Most GOP Congress Members Are Avoiding Town Halls, But One Held 15 In A Week

Summary

NPR Politics Podcast — Episode Summary

Episode Title: Most GOP Congress Members Are Avoiding Town Halls, But One Held 15 In A Week
Release Date: August 28, 2025
Hosts: Deepa Shivaram (White House), Barbara Sprunt (Congress), Ashley Lopez (Politics)

Episode Overview

This episode examines why most Republican members of Congress are avoiding in-person town halls during the August recess, a time traditionally used for constituent engagement, and spotlights Rep. Mark Alford of Missouri, who stands out by holding a marathon of 15 town halls in his district. The discussion explores the political calculations behind skipping these events, contrasts GOP and Democratic approaches, and considers how redistricting and national politics influence local engagement.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Town Hall Trend: GOP Avoidance and Alford's Exception

• Traditional Role: Town halls are typically when members of Congress connect directly with constituents during recess, discussing recent legislative actions and local concerns.
• Current Republican Approach: Many GOP members have largely stopped holding in-person town halls, following guidance from the House Republican campaign arm (NRCC) because these forums can become “really contentious, can turn into, like, yelling matches.” (Barbara Sprunt, 01:41)
• Mark Alford's Outlier Status:
  • Congressman Mark Alford, a first-term Republican in Missouri, went against party strategy, hosting 15 town halls across his district in just four days.
  • “He is really bucking the trend... He didn’t just hold one this week, he held 15.” (Barbara Sprunt, 01:41)

Notable Quote

“Are we going to help heal America by shouting at each other?”
— Rep. Mark Alford recounting his concern about hostile town halls (03:51)

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2. Why Are GOP Members Avoiding Town Halls?

• Context: Much of the avoidance dates back to the Trump era. In 2017, activist backlash and raucous town halls led to negative publicity and viral videos.
• Recent Examples: “We all saw a lot of footage of Mike Flood, the Nebraska Republican. His town hall was a little spicy.” (Ashley Lopez, 03:24)
  “Spicy meaning like heckling and protests and… not a good spirit.” (Deepa Shivaram, 03:24)
• Party Strategy: GOP leadership proactively advises against these encounters to mitigate risk of on-the-spot confrontations on controversial issues, especially about recent spending and tax bills.

Notable Reflection

“It's not atypical for the Republican Party under Trump... Congress went into recess, and it was noticeable how few town halls were being held.”
— Ashley Lopez (02:22)

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3. Alford’s Approach: Civil but Candid Encounters

• Atmosphere: Although Alford anticipated hostility, his events were largely civil. He created respectful spaces where constituents “felt like they could say their piece.” (Barbara Sprunt, 04:14)
  • “He responded to them by name and was like, thank you so much, Tim, for, you know, coming here, even though we disagree.” (Barbara Sprunt, 04:14)
• Contrast to Party Guidance: Alford is a former broadcast journalist comfortable with public interaction, which might explain his willingness to engage.

Memorable Moment

“His concerns aside, it didn't turn into that. It did not turn into screaming matches...overall, it was a really civil experience, and it Surprised me.”
— Barbara Sprunt (04:14)

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4. Issues Raised by Constituents

• Local Impact of Federal Policy:

  • Grant Funding Uncertainty: Local business owner Jeff Droz highlighted harm done when federal grants (from the Inflation Reduction Act) are approved then put on hold, costing recipients significant money and security.
    • “When they say it's available and then they take it away after the projects... leave everyone holding the bag, it's painful. I mean, it's life changing in a very, very damaging way... I'm gonna have a heart attack or a stroke.” (Jeff Droz, 05:20)
  • Veteran Care Concerns: Veteran Jeff Carneel described how a hiring freeze at the VA hospital negatively affected his care, and voiced concerns about further funding cuts.

• Disillusionment with Party Line:

  • Carneel, an independent voter and previous Alford supporter, criticized the congressman for following Trump’s lead too closely:

    "I don't think Mr. Alford is... I think he's just toeing the line. Whatever Donald Trump says, yes, sir, Master, I'm going to go do it... If things change. Yes, I will vote for him if he stands up to Donald Trump." (Jeff Carneel, 06:42)

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5. The “Big Beautiful Bill” and GOP Messaging Woes

• Unpopularity and Branding Problems: Recent major tax and spending legislation, referred to as the “big beautiful bill,” is polling poorly—even President Trump has expressed it has “got stink on it” and is seeking to rebrand.
  • “The biggest [challenge] is that it's unpopular. The polling is not good... [and] part of it is it doesn't describe what the bill does.” (Ashley Lopez, 07:47)
• Difficult to Sell:
  • The bill contains tax cuts but also spending cuts to popular programs (SNAP, Medicaid), which are set to kick in after midterms—a tough sell even in GOP territory.

