How lawmakers are responding to frustrated constituents at town halls

Amna Nawaz:

This week ends Congress' longest break from Washington since Donald Trump reentered the White House. For most lawmakers, that's meant more time with constituents and for some aggressive questioning at town halls.

Our team has looked over the past week's interactions.

And Lisa Desjardins is here with more.

Lisa, good to see you.

Lisa Desjardins:

Hi.

Amna Nawaz:

So you have seen a lot of the anger bubbling up at town halls. Folks are watching that.

When you take a closer look at the questions and the responses here from Republicans in particular, the governing party, what do you take away?

Lisa Desjardins:

A few things.

First of all, we're seeing that, even in deep red districts, opponents of President Trump are showing up in significant numbers and increasingly they are more vocal and in a few instances more aggressive in how they're being vocal.

At one point, one example, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, she had a town hall last week. Now, it's important to note, her staff checked constituents at the door to make sure that they lived in that district. But even so, we saw really fiery dissent in that town hall.

You see it right here. Even before it started, shouting protesters were removed by force and two of them Tased by police officers, again, before this began. All in all, three people were arrested, some six escorted out.

Now, Marjorie Taylor Greene actually used that as something of a springboard in the town hall.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA):

The Democrats have been rioting. They are the party of violence. They are the party that…

(Shouting)

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene:

Go. Go.

Lisa Desjardins:

Of course, Democrats say, no, that's not true. We're none of that.

But Marjorie Taylor Greene said she's been receiving death threats. She thanked police for their interaction. But this was one way of using it by force. She's someone who likes to have confrontation and provoking, and she has used that town hall as a fund-raising mechanism.

Amna Nawaz:

And that approach we saw there from Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, how typical is that for Republicans?

Lisa Desjardins:

Not typical at all. In fact, most Republicans aren't having town halls of any form.

But there was one in Florida, Byron Donalds, who was engaging with the audience, rather than dismissing any dissent. One example, he was asked in particular about Elon Musk and DOGE.

Man:

What oversights are you imposing on Elon Musk and DOGE?

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Gubernatorial Candidate: Great question.

(Cheering)

Rep. Byron Donalds:

What they are examining right now is inefficiency in the federal system. This is something that President Obama wanted to do when President Obama was elected president of the United States.

Lisa Desjardins:

Now, President Obama wanted efficiency, but he didn't cut government in the ways we're seeing DOGE doing.

But the key here is that there's a battle among Republicans, do we call Democrats evil, which I hear from someone on Capitol Hill, or do we engage with our conservative ideas? Another issue he brought up, DEI. He was asked about diversity, equity and inclusion.

Rep. Byron Donalds:

You can disagree with me if you want to. You can disagree with me, and we — and I will respect your disagreement.

But I will tell you this. If your whole belief is not possible without a three-letter word in every training manual, then, I'm sorry, we don't agree. We don't agree.

(Applause)

Lisa Desjardins:

He was saying, I just don't agree as a conservative. I think maybe life isn't fair, and everyone needs to move on their own.

Now, there was a range of questions, issues from Gaza to the FSU shooting, and also a range of reactions at that town hall.

Amna Nawaz:

So those are a couple examples of House members in their home districts there. What are you saying from senators?

Lisa Desjardins:

Senators, it is interesting, because they have full states, not just a polarized district, to deal with. We really only saw one major Republican senatorial town hall from the most senior senator, Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

Now, he had a crowd that was, in fact, earlier this week really worked up. He got an earful, especially he was asked about the deportation of Abrego Garcia.

Woman:

We have a due process, and it was not followed. And the Supreme Court ruled that he needed to come back. So Trump said, no, I'm not going to do that. So why do we even have a Supreme Court if they're not going to follow the ruling of the Supreme Court?

(Applause)

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA):

Well, I think it's pretty clear that's what's been brought up about Garcia and she brought up about just many, many other people that this wouldn't even be an issue if Biden had enforced the law.

Lisa Desjardins:

You saw the reaction there. That town hall also saw tension between people who were there in the seats.

Amna Nawaz:

So that's with Republicans, right, the governing party, obviously a Republican president and the White House right now too. What about for Democrats? Are they seeing some of this too?

Lisa Desjardins:

Yes, their constituents are saying, we want more action and we want to hold you accountable.

One example is in Washington state, a Blue Dog Democrat, Representative Gluesenkamp Perez. She was asked about the SAVE Act. That is the House-passed bill that she supported which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote.

Here's what happened with that exchange.

Man:

So we're all going to vote to get sit here and we're not going to engage with her?

Man:

That's correct. We're going to sit here and have — listen to the answer, sir.

Man:

Can you tell us why you voted for it, please?

Man:

Who bought you?

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA):

There's a question here about the SAVE Act. It is really important that Americans have confidence in their election systems.

Lisa Desjardins:

And that protester said: "Who bought you?"

This is something that Democrats obviously are wrestling with. There is a surge of calls for action, but they're also defending the actions they have taken so far.

Amna Nawaz:

All right, Lisa Desjardins, thank you, as always.

Lisa Desjardins:

You're welcome.