Bresnahan’s office said it is the most effective way to reach constituents without “giving a platform to” “political operatives looking to throw a public temper tantrum.”
Town hall meetings and public events featuring Republican members of Congress are encountering disruptions from protests, shouting, and confrontations, primarily orchestrated by groups aligned with the Democratic Party according to GOP officials. The demonstrators are expressing opposition to proposed spending reductions by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who has been tasked with overseeing DOGE’s work.
One of the incidents most covered by media transpired at a town hall meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, hosted by Representative Chuck Edwards. Hecklers repeatedly disrupted the proceedings, with some attendees becoming so disruptive that they were subsequently removed. In a subsequent interview with CNN, Edwards downplayed the interruptions but underscored the paramount importance of accuracy in political discourse. He asserted that the budget he supports does not encompass cuts to Medicare or Social Security, despite assertions to the contrary from certain protestors.
In Northeast Pennsylvania, Republican first term Rep Rob Bresnahan is among a group of GOP reps targeted by protestors and calls to hold in-person town hall events. Bresnahan announced a telephone town hall meeting for March 25. His office said the phone format will allow him “to hear from more people” while not providing “a platform to a bunch of extremist political operatives looking to throw a public temper tantrum.”
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is capitalizing on the recent wave of protests, launching what it calls “People’s Town Halls” in Republican-held districts where it claims lawmakers are avoiding public engagement. One such event is planned in Rep. Bresnahan’s district, featuring Minnesota Governor and former vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz as the headliner.
The Times-Tribune’s editorial board applauded Bresnahan for “eschewing the advice” House Speaker Mike Johnson gave to the GOP Conference about holding a town hall of any format.”
Bresnahan also announced the opening of four office locations in the 8th Congressional District: Forty Fort, Scranton, Hazleton, and Scotrun.
Despite the media attention the protests have received, recent NBC News polling shows a majority of Americans believe DOGE should continue its work to shrink the size and cost of government.
House GOP leadership cautioned their members against holding in-person town hall events after the disruptions and protests garnered national headlines. President Trump and Speaker Johnson called those disrupting the public events “paid troublemakers” and “professional protestors.”
Wyoming Congresswoman Harriet Hageman recently held a town hall meeting, which 250 people attended. The meeting was characterized as “tamer” than other town hall meetings Republican congressional representatives have held across the country. Hageman addressed inquiries from constituents regarding the role of Musk and DOGE in reducing waste within the federal government, commending Musk’s focus on foreign aid spending.
GOP Rep Don Bacon criticized the Democratic Party for inviting Walz, who he called “the most liberal Governor in America” to his district. In Colorado, GOP Rep. Gabe Evans’ office said Evans wants to host public events that are productive and to prevent constituents from “being drowned out by yelling activists.” Republican Rep. Michael Baumgartner was met with a “disruptive, angry crowd” in Spokane, Washington. Baumgartner was interrupted every time he tried to answer a constituent’s question. In one instance, Baumgartner discussed his reverence the Constitution. He was “interrupted by more jeers.” The disruptions and protests have led Baumgartner to consider ending in-person town halls in favor of a digital or phone format, to “cut down on disruptive behavior.”
