A Republican Got Jeered At A Townhall. He Plans To Hold More.

1 month ago

Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., faced disconnected pinch a raucous crowd that hurled boos, jeers and mediate fingers astatine him astatine a municipality hallway successful Lincoln connected Monday.

The blimpish Republican said he has nary regrets and would do it each complete again.

“I don’t regret it astatine all,” Flood said successful a telephone question and reply connected Tuesday. “Every personnel of Congress has to do it nan measurement they spot fit. But for me, this comes pinch nan territory. And I consciousness for illustration you sewage to put yourself successful nan municipality quadrate if you want to beryllium a personnel of Congress for your district.”

“And if you consciousness powerfully astir really you’re voting and nan choices you’re making,” he added, “you should beryllium capable to guidelines connected nan municipality quadrate and beryllium accountable for those votes and show group why you did it and return their input.”

In this polarized governmental climate, nan immense mostly of lawmakers, successful some parties, are opting not to clasp municipality halls this August recess. Last spring, aft a bid of GOP municipality halls went disconnected nan rails, Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., nan GOP run main for nan 2026 predetermination cycle, urged his Republican colleagues not to clasp in-person municipality halls, calling them “no longer effective” owed to Democratic disruptions. And violent threats against politicians person seen a dependable uptick successful caller years.

But Flood, nan president of nan Republican Main Street Caucus, whose members telephone themselves “pragmatic conservatives,” didn’t heed Hudson’s advice. He held a municipality hallway successful Columbus successful March and different successful Seward successful May earlier Monday’s arena connected nan University of Nebraska field successful liberal-leaning Lincoln, nan largest metropolis successful his district.

“As elected officials, we person to put ourselves successful environments that are not comfortable,” he said, though he made clear he was not judging colleagues successful either statement who person chosen not to clasp municipality halls.

House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McLain, R-Mich., called him Tuesday greeting and commended him for hanging tough, Flood said. His adjacent municipality hallway will apt beryllium held successful nan spring.

U.S. Representative Mike Flood (R-NE), answers questions from constituents during a municipality hallway successful Lincoln, Nebraska

Flood said concerns about cuts to Medicaid successful nan GOP’s “big, beautiful bill” dominated Monday night’s 87-minute municipality hall, which was carried unrecorded by nationalist television.

“Medicaid, Medicaid, Medicaid, Medicaid — that was nan No. 1 rumor and thing I started retired with, conscionable because I’m looking astatine nan calls my agency gets,” Flood said, adding that he spent clip during nan municipality hallway addressing disorder successful nan assemblage astir really nan measure would impact them and reassuring seniors that they wouldn’t suffer their Medicare coverage.

The Trump rule does require recipients of Medicaid — nan wellness attraction programme for low-income group and those pinch disabilities — to activity 80 hours per period if they are able-bodied adults nether property 65, pinch immoderate exceptions.

“If you’re 28 years aged and you don’t want to work, you shouldn’t expect free wellness care, if you tin work,” Flood said. “And that resonates pinch for illustration 70% of people, that you’d person immoderate activity requirements.”

Democrats judge nan Trump rule will costs Republicans nan House mostly successful 2026, and they opportunity Flood’s dispute municipality hallway is grounds of conscionable really unpopular it is pinch voters.

“Every azygous susceptible House Republican should travel Mike Flood’s illustration and beryllium brave capable to look their constituents in-person to spot firsthand really unpopular and hated nan Big, Ugly Law is,” said Viet Shelton, spokesperson for nan House Democrats’ run committee.

Flood, 50, nan erstwhile speaker of nan Nebraska House who was elected to Congress successful 2022, besides fielded reliable questions astir Trump’s recent firing of nan Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner and whether he backs releasing much accusation from nan Jeffrey Epstein probe.

He said he’ll motion onto a solution by House Rules Committee members connected Wednesday to merchandise nan Epstein files. “As agelong arsenic it protects nan victims and doesn’t re-victimize those folks,” Flood said, “I’m for its release.”

But he opposes a bipartisan effort led by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., to bypass GOP activity and unit a ballot connected nan level successful September to compel nan Justice Department to merchandise nan files.

“I don’t motion discharge petitions,” he said, “and it goes backmost to my time arsenic a speaker of nan legislature, wherever I wouldn’t do nan aforesaid thing.”

Nebraska is simply a reddish authorities that went for Trump by much than 20 points successful 2024, but nan university’s Kimball Recital Hall connected Monday evening was mostly packed pinch Democrats, said Flood, who recounted really he recognized immoderate individuals who had attended each 3 of his municipality halls this year.

A erstwhile attorney, Flood said he prepared for astir 5 to six hours for nan municipality hall, anticipating what questions he mightiness get and really he’d respond. Before nan arena sewage started, he told nan assemblage constabulary officers connected manus he didn’t want anyone kicked retired of nan municipality hallway for exercising their First Amendment rights.

Only 1 individual was told to time off aft protesting nan business successful Gaza, Flood said, and he near peacefully.

“I said, ‘I don’t want group kicked retired aliases removed conscionable for voicing an opinion, nary matter really they sound it. If personification is fighting personification else, yes, do what you sewage to do,’” Flood said.

“When you look astatine nan video, it looks beautiful hardcore. People are virtually screaming, flipping maine off. They are jumping up and down. They are opinionated pinch their backmost to me,” he recounted. “None of those folks get asked to leave. They don’t. I don’t moreover say, ‘Please stop.’”

Just a fistful of lawmakers are choosing to clasp municipality halls during nan weekslong August recess. For many, location are fewer upsides. On nan aforesaid nighttime arsenic nan Flood municipality hall, seasoned Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., had to abruptly cancel his municipality hallway midway done aft a group of protesters “took complete nan stage” and disrupted nan gathering, section constabulary said. Three individuals were arrested connected trespassing charges.

Things were overmuch tamer astatine a abstracted municipality hallway hosted by freshman Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin successful Michigan.

At 1 constituent astatine his municipality hall, personification asked Flood: “How are you helping nan moving class?”

He talked astir really nan Trump rule included no taxation connected tips, an expanded kid taxation in installments and different provisions.

Then he said thing that infuriated galore attendees: “Today’s Republican Party is comprised of nan bosom and psyche of nan moving class.”

“That brought nan location down. They were very upset that I said that," Flood told NBC News. "But that’s nan reality. ... Every time Americans admit that something’s changed successful our country, where, arsenic a Republican, we person won nan hearts and minds of nan moving class. And that was very difficult for nan crowd to accept. But I think, to an nonsubjective person, if we haven’t won their hearts and minds, we’re darn adjacent to it.”