A Texas Republican was interrupted with “boos” and chants calling for him to be voted out of office at a heated town hall about Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency cuts.
Rep. Keith Self was greeted by two dozen protesters carrying signs that said “Dump Musk!” and “Do Your Job!” when he arrived for the event at the Collin College Conference Center in Wylie on Saturday, Newsweek reported.
Inside, the 71-year-old lawmaker continued to face hostility from the crowd of more than 300 constituents. While addressing DOGE’s ruthless cost-cutting measures, the crowd heckled him with “boos” and thumbs-down gestures.
ADVERTISEMENT
Footage posted on X showed the audience clapping and chanting “Vote You Out!”
Self took questions from constituents who expressed outrage that Musk has been slashing federal spending by cherry-picking federal agencies that are deemed a waste of money, displacing millions of workers from their livelihood in the process. The war in Ukraine and Medicaid were also on the agenda.
The Collin County GOP, however, claimed the heckling culprits were Democrats who “showed up only to cause disruptions.”
“This behavior is unfair to the many residents who attended to learn more about the issues that impact our community. Now more than ever, we must stand together!” the party chapter wrote on X.
President Donald Trump also accused liberals of being behind a wave of rowdy town hall events across the country where voters have raged against DOGE cuts.
“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 on TruthSocial on Monday:
But the Collin County Democratic Party chair, Jeremy Sutka, told Newsweek that Self faced the backlash because he has aligned himself with Trump’s “harmful” policies.
“While I have little hope he will suddenly break from this pattern, the energy of engaged constituents proves that accountability matters. We will continue advocating for democracy, diplomacy, and economic policies that prioritize people over politics,” Sutka said.
“Voters elected Rep. Self and others to safeguard democratic values and effective governance—not to dismantle critical institutions under DOGE or cater to the whims of unelected figures. Public servants must answer to their constituents, not to partisan agendas and unconstitutionally appointed influencers,” he continued.
Aaron Fritschner, deputy chief of staff for Rep. Don Beyer, a Virginia Democrat, pointed out on X that the backlash was notable since it occurred in a district that voted 54% for Trump in November’s presidential election.
“Another large, angry crowd at a Republican town hall in a deep red district,” he wrote.
In Idaho, tensions escalated at a Republican town hall last month when a woman was kicked out after challenging lawmakers on issues related to Medicaid and reproductive rights.
