Downers Grove, Illinois
UJ
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This week, Democratic lawmakers have encountered intense backlash at town hall gatherings nationwide, with constituents voicing their outrage over President Donald Trump’s actions alongside significant disappointment regarding what they perceive as an ineffective response from Democrats.
Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego have been urged to “fight harder” and “get down in the weeds” with Republicans.
“We’d like you to display some of the backbone and cunning strategy that Mitch McConnell shows while in the minority,” a man expressed to Maryland Representative Glenn Ivey.
“They should genuinely start fighting for a change. They must act as the opposition party,” an attendee complained to UJ during a town hall with Illinois Representative Sean Casten.
The biting critique from voters surfaces as Democrats find themselves powerless at all levels of the federal government while lacking a definitive leader, highlighting substantial divisions regarding the party’s direction and strategy. The rift within the party following a contentious government funding dispute has hindered any unification behind a cohesive strategy to challenge Trump and strengthen political positioning ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
The strain between Democratic lawmakers and their constituents has come to light shortly after the Republican-controlled House and Senate barely dodged a shutdown by passing a temporary government funding bill — facilitated by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and nine others from his party who enabled the passage of the bill.
Keen to avoid embarrassment, especially as Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk seek to cut federal spending and reshape government, Republican leaders warned their party members against holding town hall meetings during this week’s congressional recess.
The majority of Republicans complied with the directive. Those who chose to disregard it — including Nebraska Representative Mike Flood and Wyoming Representative Harriet Hageman — were met with heckling and pointed inquiries, even from their Republican constituents at their meetings.
Flood faced questions on how he “personally copes” with slashing funds for medical research after his wife’s breast cancer diagnosis.
Carol Moseman, a Republican voter for Flood, asserted to UJ that she doesn’t want Congress to abandon its supervisory role over the Trump administration.
“I want to hear that he and other Republicans are committed to defending democracy and that they won’t allow Mr. Trump to assume control using executive powers,” she stated. “We elected Congress to enact laws, and that’s not happening.”
Hageman encountered skepticism in her very Republican district regarding federal spending reductions and halted grants. Tomi Sue Wille, a kindergarten teacher, indicated support for Trump’s initiative to dismantle the Department of Education but expressed concerns that vital federal funds for special needs children might not be delivered to her pupils.
“I believe Congress should assert control in ensuring that such funding remains available to the states,” Wille shared with UJ.
At a different town hall, a voter who identified herself as a retired military officer and Republican pressed Hageman about allegations of fraud within the government in a tense exchange.
“You are an attorney, where is this fraud?” the voter questioned Hageman, based on CSPAN footage from the town hall. The voter continued: “Which company, which organization, who are we targeting?”
Hageman responded by pointing to expenditure by the US Agency for International Development — an initiative both the Trump administration and DOGE are seeking to dismantle — as the fraud. “This is where the fraud lies. This is the spending tied to the fraud. The spending itself is the fraud,” Hageman insisted, though this assertion dissatisfied the constituent and other attendees, who interrupted her while she tried to present figures.
A federal employee and Republican in Wyoming, wishing to remain unnamed to express his views freely, said GOP rhetoric regarding federal workers has been disheartening — including Musk’s “fork in the road” email offering months of severance pay, which he termed “a bit disconcerting.”
“I don’t see us all as parasites,” the federal worker told UJ. “I try not to take it too personally. I know what I contribute. I am aware of my dedication.”
Entering the week, Democrats perceived the majority of Republicans retreating from public view as an opportunity to engage with their constituents and strongly argue that the Republican government funding plan would drastically reduce programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
However, the dissatisfaction confronting Democrats at their own town halls resulted in their return to Washington without significant political momentum garnered during their home visits — instead providing a vivid insight into the party’s challenges during the initial two months of Trump’s presidency.
According to a UJ-SSRS poll earlier this month, the Democratic Party’s favorability rating among Americans has reached a historic low of just 29%— a result partially driven by dissatisfaction from its own disillusioned supporters.
Democratic voters and those aligned with the party question whether the primary focus should be stopping the Republican agenda, with 57% favoring this approach over 42% preferring a partnership with the GOP to incorporate some Democratic ideas into legislation.
Labeling it a “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has aimed to mobilize those seeking political action through rallies nationwide. New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a fellow progressive, participated in this campaign across competitive Western states on Thursday — yet, underscoring the party’s divisions, this response to the demands of Democratic constituents faced public disappointment from some factions within the party.
During an event in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ocasio-Cortez stated that Trump has “handed control over to Elon Musk and is selling this country for parts to the wealthiest individuals on the planet for a favor.” However, she also criticized her own party.
“We need a Democratic Party that is more aggressive in fighting for us,” Ocasio-Cortez emphasized. “This requires us, as a community, to choose and support Democrats and elected officials who genuinely advocate for the working class.”
At the town hall meetings, constituents who voted for Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump in the 2024 presidential election, expressed feeling let down by the party’s inability to rise to the occasion and respond with strength.
In Scottsdale, Arizona, as Kelly and Gallego asserted at a joint event that there was a path to persuade Republicans to maintain Medicaid, Jacie Czerwinski had reached her limit.
“When will they take the gloves off and truly act?” she remarked quietly. “They are merely preaching to the choir.”
