Dem leader swings through GOP-held districts after 'clown show protests' halted town halls
Former vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., is hosting town halls on Friday in Republican-held congressional districts in Iowa and Nebraska, following reports that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) told Republicans in Congress to stop holding in-person town hall meetings.
The Republicans in those districts told Fox News Digital that Walz has some questions to answer of his own.
The Minnesota governor is holding a town hall in Omaha, Nebraska, on Friday morning – Republican Rep. Don Bacon’s home congressional district. The event’s digital flier said they will discuss "Trump and Musk's cuts to critical programs from Medicaid and SNAP to our national parks."
"Don Bacon is not holding an in-person town hall. Nebraska Democrats are stepping up and taking action," the flier said. But Bacon fired back in a statement to Fox News Digital, urging Walz to answer for the inconsistencies in his record that plagued his 2024 campaign alongside former Vice President Kamala Harris.
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"First, Nebraska Democrats brought in Bernie Sanders, the most liberal Senator, to the district. Now they’re bringing in the most liberal Governor in America. Perhaps at the townhall, Gov. Walz can finally clarify what Army rank he actually retired at and when the supposed combat deployment he used to talk about occurred. If he wants to call into our townhall, he can answer these questions," Bacon added.
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On Friday afternoon, Walz is hosting a town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, where Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, has represented the state's 3rd Congressional District in the House of Representatives since 2023. The Iowa Democratic Party’s fundraising flier for the event alleges "Zach Nunn has refused to host a public town hall since he was sworn into office in 2023." Nunn took aim at the Democrats, in response to the town hall, for calling "a fundraiser a forum."
"The American people spoke loud and clear in November—they voted for change. I’m delivering to: secure the border, unleash US energy, and cut taxes for working Americans. If out-of-state Democrats want to call a fundraiser a ‘forum,’ they should join us at our listening sessions, where Iowans help drive real results. Next week, I begin my Air Force Reserve duty—I hope the Senate avoids a Schumer Shutdown, so our troops continue to get paid," Nunn said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Walz's office did not reply to Fox News Digital's request for comment on his upcoming town halls.
The NRCC, the political campaign committee tasked with electing more Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives, advised against town halls following a series of disruptions by Democrats' discontent with President Donald Trump’s second term.
Walz announced on Wednesday if a Republican representative refused to meet with his constituents, then he would "lend a megaphone" to the red state constituents.
"I’m hitting the road, traveling to red states across the country to lend a megaphone to the people. Your congressman may not want to listen, but they’re going to hear from us anyway," Walz said in a post on Wednesday.
The NRCC said the protests that shut down Republicans' town hall meetings were "manufactured productions." Fox News Digital reported last month about the coordinated effort by progressive groups protesting the Department of Government Efficiency.
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"The Democrat Party has sold themselves out to the far-left crazies and their mega-donors who are funding these clown show protests. This isn’t grassroots — it’s manufactured productions, orchestrated to distract voters from the Democrats’ failed and out of touch record. Sending out Tampon Tim won’t solve the Democrats’ ‘massive brand problem,’ despite what they may think," Mike Marinella, NRCC National Press Secretary, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
MoveOn.org, which has accepted millions of dollars from billionaire George Soros and his Open Society Policy Center, announced in a press release last month that it was mobilizing resources as part of a "Congress Works for Us, Not Musk" initiative "aimed at pressuring lawmakers to fight back against the Trump-Musk agenda."
"MoveOn members and allies will show up at congressional-led town halls and congressional offices across the country, targeting House Republicans whose votes will be crucial in opposing Trump and Musk’s harmful policies," MoveOn.org said in the press release.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., kicked off his "Fighting Oligarchy" tour in Omaha last month. Sanders drew thousands of supporters to his stops in Michigan and Wisconsin this past weekend as the Vermont senator stands out as the leading progressive voice opposing Trump’s second term. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has reportedly started planning her own rallies in Republican-held congressional districts.
Walz teased his red state tour in a post last week, promising to host events in Republican-held congressional districts "to help local Democrats beat ‘em."
"If your Republican representative won’t meet with you because their agenda is so unpopular, maybe a Democrat will. Hell, maybe I will. If your congressman refuses to meet, I’ll come host an event in their district to help local Democrats beat ‘em," Walz said in the post.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor that town hall protests should be the "first clue" that Republicans "should drop their terrible agenda."
"Americans are organizing in public, and Republicans have seen these frustrations at town halls. That should be the first clue that they should drop their terrible agenda. When a lead Republican in the House tells Republicans, you better cancel your town halls, they're running away from their policies and priorities," Schumer said.
NRCC Chair Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., told reporters it was a "shame that the Democrats are threats to democracy by disrupting this dialogue" at town halls. Hudson also emphasized the expanded reach of tele-town halls, where representatives can meet with thousands of constituents at a time.
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Speaker of the House Mike Johnson told reporters last week that town hall protesters could be paid professionals.
"George Soros-funded groups and others literally pay protesters," Johnson said. "Democratic activists who don't live in the district very often will show up for these town hall events, and they'll go in an hour early and fill all the seats, and so the constituents and the people from the community that are actually represented don't even get a seat."
"There are people who do this as a profession. They're professional protesters. So why would we give them a forum to do that? Right now, the best thing that our members can do is communicate directly, frequently, consistently with their constituents. There are other avenues to do it than just going in to try to give the other side soundbites. I mean, they're doing this for the cameras. We all know it," Johnson added.
Trump also dismissed the protesters as "paid troublemakers" in a Truth Social post.
"Paid ‘troublemakers’ are attending Republican Town Hall Meetings. It is all part of the game for the Democrats, but just like our big LANDSLIDE ELECTION, it’s not going to work for them!" Trump wrote.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries shut down Trump and Johnson’s claims in a video message posted last week, saying, "We don't need paid protesters, bro. The American people are with us."
"I'm told that Donald Trump, Mike Johnson and the extreme MAGA Republicans are claiming that Democrats are sending paid protesters into their town hall meetings. What's wrong with y'all? What's wrong with y'all? You don't need to send paid protesters into your town hall meetings. The American people are with us all across the country," Jeffries said.