Democrats step up town halls amid rowdy GOP forums

Democrats are using town halls to go on offense against their Republican counterparts as the party scrambles to capitalize on a weak point: GOP lawmakers taking heat for President Trump.

Democratic Party leaders argue that images of Republican lawmakers being pressed and booed at home-district town halls in response to Trump’s agenda is reminiscent of Tea Party town halls during former President Obama’s first term.

Last week at their annual retreat, House Democrats announced they would travel to House Republican districts to hold town halls, while the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Association of State Democratic Committees announced a joint effort, dubbed “People’s Town Halls,” to target vulnerable Republicans. As a part of that effort, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) hosted town halls in GOP districts in Iowa and Nebraska last weekend. Additional town halls are planned for this week in Pennsylvania’s 7th and 10th Congressional Districts.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) are also hitting the road for their “Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here” tour, which includes a stop in Rep. Gabe Evans’s (R-Colo.) district, as well as stops in Nevada and Arizona.

Meanwhile, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) has helped build crowds at a number of town halls featuring Democratic Sens. Ruben Gallego (Ariz.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.) and Michael Bennet (Colo.) this month, targeting vulnerable House Republicans in their respective states.

House Republicans have been pressed by town hall attendees in recent weeks on potential cuts to Social Security and the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to slash government spending, with many of the interactions going viral.

However, the viral town halls caused enough concern among Republicans that National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) advised his colleagues during a closed-door meeting earlier this month to avoid in-person town halls. Instead, Hudson encouraged members to participate in virtual town halls or livestreamed events.

Even some Democrats say they are wary of having national figures like Walz, Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez at town hall events, warning that the focus should be on local figures.