Increasing frustration at the dysfunction in Washington is leading to increasingly angry confrontations at congressional town hall meetings across the country, which in turn are going viral on social media, often highlighting constituents’ dissatisfaction with their own Republican representatives.
“Tyranny is rising in the White House, and a man has declared himself our king,” says one woman during a town hall event in Georgia, with her question being captured on TikTok and going viral; similar scenes are playing out in Yucca Valley, California, where another Republican representative is confronted about Elon Musk’s role in the government, among other issues.
“I really wanted people to see this is exactly what was asked, this is exactly what was said, and this is how people reacted,” says one constituent who recorded the events.
In response to the negative attention, Republicans are increasingly backing away from in-person town halls, with some, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, pushing the false claim that the meetings are being manipulated by “paid protestors.