WASHINGTON — House GOP leaders are urging their Republican members to hold town halls virtually whenever possible amid backlash from the cost-cutting moves by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Party members huddled on Capitol Hill on Tuesday morning to discuss the fallout from recent, high-profile town halls in their districts — some of which were infiltrated by union workers and other Democratic allies.
At Tuesday’s closed-door conference meeting, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman and Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina encouraged his fellow GOPers to seek other avenues of engagement with constituents than the traditional in-person town hall.
“The town halls in the years leading up to our majority proved to be a bad idea because the union thugs — including the leaders of the SEIU and people backed by George Soros — found that it was an opportunity for them to get press and for them to not let people ask and get answered their questions,” Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) told The Post.
“Even when the question came from a [labor union]-paid person or other unions, they wouldn’t let you answer the question,” Issa said. “So of course it’s a waste of time to spend taxpayer dollars to give the other side a forum to disrupt.”
The California Republican, who is in a safe district, said, “Every member is free to choose to do town halls” but that he is “advising people that if they’re being interrupted in that way, in an organized way, that it’s not a good use of taxpayer dollars.”
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) said, “Is there an organized effort of the left to try to obstruct DOGE and to obstruct the work of President Trump? Without a doubt.”
Smith characterized the “well-funded” attempt at grassroots opposition to DOGE as similar to anti-Trump resistance groups such as Indivisible that thrived during the 45th president’s administration.
Congressional Democrats’ attacks on Musk’s team are “out of touch with what the majority of Americans want,” he added.
“When you travel to southeast Missouri, when you talk to my constituents, they love what DOGE is doing,” Smith said, touting its efficiency and success in rooting out government waste and fraud.
“Is it going to be bumpy along the way?” the Ways and Means chairman asked. “Yeah, but whenever you try to make big changes, things can be bumpy.”
More than half of US adults have an unfavorable view of Musk, public polling shows, but the vast majority still back significant spending cuts in government bureaucracy and spending.
Will Kiley, a spokesman at the NRCC, said in a statement: “Chairman Hudson supports members reaching and helping as many of our constituents as possible.
“Using technology makes this a heck of lot easier,” he said.
Hudson pointed out in Tuesday’s meeting that the shift toward more virtual events could reach thousands as opposed to hundreds of constituents, said a source with direct knowledge of the session.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) warned her colleagues that demonstrations were getting more intense as the weeks dragged on — with some opponents of Republicans in Congress coming to her home and harassing her children, according to the source.
“The best thing that our members can do is communicate directly, frequently, consistently, with their constituents,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Punchbowl News. “There are other avenues to do it than just going in to try to give the other side sound bites… it’s wise not to play into it right now.”
Johnson and Trump have dismissed the chaos caused by the town-hall protests as the work of “paid” demonstrators, though no evidence has emerged showing disgruntled attendees receive direct payments from Democratic groups.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has pushed back on the charge.
“What’s wrong with y’all? What’s wrong with y’all? We don’t need to send paid protesters into your town hall meetings,” the Democratic leader said in a video posted Monday on X.
“The American people are with us,” he said. “All across the country people are rising up to push back against the assault on the economy, the assault on hardworking families, the assault on our democracy and the assault on Medicaid.”
Despite the words of caution about Dems and their allies packing town halls, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) said he wouldn’t back down.
“I believe in retail politics whether people agree with you or disagree,” Emmer said. “I think you engage them wherever they are.”
