Republican Met With Loud Boos, 'Shame' Chants at Town Hall
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Representative Doug LaMalfa, a California Republican, was met with boos and jeers at a town hall meeting on Monday over his support for President Donald Trump.
It comes after a series of similar incidents, including one just over a week ago, in which Nebraska Republican Representative Mike Flood faced the public's wrath over several Trump administration policies.
Newsweek has contacted LaMalfa's office for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Town halls have become tense and rowdy affairs for Republicans in recent months, as lawmakers face the scorn of voters over the Trump administration's policies, especially around cuts to Social Security, Medicaid and veterans' health care.
Representative Doug LaMalfa speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 15, 2022.
Representative Doug LaMalfa speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 15, 2022.
Francis Chung/E&E News/POLITICO/AP
What To Know
LaMalfa faced backlash at the town hall in Chico, a college town 90 miles north of Sacramento, over Trump's economic policies and the administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The roughly 650 attendees at the local Elks Lodge booed, jeered and cursed at LaMalfa, calling him a "liar," an "ahole." At one point, someone yelled, "F**** you!" when the moderator called on an audience member. The crowd also chanted "Shame! Shame! Shame!" at him.
The crowd expressed particular anger over the Epstein case after a joint Justice Department and FBI memo last month indicated no further disclosures would be made. One attendee shouted: "You all left, the speaker of the House released you guys so you didn't have to deal with releasing the files," referencing House Speaker Mike Johnson's decision to send lawmakers on recess before voting on a resolution to release more information.
LaMalfa acknowledged the criticism, saying: "It's interesting the Epstein situation was not an issue during the Biden administration," which drew more boos and jeers. He also called for "very clear transparency" on the investigation and expressed hope that additional information would be available when Congress reconvenes.
"I think it's a bad look to have this information continue to be suppressed, but there's also people involved in the way those files at some level need to be redacted," he added.
Frustration also focused on Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend, who was recently moved to a minimum-security Texas prison. One attendee shouted: "She needs to still get her time and be held accountable," which LaMalfa acknowledged.
Audience members pressed LaMalfa on broader accountability, asking: "Do you believe that elected officials who knowingly protect and enable criminal behavior, including insurrection, fraud and sexual abuse, should be removed from office?"
LaMalfa replied: "Everybody should be held accountable whether you're elected or not if you've done an illegal activity," citing due process for Maxwell and participants in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Attendees shouted: "You should be ashamed of yourself!" and "No!" in response to his answer.
The town hall also focused on Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill." Attendees questioned cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and Obamacare, projected to total $1.1 trillion over the next decade. LaMalfa maintained there were "no cuts to the people themselves," prompting someone to shout, "You're lying!"
He also faced criticism over Trump's tariffs, particularly their impact on farmers. One audience member asked: "If you're not here to announce your resignation, why aren't you here to apologize to the farmers of the North State because of your support for the Trump tariffs?"
LaMalfa responded: "I'm not here to do either, thanks. Do you want to actually talk about something productive?"
LaMalfa's town hall is just the latest in a series of heated meetings with constituents that have escalated since Trump took office.
Some gatherings have ended with constituents forcibly removed, threatened with arrest or even tased—like at the April town hall held by Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, an action she defended. Weeks prior, National Republican Committee Chairman Michael Whatley advised GOP lawmakers to avoid in-person town halls or hold them virtually.
As a result, several Republicans opted not to hold meetings, leaving space for Democrats—including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and California Representative Ro Khanna—to appear at the events, sometimes even outside their home states.
Democrats, however, have faced their own confrontations. At a California town hall in April, one frustrated voter told Representative Laura Friedman: "I don't believe that you have pushed hard enough. I don't believe that you have fought hard enough."
Meanwhile, some Republicans, including Trump, have dismissed concerns about the trend. In a post on social media in March, he said the heckling was the work of "paid troublemakers." He also claimed that "Radical Left Democrats are paying a fortune to have people infiltrate the Town Halls of Republican Congressmen/women and Senators."
Senator Jim Banks skipped a town hall organized by his constituents in Indiana in late March and sent doughnuts to the waiting crowd, which he accused of being Democrats.
But polls have shown that voters are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the Trump administration, with the president's approval rating dropping to an all-time low in several recent surveys. And that extends to Republicans, with YouGov/Economist polling showing a sharp decline in Trump's support among members of his own party since January.
Polling suggests it is a result of concerns about his handling of the economy. But polls have also shown that Republicans are not satisfied with how the administration has handled the Jeffrey Epstein case.
In a YouGov/Economist poll from the beginning of August, 53 percent of Republicans said they believe the government is covering up evidence it has about Epstein.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, on Truth Social in March: "Paid 'troublemakers' are attending Republican Town Hall Meetings. It is all part of the game for the Democrats, but just like our big LANDSLIDE ELECTION, it's not going to work for them!"
What Happens Next
Senior Republicans are likely to repeat earlier calls for lawmakers to stop conducting in-person town halls, especially if voter anger intensifies.
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