President Donald Trump gave advice to Republican lawmakers who have been dealing with demonstrators disrupting town hall events across the country.
In a post on Truth Social, the president said the protesters are being paid by “Radical Left Democrats” and Republicans shouldn’t put up with it.
"The Radical Left Democrats are paying a fortune to have people infiltrate the Town Halls of Republican Congressmen/women and Senators," he wrote. "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," the president continued. "There is not, there is only LOVE and UNITY. Republicans are happy with what is taking place in our Country. We all love America!"
Republican leadership advised party members earlier this year to avoid in-person town hall events for this reason.
The chair of the House GOP’s campaign arm told Republican lawmakers Tuesday to stop holding in-person town halls amid a wave of angry backlash over the cuts undertaken by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), the NRCC chair, delivered the message inside a closed-door meeting of House Republicans, according to three people granted anonymity to describe the private remarks.
Trump on Monday dismissed the town hall uproar — much of it trained on the sweeping cutbacks made by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency — as being the work of “paid ‘troublemakers.’” Many other GOP leaders have adopted a similar tack, asserting that the protests Republican lawmakers have encountered have been concocted by Democrats and do not reflect genuine voter anger over the Trump cuts. (Politico)
“There are people who do this as a profession, they’re professional protesters,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters at the time, saying it would be "wise" to not "play into that."
Instead, he suggested tele-town halls were a better option to speak with constituents.
Still, some lawmakers have continued holding in-person events, such as Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), both of whom got into heated exchanges with some in attendance.