‘Put up a fight’: Lawmakers face boos and hecklers as voters voice frustration at town halls
Democratic and Republican members of Congress have faced boos or hecklers at town halls as constituents express frustration over the lawmakers' actions or in some cases inaction, in Washington in recent weeks.
Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo. faced a hostile crowd on Wednesday in Laramie, Wyoming. Hageman, who won her seat back in 2022 by more than 40 points, was greeted with heckling and tough questioning during the town hall.
One common source of dissatisfaction for constituents at Hageman's town hall appeared to be Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has led the Trump administration in carrying out deep cuts in federal government spending.
“You guys are going to have a heart attack if you don’t calm down,” Hageman said, according to a video published by CNN.
Democratic voters have also grilled their representatives, complaining about what they see as inaction and occasional complicity that congressional Democrats have shown towards Trump and the GOP’s efforts in Washington.
Watch: Hageman loudly booed
According to CNN, Hageman told attendants during Wednesday’s town hall that the opportunity to speak to them is important “because it lets me come here, give you an update on what I’m doing back in Washington, DC.” That response was met with shouts of “nothing” from one man.
“DOGE is not dismantling Social Security,” Hageman said as a chorus of boos rained from the crowd.
In videos from the town hall, a chorus of boos and jeers rained down upon Hageman, who at points disagreed with questions from constituents. She also at various points defended DOGE’s deep cuts into the federal government.
Democrats also being pushed
Also on Wednesday, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., held his own town hall in Downers Grove, Illinois. During the meeting, several pro-Palestinian protesters questioned the U.S. support for Israel, CNN reported, to which Casten did not provide a clear answer.
“Ma’am, can you please sit down? Ma’am, ma’am, ma’am… what is your point in disrupting this event? I recognize your face, you have disrupted many events,” Casten said.
Following several heated exchanges, police asked Casten to end the event.
Casten is just the latest Democrat to receive heavy criticism from their own voters. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., postponed several book tour events this week amid the ongoing Democratic backlash to his vote last week to approve a GOP-led government funding bill.
"Due to security concerns, Senator Schumer’s book events are being rescheduled," Risa Heller, a spokesperson for his book tour told Paste BN.
‘Put up a fight’
Nationally, Democrats are at a low point. Earlier this week, an NBC News poll showed the Democratic Party's popularity at an all-time low. According to NBC, about 27% of registered voters see the party in a positive light, marking the lowest rating since the 1990s.
Much of the discontent against the party stems from the lack of fight against Trump’s policies in recent months. In the poll, Democratic voters want their party to block Trump, even if it means gridlocking the government.
But, Schumer’s move to join the GOP to avoid a government shutdown went against voters and even members of his own party.
“When Donald Trump wakes up in the morning and says, ‘You’re doing the right things, Senate Democrats’ − we don’t feel that is the right place to be,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., the House Democratic Caucus chair, per NBC News.
The fighting that Democratic voters are asking for appears to be somewhat of a reversal from Trump’s first term. In an NBC News poll conducted in April 2017, 59% of Democrats wanted to see compromises with Trump to advance legislation. Almost eight years later, that number was only 32%, with 65% of Democratic voters wanting the party to hold their positions, even if it leads to gridlock.
“I think it’s more important for Democrats to stick to their guns and kind of put up a fight,” Samantha Kosloske, a 29-year-old from New York told the outlet. “I mean, [Trump is] probably not gonna listen either way, but I think that’s gonna be at least more effective.”
Contributing: Riley Beggin, Paste BN
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for Paste BN. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
(This article was updated to include video.)