President Donald Trump has accused Democrats of paying protesters to disrupt Republican town halls, as GOP lawmakers face increasingly hostile receptions at public events.
The president took to Truth Social on Sunday to criticize hecklers as “disruptors and troublemakers” and said they should be “immediately evicted” when such instances take place.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email outside of regular working hours on Monday.
Why It Matters
The president’s comments follow a series of incidents of Republican town halls being disrupted by protesters amid growing opposition to several Trump policies.
Trump has consistently portrayed the hecklers as paid operatives orchestrating political attacks, rather than genuine voters expressing discontent.
What To Know
Trump took to Truth Social to claim that “Radical Left Democrats are paying a fortune to have people infiltrate the Town Halls of Republican Congressmen/women and Senators.”
It is not clear whether any particular incident had inspired him to post the rebuke, but earlier in the week, Republican Rep. Byron Donalds had faced boos and jeers during a town hall in Florida as he defended cuts to essential programs by the Department of Government Efficiency.
And earlier this month, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a firm ally of the president, faced intense heckling from protesters which resulted in several being forcibly removed and three arrested.
Videos of these incidents are often shared on social media and widely viewed.
Republican leadership has been advising lawmakers to avoid in-person town halls in favor of virtual ones in order to avoid such clashes, The Hill reported.
Some Republicans appear to be taking precautions to prevent hecklers. Republican Rep. Mike Lawler appeared to have displayed a list of rules outside a town hall in New York on Sunday, which included directives such as “no shouting, screaming, yelling, or standing” and a warning that such disruptions could result in removal.
Despite his efforts, he still faced intense heckling.
In his Truth Social Post, Trump urged Republican lawmakers to call out hecklers to show that they are not fellow Republicans demonstrating dissent within the party.
What People Are Saying
Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: “The Radical Left Democrats are paying a fortune to have people infiltrate the Town Halls of Republican Congressmen/women and Senators.
“These Great Patriot Politicians should not treat them nicely. Have them immediately ejected from the room—They are disruptors and troublemakers. You must allow your audience to know what you are up against, or else they will think they are Republicans, and that there is dissension in the Party.”
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson advised Republicans in March: “You can do it in telephone town halls. You can have small subgroups of people from different industries and segments of the community. We find that to be very, very productive, and more productive than if you just go to an open forum right now. Why? Because we’ve seen this movie before. George Soros-funded groups and others literally pay protesters.”
What Happens Next
Despite advice from party leadership to avoid in-person public forums, many Republicans have continued to host town hall meetings, and are likely to continue doing so.
Meanwhile, growing anger over the Trump administration’s controversial policies continues to fuel opposition, making more incidents of heckling likely.
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