A Trump ally was viciously booed for supporting Elon Musk and DOGE during a recent town hall, a scene that has become familiar for Republican lawmakers.
Rep. Byron Donalds hosted a town hall in Naples, Florida, that quickly descended into chaos on Monday.
Donalds, 46, is the latest Republican lawmaker to catch the scorn of their constituents at a town hall for supporting the government-trimming brainchild of Musk and the president that has already led to thousands of layoffs.
‘They’re firing people!’ one animated constituent yelled at the Republican.
‘Have you read the book Caste by Isabel Wilkerson?’ another attendee oddly blurted out.
The question regarding the book, which is about how race in America determines one’s location in the social hierarchy, enraged Donalds.
‘Hold on, stop, stop, stop,’ The Republican responded, halting the session to address the literary inquiry. ‘Don’t educate me about my life, sir, don’t do that.’
The black congressman’s district is about 70 percent white, and the crowd shown in videos of the event also appears to be predominantly white.
Donalds announced he will be running to replace term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis in late February, and he earned a highly coveted endorsement from President Trump that same month.
The congressman has been a fierce defender of the president, and that is exactly what got him in hot water Monday, despite his constituents voting overwhelmingly (64 percent) for the 78-year-old in November.
‘As a member of the oversight committee, what oversights are you imposing on Elon Musk and DOGE?’ one attendee asked.
Donalds launched into an explanation: ‘What DOGE is doing is they are going through every agency and they are examining any contracts or any lack of efficiencies in spending federal dollars.’
The crowd then erupted, yelling: ‘No!’
In another exchange about members of the DOGE team having access to taxpayers’ confidential data via their review of the Social Security Administration (SSA), Donalds got screamed at for suggesting that President Joe Biden allowed a similar practice in 2023.
His claim is seemingly based off of a 2024 inspector general report indicating that 53 researchers and student volunteers had access to IRS data under the previous administration.
The second Donalds mentioned it was done under the Biden administration the audience began booing vigorously, despite it being a district where Trump won by 20 points.
‘Do you approve of Elon and DOGE invading our Social Security files?’ another audience member shouted out to much applause.
Another person in attendance heckled Donalds for his, and the U.S.’s, support of Israel before she left cheering ‘Free Palestine!’
The hour and a half town hall, or shouting session, was the latest disorderly town hall hosted by a Republican recently.
Earlier this month Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the oldest lawmaker in the country at 91-years-old, was similarly yelled at during a town hall.
In March, Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., was on the receiving end of tongue-lashings about DOGE.
Though despite Republican congressional leadership warning their members not to hold town halls, some members continue to plan them.