Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) got an angry earful from constituents at a "raucous" town hall meeting, reported Iowa Starting Line on Friday — making him the latest in a long line of Republican lawmakers to be put on the defensive about President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk's efforts to dismantle the federal government.
“Why do you believe President Trump is above the law … Why have you not spoken out?” one man asked Grassley, according to footage obtained by the outlet. Another said, "It's your job" to audit what the executive branch is doing, and “We are depending on you and the others to help save democracy.”
People were angry not just about Trump and Musk's cuts through the Department of Government Efficiency task force, but Trump's increasing threats to defy federal court orders to restore certain funding, rehire dismissed federal workers, or pause deportation flights. A woman told Grassley, “He is making us afraid to stand up for our own rights because we’re then going to be sent to El Salvador.”
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Grassley, who has served repeated stints as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, tried to clarify he was on the crowd's side, saying, "Judges' rulings should be abided by," and that “The checks and balances of government are going to continue to work.”
He also argued DOGE was a completely normal exercise, comparing it to previous Democratic administrations' government cutbacks, and defending Trump's move to dismantle the Department of Education, only for the town hall to shout him down. One woman in particular brought up cuts to the Social Security Administration, saying, “Go to a local office. Try to get an appointment! Right now you’re waiting a month. And we’re going to cut more staff?”
Republicans around the country have faced similar furious blowback, with the fury becoming so hot that GOP leadership is now urging members to avoid doing town halls altogether.
