Doug LaMalfa Just Became the Latest Republican to Face Furious Town Hall Constituents

The heckling at a town hall hosted by Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa on Monday morning got so bad that a constituent — who identified himself as a Democrat — asked the crowd if interrupting the lawmaker was productive.

LaMalfa, a Republican from a safely red northern California district, faced questions and criticism on a range of topics, from the reconciliation bill passed by Republicans this summer to redistricting. He’s the latest Republican to face down angry crowds back home over the Trump administration’s agenda in Washington.

“Why are you part of this movement toward fascism?” a constituent asked about an hour into the town hall in Chico, California.

“You’re a little loose with the word fascism when there’s plenty of it going on on the other side of the aisle,” LaMalfa replied, not pointing to any examples.

The crowd erupted in response. But there was a near-constant stream of shouting from the crowd throughout the entire event, with some attendees peppering insults like “fuck you” and “shame” throughout.

Republicans are facing another round of angry crowds at town halls this August recess, an extension of anger they saw at events earlier this year. It’s been something they’ve spent months figuring out how to adjust to: Rep. Richard Hudson, head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, told members in March not to host town halls in person because of it.. And now, if Republican lawmakers are holding public events at all, they’ve often taken steps to tighten up who gets to speak at the events.

One constituent asked if LaMalfa was supporting the redistricting efforts in Texas, where Republicans have proposed a new congressional district map that they’re hoping will help them pick up additional seats in next year’s midterms. Officials in California, a state controlled by Democrats, are signaling they’ll respond by trying to add Democratic seats in their state if Texas approves its new map.

LaMalfa, who could be at risk of losing his seat if lines are redrawn, previously told The Hill that the redistricting tit-for-tat is “disgusting.” During the town hall, he said he “strongly supported” efforts two decades ago to put redistricting efforts under the control of an independent commission and away from legislators’ “grubby hands.”

“It’s really ugly, and no matter what side of the aisle you’re on, it doesn’t look good. It doesn’t give you more faith in the political process,” LaMalfa said.

Republicans, however, have been the ones going to new lengths to try to pick up congressional power.

Later in the town hall, a constituent who said his parents were Holocaust survivors compared the WWII-era Japanese internment camps to the ramped-up ICE raids and deportations happening under the Trump administration today.

“Will the name LaMalfa be mentioned in the same sentence as Goebbels, Mengele and Trump?” the constituent asked.

“I predict no,” Lamalfa responded.

LaMalfa also answered a question about the Jeffrey Epstein files, a topic that has come up repeatedly during recent town halls and that Republicans are getting pressured on from across the political spectrum.

“It’s interesting the Epstein situation was not an issue during the Biden administration,” LaMalfa said, though President Donald Trump campaigned on releasing the files. He added that he wants the victims’ identities to be protected, and that he expects more information will be out by September.

LaMalfa has another in-person town hall meeting scheduled for Monday evening.