02/25/2025 --dailykos
More and more Republican lawmakers are being confronted by angry constituents at town hall meetings across the country. The opposition continues to grow to the chaos President Donald Trump and co-President Elon Musk have unleashed on the federal government with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.On Friday, a town hall held by Georgia Republican Rep. Rich McCormick went off the rails after McCormick started attacking constituents who confronted him about Trump and Musk's cuts, comparing them to the violent pro-Trump rioters who ransacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.Since then, multiple other GOP lawmakers have now been confronted by enraged constituents at town halls, many of whom implored Republicans to stand up to Trump and Musk’s decision to slash the federal workforce in a slapdash way that endangers necessary government services, and even national security.“When are you going to wrest control back from the executive and stop hurting your constituents?” one voter asked Rep. Pete Sessions at a Saturday town hall in his Texas House district.When Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) was confronted by angry constituents, rather than listen to their concerns he accused them of not wanting to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in the government.Alford even eventually told one laid-off federal worker who attended the town hall that "God has a plan and purpose for your life"—an extremely callous response to someone in imminent need of help after losing their livelihood at the hands of the world’s richest man. In Oklahoma, home to more than 41,000 federal workers, voters asked Rep. Kevin Hern to stand up to Musk and the conflicts of interest he presents.“Will you call Elon Musk in to testify under oath to explain what he's doing?” one constituent asked Hern, according to a local television outlet.x"First District Congressman Kevin Hern spoke first about the border, the deficit, and China. His constituents only had questions about government cuts" via CBS affiliate KOTV / @emorybryan's report on Hern's event in Glenpool pic.twitter.com/CWD7gDx0sO— Alan He (@alanhe) February 21, 2025Other Republicans aren’t even having town halls, possibly to avoid being confronted by voters who demand they do their jobs and not cede Congress’ power to Trump and Musk."Last week, Republicans sent the House home for nine days. While House Democrats held hundreds of town halls and events, House Republicans hid from their constituents. And when Republicans did show up, the American people told them exactly how they feel about their extreme budget scheme," Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) wrote in a post on X, which included a video with clips of voters protesting GOP lawmakers.xLast week, Republicans sent the House home for nine days.While House Democrats held hundreds of town halls and events, House Republicans hid from their constituents.And when Republicans did show up, the American people told them exactly how they feel about their extreme... pic.twitter.com/NmErhXEE2A— Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (@RepMGS) February 25, 2025The lack of access to GOP elected officials led voters in Kansas to hold their own town hall to urge GOP Sen. Jerry Moran to listen to them.“Senator Moran, as my elected representative, I am relying on you,” Dot Nary, a disability activist who uses a wheelchair, said at a virtual town hall organized by Kansans frustrated with Moran’s lack of accessibility. “Will you vote against efforts to cut funding for these Health and Human Services programs—both from the Department of Government Efficiency and in upcoming budget negotiations? Your constituents expect you to advocate for programs that allow us to live full lives in our communities.” Republicans, however, are shrugging off the town hall outrage.Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) attacked the town hall attendees."Last week, videos of protesters yelling at members of Congress went viral, right? But the content focused on the confrontation, not the why,” she said at a Tuesday news conference on Capitol Hill. “Some of the people that hijacked those town halls are happy with the bloated status quo, they want the bloated status quo to continue. They don't want to get our country back on track.”Other Republicans are alleging that the anger at town halls is part of a manufactured astroturf campaign by left-wing groups.A headline from the right-wing Free Beacon reads: "Red-District DOGE Protests, Cited As Proof of Broad Musk 'Backlash,' Were Organized By Left-Wing Groups"From the article: Across the country, similar protests played out at House GOP town halls and district offices. The demonstrations drove mainstream media coverage of brewing backlash against the Trump administration as the lower chamber left Washington, D.C., for a week-long recess. Well-funded liberal organizations organized many of them.That language is eerily similar to the reaction Democrats had in 2009, when Republicans were showing up in droves to town halls to rage at Democratic lawmakers over then-President Barack Obama's health care reform bill. A 2009 headline from the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call read, "Pelosi: GOP Tax Protest Is AstroTurf, Not Grass Roots.""This initiative is funded by the high end; we call it AstroTurf, it’s not really a grass-roots movement. It’s AstroTurf by some of the wealthiest people in America to keep the focus on tax cuts for the rich instead of for the great middle class," Pelosi said at the time.Republicans who are ignoring the outrage are merely whistling past the graveyard.Thank you to the Daily Kos community who continues to fight so hard with Daily Kos. Your reader support means everything. We will continue to have you covered and keep you informed, so please donate just $3 to help support the work we do.
