CBS' Gayle King hammers Sen. Tom Cotton over his rowdy town hall meeting: 'It had to be humbling'

CBS This Morning anchor Gayle King on Friday pressed Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) over his rowdy and highly contentious town hall earlier this week, asking if he was “humbled” by the reaction from his constituents.

Cotton is one of several Republican congressmen who faced angry crowds as a growing number of protests flood local communities across the national. At Cotton’s town hall on Tuesday, an attendee received a standing ovation when she declared, ‘I am not a paid protestor” before asking the senator her question. Likewise, a 7-year-old boy made headlines after asking Cotton why he supports funding a border wall, but wants to defund educational programs like PBS.

“What was that like for you?” King asked. “I’m wondering because many of those people voted for you and now they’re booing you, it had to be a humbling experience for you.”

Cotton said it’s “part of [his] job” to listen to his constituents, arguing he “wanted to have as big a conversation [he] could with Arkansans.”

“Obviously there were a lot of people in that room that disagreed with me,” Cotton reason.

“Did you know they were going to be that angry?” King pressed.

Cotton acknowledge he “thought there was going to be some strong passions there” but reiterated that it’s part of his job.

“I tried to listen to their concerns but also explain the reasons why, for instance I think Obamacare—although I can see that it’s helped some people—has hurt many more,” Cotton replied.

A woman at Cotton’s townhall confronted Cotton on that very issue, explaining her dying husband faces crippling ailments, including Alzheimer’s. She pressed the senator over whether he can guarantee her family has a better deal than now before pointedly asking, “You want to stand there with him at home, expect us to be calm, cool, and collected? Well, what kind of insurance do you have?”

Watch the interview below, via CBS: