US House speaker urges lawmakers to avoid town hall meetings

PHOTO CAPTION: U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., February 7, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

By David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson urged fellow Republican lawmakers on Tuesday to avoid public town-hall meetings with voters after some events turned into angry confrontations over President Donald Trump's moves to fire federal workers and defund government programs.

Johnson said Democrats and activist groups were responsible for the tumult.

"They're professional protesters. So why would we give them a forum to do that right now? They're doing this for the camera. We all know it, and I think it's wise not to play along," he said.

Johnson said he was encouraging lawmakers to meet with constituents in other formats, such as small groups or telephone conferences.

His comments followed several public meetings that erupted into shouting matches over efforts by billionaire Elon Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency" to fire thousands of federal workers and cut off funding for programs deemed wasteful.

Democrats said Republicans were seeking to hide from regular Americans, not paid activists. 

"They are scared to answer the question from their own constituents about why they continue to support these efforts," said Representative Pete Aguilar, a member of the Democratic leadership. 

Other Republicans said they were concerned about activists who have protested outside lawmaker homes, churches and restaurants.

"For me, personally, I think it's not safe to do an in-person town hall, because I don’t know what to expect," said Republican Representative Lauren Boebert.

 (Reporting by David Morgan; editing by Andy Sullivan and Leslie Adler)