GOP Campaign Chair Warns Lawmakers Against In-Person Town Halls — Protests Are Going to Get ‘Worse’
(Angelina Katsanis/POLITICO via AP Images)
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson warned congressional lawmakers to avoid in-person town halls and predicted that protests, which he blamed on Democratic activists, are only going to get worse.
The remarks come one day after President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to accuse “paid troublemakers” and Democrats of manufacturing the scenes of discontent at GOP events across the country. In a post on Truth Social,
Paid ‘troublemakers’ are attending Republican Town Hall Meetings. It is all part of the game for the Democrats, but just like our big LANDSLIDE ELECTION, it’s not going to work for them!
The pushback against Republican lawmakers comes as the Trump administration moves to slash thousands of government jobs as well as implement cuts to the federal budget. Various outlets reported heated clashes with constituents in several town halls across different states. Rep. Pete Sessions faced a wave of criticism at a Texas town hall, as did Rep. Glenn Grothman in Wisconsin and Rep. Rich McCormick in Georgia.
According to Wall Street Journal congress reporter Olivia Beavers, Hudson called for the full attention of all present at the closed GOP House meeting on Tuesday before warning that protests would be getting worse and that no one should be doing in-person town halls for the time being.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) reportedly stood up and shared that protestors had been picketing outside of her house and were harassing her children.
Hudson went on to claim that Democratic activists were “hijacking” the town hall events and “drowning out” local constituents, another source told Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman. He added that Democrats would be attending the events just to get a “viral clip” of Republican lawmakers being challenged.
Hudson reportedly recommended that Republicans do virtual town halls or tele-town halls instead, rationalizing that this was a more efficient way of reaching constituents.
