Following a series of town hall events where angry voters have gone viral for challenging Republican lawmakers, Republicans are moving their town hall events online, where they can pre-select questions — and many are backing away from these events altogether.
In a CNN interview with host Kaitlan Collins on Wednesday evening, Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (Louisiana) baselessly claimed that constituents upset with moves by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk are “paid actors.”
Since Trump’s inauguration, voters at town halls across the country have been expressing their opposition to the president’s “tyranny in the White House,” citing the newly-formed “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) that has been illegally ripping through the federal government, shutting down entire agencies and purging workers en masse. Voters have also protested potential cuts to social safety net programs, including Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.
Rather than address these concerns, however, Johnson scoffed at them.
“The videos you saw of the town halls were of paid protesters in many of those places,” Johnson said, citing no evidence whatsoever. “These are Democrats who went to the events early and filled up the seats.”
When Collins suggested that not “all” of the attendees were “paid protesters,” Johnson responded, “Many of them were.” He then conceded slightly, saying, “I don’t know.”
Collins noted that one House Republican who was confronted at a town hall recognized the angry attendees as “his constituents.”
“One Republican acknowledged they were constituents. That’s fantastic,” Johnson responded sarcastically, before adding: “They had Democrats come and fill the seats early, all right?”
After the segment ended, Collins reminded her viewers that Republican lawmakers “also represent Democrats” in their districts. “That doesn’t mean they were paid to show up if they’re upset about this,” she added.
After confrontations between Republicans and their constituents have gone viral, Republicans have been avoiding town halls, including events where they would typically be well received. Two Republican members of Congress, Reps. Tom Tiffany and Derrick Van Orden, recently skipped an event hosted by the Wisconsin Farmers Union in the western part of the state.
Party leaders have discouraged Republicans from hosting town hall events in the near future, saying that if they must host such an event, they should reduce the likelihood of videos being posted on social media by using tele-town hall formats, which allow lawmakers to pre-select questions and ensure that there are no follow-ups.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) hosted one such event on Thursday, responding to a complaint by a constituent about Musk’s sway over the federal government by heaping praise on the billionaire.
Musk is “probably one of the most brilliant, accomplished, effective human beings that have ever walked on planet earth,” Johnson said during the meeting, adding that he believed “Elon is doing a fabulous job.”
The Democratic Party has condemned Republicans for capitulating to Trump and Musk at every turn.
“If Republicans had a spine, they would stand up against Trump’s disastrous agenda and put their constituents first. Instead, after hearing Americans’ fury last week, Republicans intend to silence the people who sent them to Washington as they bend the knee to Donald Trump and Elon Musk,” a blog post from the party stated.
We’re resisting Trump’s authoritarian pressure.
As the Trump administration moves a mile-a-minute to implement right-wing policies and sow confusion, reliable news is an absolute must.
Truthout is working diligently to combat the fear and chaos that pervades the political moment. We’re requesting your support at this moment because we need it – your monthly gift allows us to publish uncensored, nonprofit news that speaks with clarity and truth in a moment when confusion and misinformation are rampant. As well, we’re looking with hope at the material action community activists are taking. We’re uplifting mutual aid projects, the life-sustaining work of immigrant and labor organizers, and other shows of solidarity that resist the authoritarian pressure of the Trump administration.
As we work to dispel the atmosphere of political despair, we ask that you contribute to our journalism. Over 80 percent of Truthout’s funding comes from small individual donations from our community of readers, and over a third of our total budget is supported by recurring monthly donors.
You can help by giving today. Whether you can make a small monthly donation or a larger gift, Truthout only works with your support.