Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) argued that the protests at his town halls are meant to “silence debate and discussion,” adding that he has footage of protesters plotting how they can disrupt his meetings.
Recent town halls hosted by the New York lawmaker have gone viral for attendees loudly jeering and chanting, with one attendee escorted out by police. Lawler, who has represented New York’s 17th Congressional District since 2023, argued that this behavior is “out of the Democratic playbook” used since 2018, when attendees “tried to hijack” town hall meetings.
“I’ve done over 50 town hall meetings and mobile office hours in my district since taking office back in 2023. I have no problem doing them,” Lawler said on Fox News’s Hannity. “This is part of democracy. People have a right to come and ask their representatives questions. But the fact is, these folks don’t want to hear answers. They don’t want to know what I have to say or why I may vote the way I vote on a certain issue. They want to come and protest. They want to come and try to silence debate and discussion, and the fact is we have them on video just a week ago talking about what they’re going to do to interrupt, boo, hiss, jeer, yell, scream, stomp their feet, and storm out, and so that’s exactly what they’ve done.”
Lawler also spotlighted how the woman removed from his town hall, Emily Feiner, has a “long history of crazy posts,” such as advocating defunding the police and claiming that Israel has committed “genocide” for 75 years. He said that attendees booed the Pledge of Allegiance at one town hall and the combating of antisemitism at another.
Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, in which Republicans are aiming to keep their thin majority in the House of Representatives, Lawler predicted that his district would be “one of the most competitive” in the country. Lawler is the first Republican candidate since 1980 to represent his district, which voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
JEFFRIES MOCKS GOP FOR DELAYS ON ‘BIG UGLY BILL’
The unruly protests occurred before the House was set to vote on the IGO Anti-Boycott Act, introduced by Lawler and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) on Monday evening, though this bill was later pulled from the schedule. The bill would have criminalized U.S. citizens or companies for complying with or supporting boycotts called for by international government organizations, and was greatly criticized by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
This bill amends existing law and focuses on institutional pressures, not personal choices, ensuring that Americans are not forced to participate in unsanctioned boycotts promoted by IGOs, like the UN. I look forward to leadership bringing this critical legislation to a vote. pic.twitter.com/CTGLA8VudD
— Congressman Mike Lawler (@RepMikeLawler) May 5, 2025
Lawler has since defended his bill, writing on X that it amends existing law to focus on “institutional pressures.” A statement included in his post also said that the bill did not interfere with free speech or political activism and was meant to safeguard U.S. businesses from being “coerced” into supporting foreign boycotts.