President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Republicans to respond to “disruptors and troublemakers” at town halls by having them “immediately ejected,” after protests and heated exchanges at some of these events hosted by GOP lawmakers.
Trump alleged that “Radical Left Democrats” are “paying a fortune to have people infiltrate” the town halls held by Republicans in Congress.
“These Great Patriot Politicians should not treat them nicely,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Have them immediately ejected from the room – They are disruptors and troublemakers.”
The president said GOP lawmakers need to quell the idea that the event disruptors are Republican dissidents unhappy with the actions and policies pushed by his administration and the party.
“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,” Trump wrote.
“There is not, there is only LOVE and UNITY. Republicans are happy with what is taking place in our Country. We all love America!” he continued.
This comes as several Republican lawmakers in recent months have faced intense criticism by attendees at their town halls over some of Trump’s policies.
Some Republican leaders have urged members to avoid holding in-person town halls and instead hold phone and livestreamed events due to concerns that “paid protesters” and Democratic activists may hijack the in-person events.
“We’ve been encouraging our members to communicate directly with their constituents, and they’re anxious to do that,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said at a press conference last month. “There’s lots of different ways and forums to do it. 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.”
But some Republican lawmakers continue to hold in-person town halls with their constituents.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., hosted a town hall earlier this month in which at least six people were removed. Three of the people escorted out of the event were arrested, including two whom police used stun guns to apprehend.
“I’m not intimidated by the Democrats who tried to shut down my town hall tonight,” Greene said after the event on April 15. “I refused to tolerate their selfish attempts to disrupt an event that was for all of my constituents, not just the ones who could make the most noise. This is the type of business that should be handled at the voting booth.”
Other Republican lawmakers, including Florida Rep. Byron Donalds and Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, were involved in heated exchanges this month at town hall events while attempting to defend moves taken by the Trump administration.
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