The stakes couldn’t possibly be higher. Democrats are going to get one chance to respond to all this destruction and they best start getting ready. After all, the signs are out there already showing that the public is not supporting the DOGE cuts as constituted. Democrats best get planning now, as they see the public’s response. We have three examples already – barely 30 days into the Trump administration, of public outrage in Red Districts. These are red-hat people and they’re red in the face with anger. Here we have the three townhalls that are burning up Bluesky and X. I use Grok to give a summary of each meeting:
Georgia – Rep. Rich McCormick’s Town Hall (February 20, 2025) Roswell, Georgia
Rep. Rich McCormick faced an angry crowd in his district, a safe GOP area, where constituents criticized the Trump administration’s DOGE-led cuts. Attendees called out the “chainsaw approach” to federal layoffs, notably at the CDC, with one asking why conservatives were taking such a “radical and sloppy” stance. Another attendee labeled Trump a “megalomaniac” over his social media rhetoric, reflecting frustration with both the cuts and the administration’s style. The event saw cheers and boos, indicating strong discontent.
Holy shit! You’ve got to see this town hall. Republicans are starting to get torn apart by their own constituents.Rep. Rich McCormick: “You don’t think I’m going to stand up for you?”Woman in the crowd: “You need to stand up.”Another woman: “Don’t bend over.” 🔥
— Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline.com) 2025-02-21T02:50:02.805Z
Oregon: Rep. Cliff Bentz’s Town Hall (February 19, 2025) Baker City, Pendleton Oregon
During a town hall, Rep. Cliff Bentz fielded constituent concerns about DOGE’s federal workforce reductions. He acknowledged a “serious question” about the president’s authority to enact such cuts, suggesting unease among attendees about the scope and legality of the Trump administration’s actions. While specific quotes from citizens weren’t detailed, the context implies significant pushback.
Republican U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz again faced a combative crowd at a town hall last night in Pendleton, Oregon. According to the East Oregonian, he was booed and heckled throughout the meeting.
— Ryan Haas (@ryanjhaas.bsky.social) 2025-02-21T15:37:54.674Z
Alaska: Rep. Nick Begich’s Telephone Town Hall (February 17, 2025) Virtual: Statewide
In a telephone town hall, a constituent pressed Begich on the need for “checks and balances” on the executive branch amid DOGE’s cuts, only for the call to cut off abruptly. This suggests frustration with the administration’s aggressive downsizing, though the format limited broader documentation of complaints.
1. AUDIOOn Monday in Fairbanks, Congressman Nick Begich (R-AK) told a constituent laid off from a job with the federal gov't that there was nothing he could do to stop budget cuts imposed by DOGE and Elon MuskBegich said he was "not in a position to approve or deny the cuts"
— Judd Legum (@juddlegum.bsky.social) 2025-02-20T14:02:23.838Z
Powerless? Congress is anything but powerless. If Congress wanted, it could make some finding that the administration had usurped the power of the purse by taking agencies and departments that had been funded at a certain level and rejecting that level by firing personnel that Congress intended to pay. Indeed, I cannot understand why this argument hasn’t been made to a court. Regardless, Congress could vote to make a finding that the Administration was outside the bounds. Doing this alone would give courts a fresh bit of law to apply to motions to stop the cuts. And if the administration continued to cut without Congress’s input, it could impeach and try the man. Yes, that’s quite the radical remedy, but is it any more radical than what the administration is actually doing? And until it has been considered, I don’t want to hear that they cannot do anything.
Meanwhile, Democrats better get their shit together. The upcoming 2026 election gives them an opportunity to reverse 60 seats if they play this right. They need to make informal committees to interview people hurt – particularly military, Forest Service, NASA, the type that others see as “everyday Americans” caught up in a political agenda they have nothing to do with, and spread the stories everywhere. The only Democrats that I see really out there doing something, being heard, are Rep. AOC, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Rep. Jaime Raskin, Sen. Mark Kelly, Sen. Chris Murphy, and Sen. Adam Schiff – other than that, I am not seeing enough from Democrats and I include Leader Hakim Jeffries (Normally I am a big fan). I spend all day researching stuff for my column and I’m just not seeing it. I have little patience for what I see as an “All Hands on Deck” moment. The public seems to be turning, these are red districts that have been lit, where are we? I don’t see or hear enough, not yet.
Continue on. As I wrote several times in previous spaces, the public never signed up for this. They wanted lower egg prices, they wanted the IRS cut down to size. They didn’t want the National Park rangers fired. They won’t tolerate this. It is so bad that Republicans are now having to dread answering for it. Make them eat it.
God Bless: I can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter-X at @JasonMiciak, and now please follow on Bluesky
Friends, donations have dried up this week and we haven’t gotten any new subscribers. If you’ve already helped, thank you so very much. If you can help a bit, it would be appreciated. We are in a slough of despair with the generalized Democratic depression on top of Q1 revenue rates being the lowest of all year. Thank you. Ursula
I’m waiting for the words “second amendment remedy”. There are much much more of us than there are of them.
I’m getting so f*uckin angry. They are not going to do this to the country. and the only way to stop them is to rise up.
Get with your angry republican neighbors. You have a lot more in common with them than you think. We can all agree these pieces of shit have got to go
Please be careful about advocating a violent response. Especially with the attempts on Trump’s life, it is critical to confine our solutions to the political process. Violence is only an option when civil liberties are cut such that life and property is being taken. Never before.
I don’t think we’re at a point yet where one should be talking about using weapons and shooting. That’s not to say that it isn’t damned serious. I write on it daily. But we need to be really careful about what we’re advocating bc you want to preserve life and stability. Additionally, generally speaking, people know when there is nothing left to do but fight.
I don’t think we’re there yet with respect to violence. I hope we never get there, which is why I want Democrats out on the Capitol steps with a “Project 2027 and Project 2029” highlighting all we want, increased wages, increased taxes on billionaires, increased civil rights and protections against racism, protections against LGBTQ action, spending federal money on infrastructure, better roads, better net, better service, guaranteed healthcare – all those things people desperately want.
Put those in place, put the political heat on them, and then see what happens. The biggest fight can be had without ever firing a shot.
jason
And censorship is a very real threat for outlets that oppose Rump, see his threatening statements about MSNBC. I don’t put anything past him, including closing down media.
I.am.worried about mass arrests at protests, I also wonder whether there’s an algorithm combing FB and Bluesky for posts criticizing him, leading to.arrests for “treason.”
They threw that shit at us/Biden. I’m using the words they directed at us.
It’s not gonna take long before we lose our rights. Trump and musk are chipping away at them right and as fast as they can. We need to be ready.
Trump and musk are talking about ignoring the courts. That’s our best defense against their crap They ignore the courts, what are we going to do then?
Schumer and Jeffries are allowing this with their feeble excuses on why they aren’t standing up for us like they should. Fight for us damn it!
I wrote that very thing above. Demanding more action from the Dems in DC. I see more happening locally than in the federal government.
Having said that, the people that are out there, particularly AOC, Crockett, and Kelly, are doing yeoman’s work… alone, for the most part.
Agree on leadership not doing enough.
That being said, I know they’ve used that language, that doesn’t make it okay for us to use it. I think so caution is more than warranted. It is too dangerous as it is.
They are destroying themselves, and we should be encouraging the public, taking their side, very visibly. For now, that’s more than good enough, so long as leadership dives in – which, as I’ve noted, they haven’t done enough.
jason
Ok I see your point about not using their language. You’re right it’s not productive.
I write to my representatives but live in a red state so I never get a response. I’ve also called their DC offices and could only leave a message.
And leadership on both chambers in DC scares the crap out of me.
I’ve also written to Jeffries and tried to give him ideas and encouragement. Haven’t got a response and not sure I will (don’t live in NY)
Schumer I don’t really see him doing anything and I think he needs to go.
We have put up with this monster for ten years. I’m so frickin tired of this 💩
I’m with you on all points and frankly I see nothing wrong with calling for people to “rise up.” You didn’t mention violence nor weapons, just an uprising. They can be peaceful and still effective. People marching send a message, people boycotting things emphasise the message, people getting onto local TV and radio add more weight. We need to raise our voices and be heard.