A Republican congressman believes angry protesters who have been taking over GOP town halls since President Trump took office are looking for fleeting fame and are disrespectful to people who want to hear from lawmakers.
Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., said on CNN Wednesday the protesters advocating for the Affordable Care Act in front of Republicans around the country are not allowing their representatives to properly communicate what’s happening in Washington.
“What’s important for me in those settings is I’m at least given the opportunity to answer it,” Zeldin said of liberal criticism. “As I watch some of these town halls taking place, what’s happening is they’re turning into political theater.
“People have their phones put, they want to get their 19 seconds of fame. What’s disrespectful [is they’re interrupting] those in that room that want to hear what their member of Congress has to say.”
Zeldin said that’s why he’s doing tele-town halls, where people can call in from the comfort of their own home to ask questions of their lawmakers.
Critics say the tele-town hall format allows lawmakers to screen out harsh questioners and filters out dissenting opinion from being heard.
Zeldin said the protests are becoming too unruly for real political discourse.
“There are a whole lot of people who say they’re not meeting with their member of Congress, when they’re not requesting meetings,” he said. “You have a lot of people who are going to a town hall with no sense of decorum.”
