporters from WTNH and Hearst Connecticut.
Tripp, an Ansonia Alderman, has shared right-wing leaning memes and talking points on his personal Facebook page for years.
But he switched from Republican to Democrat earlier this year to run against incumbent Mayor David Cassetti.
The Ansonia Democratic Town Committee endorsed Tripp in July. Click here for a previous story.
On Monday the Connecticut Republican Party and its chairman JR Romano circulated a screen shot of a Tripp Facebook post from 2018 in which Tripp allegedly wrote that illegal immigrants invading the U.S. are responsible for a resurgence of diseases such as tuberculosis.
Tripp’s post was a variation on a widely-circulated but inaccurate claim floating around the Internet.
The CT GOP shared Romano’s post. It is embedded below.
Tripp’s campaign then issued a statement saying he was “not proud” of his previous Facebook posts.
“I’ve made mistakes. Among them, believing and sharing anti-immigration and conservative tropes of former political colleagues. Quite simply, I was wrong and I will work every day to prove that,” he said.
“I believe that we all thrive when we work together for the common good, when communities treat everyone with respect and dignity. That is why I switched parties to seek office as a Democrat, rather than a Republican.”
To cancel her appearance at Tripp’s fundraiser, Bysiewicz released a statement saying the Facebook posts “sharply diverge from my values and the values of the Democratic Party,” according to a Tweet from George Colli of WTNH.
The Valley Indy received the lieutenant governor’s full statement Tuesday morning. It was released Monday and is posted below:
“I only just this afternoon learned of these Facebook posts which sharply diverge from my values and the values of the Democratic Party. Connecticut and our country is at its strongest when it is a generous and welcoming place to people of all nationalities, races and faiths. As a result, I’ve chosen to no longer attend this event,” she said.
The state GOP and Romano Monday also shared a clip from a video filmed at a 2016 Trump campaign stop in Connecticut.
In the video, Tripp confronts a protestor, calling the man’s views “liberal bull*****.”
The GOP cut the video into an image announcing the Tripp fundraiser. The GOP post is embedded below:
The Valley Indy reported on the rally in a podcast posted in 2016, separately interviewing the man who shot the video, and GOP Chairman Romano for reaction.
Tripp has been an Alderman since 2011, serving as board president for four years. He served 34 years in the Army National Guard before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Joseph Jaumann, chairman of the Ansonia Town Republican Committee, issued a statement Monday night questioning whether Ansonia Democrats would continue to support Tripp “after being condemned by the Democratic Lt. Governor.”
“As Chairman of the Ansonia Republicans, I firmly believe that hate and divisiveness have no place in politics. Our local party is committed to uniting our community and making “Progress Together,” Jaumann said.
Tarek Raslan, the local Democratic Party leader who ran for Ansonia mayor in 2016, said the party stands by Tripp.
“While Joseph Jaumann and the rest of ‘Team Cassetti’ are busy scouring Facebook, they should have spent more time keeping their promise to not raise taxes and embarrass the city of Ansonia with their board of educations battles. Ansonia Democrats have made history this year running the most diverse slate of candidates in Ansonia history, we stand with Phil because he has fought for Ansonia residents when it matters. Talk is cheap,” Raslan said in an email.
