Do rowdy town halls signal a GOP backlash?

It is getting contentious out there for elected Republican officials. The Trump administration's upending of the federal government, along with economic fears raised by the president's trade war, has sparked a show of anger at the usually polite home district town halls hosted by GOP members of Congress.

Republicans like Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas and Rep. Chuck Edwards of North Carolina have been "booed out of their own events and drowned out after giving unsatisfactory responses," said The Verge. In a different era, news of such encounters with angry constituents might have been contained to local news reports, but "now, they go viral, agitating even those at the highest levels of government." The apparent backlash has "rattled Republicans," the outlet added.

Those rattled House Republicans have "hit the brakes" on such gatherings, said NBC News. GOP leaders have told members of Congress to "do tele-town halls or at least vet attendees" to avoid scenes of confrontation. But President Donald Trump has "shrugged off" the backlash, said The Hill. He blamed the belligerent gatherings on "paid 'troublemakers'" without offering any evidence.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

What did the commentators say?

Republicans would "rather hide from their voters" than defend Trump, said Sara Pequeño at USA Today. There is "no proof" that so-called troublemakers have been paid to show up at GOP town halls. Instead, voters are "rightfully angry" about cuts to agencies that help them, and "upset about the overreaching influence" of billionaire Elon Musk. Republicans ought to be able to deal with their constituents' anger, Pequeño said. The voters "are allowed to be furious."

"Buyer's remorse is boiling over" at the GOP town halls, said Theodore R. Johnson at The Washington Post. Voters from "California and Kansas and Wisconsin" are making it clear "they're getting a government they didn't vote for." And they're mad that their representatives "don't appear interested in doing much" about it. It's actually an old debate: Do elected officials "act as vessels for the people's voice," or are they "trustees who do what they think is best" for the country? What's clear is that "people want accountability" for the governance they are getting.

What next?

There are other signs that GOP voters have "objections, frustrations and fears" about the Trump administration's moves, said Axios. A focus group of Trump voters from the swing state of Michigan called the president's actions "erratic," "frightening" and "disruptive." "It's getting to the point where I'm almost scared to watch the news," said one attendee. Notably, though, only one out of 10 of those voters said they would "choose Kamala Harris for president if they could do it over."

Democrats, meanwhile, see an opportunity. The party plans an "extensive series of town halls in Republican-held districts" across the country, said The New York Times. The first of the "People's Town Halls" will focus on battleground districts currently held by Republicans, in places like Arizona and Pennsylvania. "If they won't talk to their own voters, then Democrats will," said Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee.