By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Constituents across the country are expressing their frustration with the Trump administration at local town halls.
Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress have been met with protests and outrage from the citizens they represent over the administration’s government downsizing efforts. This has been a growing issue for all members of Congress, but especially for Republicans who choose to have town halls in their districts, as well as those who do not.
Concerned citizens have been showing up, calling out and questioning their elected representatives largely over what Elon Musk’s downsizing efforts mean for them and the services many of them rely on.
With lawmakers out of D.C. and back in their districts this week, there’ve been a growing number of fiery town halls and protests. Democrats are being criticized by constituents for not being unified and not having a game plan to push back against the administration. Whereas Republicans are facing strong criticism over the President’s tariffs, Trump’s treatment of Canada and “DOGE” downsizing.
Many Republican lawmakers are attributing these fiery town halls to far-left groups who they say are organizing the events.
Some Republican members are staying away from in-person town hall events despite calls from their constituents to hold them. It’s important to note, many of them hold telephone or virtual town halls, and have been doing so for years, as opposed to in-person.
We reached out to the offices of Pennsylvania Congressmen Mike Kelly (R- PA) and Glenn Thompson (R- PA) for answers to the following questions:
– Does the Congressman believe these events are being organized by Democrat-led groups?
– Has the Congressman held any recent town halls? Do they plan to in the near future?
– Has the office received requests from constituents to hold a town hall?
In a statement, the Office of Congressman Mike Kelly shared the following:
“Telephone town halls provide a great return on investment for the attendees and participants because they actually get their questions answered, as opposed to being drowned out by the loudest voice in the room. Additionally, all parts of our Congressional district – from Erie to Butler, and everywhere in between – can participate from the comfort of their own home. Our offices in Erie, Sharon, and Butler are always open, and our offices have been answering the phone every day with constituent opinions. We always encourage constituents to reach out with their thoughts.”
“The Congressman frequently holds telephone town halls, which allow him to connect with thousands of constituents. Over the past two days alone, he has been in four different counties, meeting with hundreds of constituents on a wide range of topics, from education, agriculture, healthcare, veteran’s affairs, immigration, and economic development,” said Kelsey Holt, the Communications Director for Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson, in a statement.
Constituents at town halls across the country are also expressing concerns and outrage over the President’s immigration policies and the economy. However, DOGE-related actions including federal layoffs, cuts and what they mean for things like veteran’s affairs and vital services like Medicaid, seem to be the biggest concerns.