Czerwinski, a Democrat who runs a rock-climbing gym locally, had reached out to Kelly’s office multiple times since the Trump administration began. When Kelly encouraged attendees to leave voicemails to senators to ensure their voices are heard, she interjected: “Yours is full!”
The two Democratic senators from this pivotal state avoided responding to an attendee’s shouted question regarding their stance on possibly removing Schumer from his leadership position after he publicly backed the spending measure last week. “We are focusing on this issue right now,” Gallego stated, clarifying that the town hall was specifically centered on what Democrats label a Republican effort to cut Medicaid funding.
Quianna Brown, whose 10-year-old daughter’s Medicaid coverage is threatened since she is no longer in the foster system, challenged the senators on their characterization of Medicaid cuts as still to be determined.
“What can we do? We feel extremely powerless while trying to prepare for our family’s future. We can’t wait until actions are finalized. We need guidance on how to prepare for what might come next. We aim to protect ourselves before we suffer loss, but we lack direction,” Brown emphasized.
Kelly described Brown’s experience as “incredibly impactful” and requested her name so he could present it to Republicans in Washington. Gallego acknowledged that Democrats “would all wish for a snap solution right now, but that’s not how it operates.”
“We must resist them until they concede in this fight. If you grant them any leeway, they will seize everything,” he declared.
Following the event, Brown shared with UJ that she appreciated the senators hearing her concerns but desired more. “As a parent, you always wish to have a game plan when you feel incapable of protecting your child. What’s the strategy?” she articulated.
She conveyed that the senators appeared to be “too business as usual.”
Jefri Knazan, who had taught in Canada but returned to the U.S. for family reasons and is currently on Medicaid, felt so disheartened by how the senators addressed Brown’s concerns that she reformulated her query to press them for straightforward answers about advancing the fight “to the next level.”
Multiple attendees shared their candid assessments further to UJ, expressing that the party lacks a prominent leader and a cohesive message.
“I don’t think showing up with hand fans at a speech has any effect,” stated retired Navy veteran Tom Dyson, referencing the props Democratic lawmakers brandished during Trump’s recent address to Congress. “Action is required. Definitely, you must voice your concerns.”
For retiree Donald Bandy, dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party is an “understatement.”
“We appear disorganized. There is no coalition. We lack any sense of authority. The Republicans hold all the reins, and everyone is intimidated by Trump. His word is law,” Bandy expressed.
‘You are not fighting!’: Voters demand answers at Democratic lawmaker town hall
At a town hall for Ivey, the second-term Democratic congressman, held in Forestville, Maryland, attendees voiced their discontent about the Democrats’ role, especially Schumer’s, in facilitating the Republicans’ approval of the continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown.
“The takeaway from the Democrats in Congress during the CR disaster was unmistakable,” a man named John told Ivey. “It’s not about being in the minority; you’re failing to collaborate on a united strategy.”
Ivey listened attentively as John raised his voice.
“We’re not interested in hearing about being in the minority—we’re fully aware of that!” John shouted into the microphone. “We demand that you exhibit some of the courage and strategic finesse that Mitch McConnell displays when he’s in the minority. You need to fight harder, and you’re not.”
Another constituent, Donya Williams, criticized Ivey for not knowing his constituents well enough — particularly since he admitted earlier that he wasn’t aware of popular podcaster Joe Rogan until the middle of the 2024 presidential campaign.
“You’re clueless about a podcast, and as a Democratic (lawmaker) representing this diverse group, you don’t grasp how to engage with us,” Williams commented. “Thus, you don’t really know us.”
Ivey countered that he and his congressional colleagues are actively seeking new ways to connect with younger voters on social media. “The goal is to ensure we work together rather than against each other in our outreach efforts,” he said.
Ivey maintained his composure throughout the evening, drawing praise from one participant. Yet he was met by her critical remark: “We need you to be less polite.”
In the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove, attendees at Casten’s town hall on Wednesday night were generally supportive of the congressman’s stance against Trump. However, they expressed intense anger at Senator Dick Durbin’s vote to advance the spending measure last week.
“Dick Durbin needs to face a primary challenge in two years,” asserted Ben Holinga, a 43-year-old salesman and Democratic voter from Willowbrook nearby.
“I am deeply dissatisfied with how Senate Democrats handled the continuing resolution,” he stated. “They must actually start fighting. They must be a genuine opposition party.”
Rick Lunt, a 68-year-old retiree and Democratic voter from Palos Hills, noted that he appreciates Casten and wanted to express his support. However, he indicated that he desires to see Democrats take more substantial actions to assert their opposition to Trump, even if such actions are merely symbolic.
Democrats could, he suggested, “propose a resolution for impeachment or something” to remove Trump from office—acknowledging that “sometimes even a symbolic action can suffice to motivate the rest of us.”
During Casten’s town hall, pro-Palestinian protesters frequently interrupted, with one protester who chose not to reveal his identity climbing on stage and refusing to depart.
Calls of “Casten” and “leave, leave, leave” echoed through the room as some audience members attempted to drown out the protests. After more than 45 minutes of disruptions, local law enforcement requested the congressman to conclude his event.
“The outcome of your actions will deter good people from attending town halls in the future,” Casten addressed the protesters, “because their efforts will seem unproductive.”
UJ’s Ariel Edwards-Levy and Danny Freeman contributed to this report.
