NEW BRITAIN — New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart received a call from the White House to attend a round table discussion about urban renewal with President Donald Trump.
Mayor Stewart hopped on a plane early Wednesday morning to meet with President Trump along with other officials to talk about “opportunity zones,” but the visit came with some controversy.
Just two weeks ago, FOX61 talked to the mayor and she said she “does not think President Trump’s approach is presidential and bullying people is not how a leader should conduct themselves.”
At 9:13 a.m. the mayor tweeted out a picture of her on the plane with a caption that said “When the White House calls … you go.”
Mayor Stewart was joined on the panel by the President himself, Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump and U.S. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina.
Under the tax law, businesses may receive tax breaks and other incentives that the White House said will help struggling areas like New Britain, a community of approximately 77,000 people.
“This is an opportunity to transform a community like mine that is still the poverty rate is high, but we’re small enough that even an investment, even a couple million dollars would have the ability to transform lives and direct lives and we’re really grateful,” said Mayor Erin Stewart.
President Trump also brought up a sore subject for Connecticut.
“How do you feel when Connecticut lost General Electric?” asked President Trump.
The mayor responded with a long sigh.
Connecticut’s Democrats wasted no time to use the White House visit against Mayor Steward and blasted out an email that said:
“Erin Stewart is not a different kind of candidate, she is just like every other Republican gubernatorial candidate – complicit in Donald Trump’s agenda.”
FOX61 was there as mayor Stewart landed back in Connecticut Wednesday night and while she was not available to speak, she did send out a message on Twitter that said:
“It was an honor to represent New Britain and Connecticut today and have a seat at the White House table with business leaders Senator Tim Scott and Ivanka Trump to talk about bipartisan Opportunity Zone program and how it can help the nation’s struggling cities. My voice was heard loud and clear!”
FOX61 will be sitting down with the mayor Thursday night to ask about her visit with President Trump.