As viral demonstrations erupt at town hall meetings, people are now using empty chairs to represent absent officials. Republican representatives to express their disappointments due to the lack of presence from their political representatives.
Republican leaders have instructed their members not to attend community meetings. encounters aimed at steering clear of confronting voters' anger over the policies advocated by President's administration Donald Trump . Voters are especially outraged at Elon Musk ’s effort to gut the federal government and the civil service.
During the congressional recess that came to an end on Sunday, local activists held events where voters could voice their opinions even if their congressional representatives chose not to attend the events they were invited to.
New York voters railed at an empty chair holding a photo of Rep. Elise Stefanik at a town hall event hosted by Indivisible ADK, according to WRGB.
"Will you stand up for your people and Congress by taking food out of the mouths of hungry constituents in your district?" one attendee asked.
"What, Elise, are you gonna do to ensure that the Trump administration does the same?" another asked. Others simply questioned where she was.
"Congresswoman Stefanik has hosted thousands of events since she was first elected, which is why she was consistently overwhelmingly re-elected for six terms, earning the highest number of votes in the North Country in history for a Congressional candidate,” Stefanik spokesperson Alex DeGrasse told CBS6 . “This is the same failed playbook radical Leftist Democrats have used every cycle.”
Similarly, Montana voters shared their concerns regarding cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and the Department of Veterans Affairs , the Missoula Current reported.
Meanwhile, the Alaska Current reported that event attendees in the state slammed Trump for his attacks on longtime allies such as Canada while at the same time taking a more friendly approach to traditional adversaries such as Russia .
Participants at a gathering in Anchorage aimed at vacant seats adorned with placards reading "Chicken Nick" and "Doorman Dan," referring to Representative Nick Begich and Senator Dan Sullivan .
A woman stated she would not vote for Sullivan again after his decision to support the confirmation of the Defense Secretary. Pete Hegseth .
Dan, what went through your mind!" she exclaimed. "Clearly, it isn’t about the American people or defending the nation. Perhaps there’s some Russian blood in you, Dan!
Mike Macans informed the participants at the Alaska gathering that he had been let go multiple times from his position with the company. Small Business Administration .
Regular folks here in Alaska are feeling the impact of the damage done to essential services," stated Macans. "Representatives like Begich and Senator Sullivan declined to meet with us. They failed to advocate for typical hardworking Alaskans... So where on earth have you been?
Sullivan informed journalists that he preferred dedicating his time to meet with small gatherings, like the one held during a fundraising event in Fairbanks on Friday.
"My top priority has consistently been productive and significant interaction with those I represent," he stated to the media in Juneau, Alaska Beacon And by the way, do you wish to discuss a town hall meeting? That was indeed the quintessential town hall. It included 60 elected representatives who had the freedom to inquire about any subject of their choosing, with questions directed at me.
He mentioned that he is not willing to meet with people who simply want to shout at him.
If there's productive dialogue, I'm completely supportive of it," Sullivan stated. "But if it's merely about shouting and bickering and trying to create shareable moments for others? It might not be the best approach to achieve what was accomplished during my one-and-a-half-hour meeting with Alaska’s elected representatives.
Meanwhile, in Indiana , numerous voters convened at a nearby library for an event aimed at criticizing Senators Todd Young and Jim Banks , along with Rep. Marlin Stutzman, for allegedly declining to meet with them.
"They've never visited this place before; what makes them think they'd show up now? They're just no-shows. Their interest lies with Trump and Musk, not with us," an attendee mentioned. WPTA .
A representative for Banks informed the local television station that "participating in a mock town hall event with a select number of complaining Democrats afflicted by Trump Derangement Syndrome does not rank highly on his list of priorities."
"Senator Banks garnered more votes than any other Senate candidate in Indiana’s history due to his robust track record of assisting constituents and advocating for Hoosiers," stated a representative from Banks' office. The Independent.
The Independent has reached out to Stutzman and Young for their input.
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