Democrats are hoping to fill the vacuum left by Republicans‘ decision to avoid town halls, planning events across the country that highlight the Trump administration’s layoffs and federal funding cuts.
Last month, the campaign arm for House Republicans urged members not to hold in-person events in their districts after blowback over President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. But Democrats are hoping to replicate that outrage with events of their own, seeing it as a chance to steady their party after being swept out of power.
Over the past few weeks, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has begun holding town halls in swing districts represented by Republicans to hear concerns about DOGE and lead the charge on a resurgent resistance against Trump.
Sanders, the de facto leader of the progressive movement after two unsuccessful runs for president, has reportedly attracted thousands at each stop on his tour, with the most events held in Michigan and Wisconsin.
“This is like presidential campaign rallies, isn’t it? But I’m not running for president, and this is not a campaign,” Sanders told the Associated Press. “You gotta do what you gotta do. The country’s in trouble, and I want to play my role.”
Not all Republicans are avoiding town halls. Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) previously told the Washington Examiner that he will continue to meet with constituents with additional precautions.
His town hall in particular went viral as House Republicans returned home for a week-long break, attracting millions of views on a video CNN posted to TikTok alone. Subsequent reporting has shown some town halls were advertised by liberal groups, but there is so far no evidence the attendees were paid.
“I will continue to have in-person ones, but I’ll control the environment much better. I think we can improve on it,” McCormick said.
Still, Democrats seek to follow in Sanders’ footsteps and are contemplating town halls of their own in a bid to put Republicans on defense. Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL), a Gen Z lawmaker from Florida, also plans to hold events in red districts.
“We’re filling a void that’s left open by our Republican colleagues who are too scared to show up to town halls in their own districts because they’re doing things that are not popular. And it’s not just Democrats showing up, it’s Republicans showing up,” Frost said at House Democrats’ retreat in Virginia this week.
“It’s Democrats going above and beyond and saying, ‘We, even though I don’t represent your district, I know you want to talk with a member of Congress, not just send a form online, not leave a voicemail,’” he added. “All that’s really important, but you want to see someone’s face and we, as Democrats, we’re going to fill these voids.”
Leadership has not formally requested that members hold the town halls, “but many of us are considering doing that,” one House Democrat told the Washington Examiner.
The protest events are not limited to members of Congress. Gov. Tim Walz (D-MI), the vice presidential candidate in 2024, has also decided to hit the road.
Rachel Schilke contributed to this article.