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6. How Democrats Are Navigating Town Halls

• Ohio Rep. Amelia Sykes:
  • Representing a toss-up district, Sykes emphasized local issue navigation and practical help (earned income tax credit, transportation) over broader anti-Trump messaging to fit her district.
    • “She has a particular kind of balance beam to walk... She said she would talk about what she would do for her constituents and that her theme is not gonna be just being Trump.” (Barbara Sprunt, 10:26)
  • Democratic messaging is fractured and lacks the mobilized energy seen in 2017, making it harder to push back against GOP initiatives.

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7. The Looming Impact of Redistricting

• Changing Districts: With several states considering or mandated to redraw congressional maps before midterms (at Trump’s encouragement), the ground is shifting:
  • “This is a conversation... because it all kind of started when President Trump asked Texas Republicans to redraw their maps to give five more seats before the midterms next year.” (Barbara Sprunt, 12:44)
• Effect on Town Halls: Members and voters are uncertain if their districts—and their representatives—will be the same in a year. Redistricting could make previously safe seats (like Alford's) more competitive.
  • “If Missouri does go ahead and do that, there's an interesting kind of thing that would happen in Alford's district. It would probably become a little less strongly Republican.” (Barbara Sprunt, 13:41)
• Implication:
  • Members with less-safe seats may have to re-engage with outreach efforts (e.g., town halls) to shore up support.

Notable Quote

“A lot of members of Congress don't really need to be doing a lot of things like town halls and events... But as states continue to look at, you know, creating more safe seats for their party, it makes other seats around them less safe.”
— Ashley Lopez (13:51)

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Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• “Are we going to help heal America by shouting at each other?” — Mark Alford (03:51)
• “His concerns aside, it didn't turn into that... it was a really civil experience, and it surprised me.” — Barbara Sprunt (04:14)
• “I don't think Mr. Alford is... I think he's just toeing the line. Whatever Donald Trump says, yes, sir, Master, I'm going to go do it.” — Jeff Carneel, constituent (06:42)
• “The biggest [challenge] is that it's unpopular. The polling is not good…” — Ashley Lopez (07:47)
• “She has a particular kind of balance beam to walk...” — Barbara Sprunt on Rep. Amelia Sykes (10:26)
• "A lot of members of Congress don't really need to be doing a lot of things like town halls..." — Ashley Lopez (13:51)

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Summary Timeline / Key Segments

• 01:15–02:22: Context for town halls during recess and GOP avoidance
• 02:22–03:51: History of town hall conflict, role of activism, NRCC’s avoidance advice
• 03:51–05:38: Alford’s motivation and atmosphere at his events; constituent Jeff Droz’s story
• 05:38–07:05: Why town halls matter; constituent Jeff Carneel’s call for independence from Trump
• 07:05–08:53: Challenges of selling the GOP’s major domestic bill
• 10:17–11:38: Democratic Rep. Amelia Sykes’ approach in a swing district
• 11:43–12:18: Democrats’ fractured messaging on GOP legislation
• 12:18–13:51: How redistricting could impact constituent engagement and town halls

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Conclusion

This episode provides an on-the-ground look at the evolving dynamics of constituent engagement in a polarized political era. Rep. Mark Alford’s intensive town hall marathon bucks GOP trends and illustrates the continuing value—and risks—of face-to-face democracy. The experiences in his Missouri district, juxtaposed with Democratic strategy in Ohio and the specter of redistricting, reveal how both parties and their constituents are navigating an unsettled landscape as the next election looms.

Transcript

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[Deepa Shivaram]

This podcast was recorded at 12:58pm on Thursday, August 28, 2025.

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[Barbara Sprunt]

That's cool.

[Ashley Lopez]

Congratulations.

[Deepa Shivaram]

I never did the academic route, so that just sounds really scary.

[Barbara Sprunt]

School sounds very hard.

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School is too much for me.

[Ashley Lopez]

I took it way too seriously. It stressed me out too much. Yeah.

[Deepa Shivaram]

And now you're here.

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah. Hey there.

[Deepa Shivaram]

It's the NPR Politics podcast. I'm Deepa Shivaram. I cover the White House.

[Barbara Sprunt]

I'm Barbara Sprunt. I cover Congress.

[Ashley Lopez]

And I'm Ashley Lopez. I cover politics.

[Deepa Shivaram]

Okay, so today on the show, Congress is still in recess, and it's a time when traditionally members hold town halls and meet with constituents in their home districts. Many Republicans, though, appear to be avoiding town halls this August. But we're taking a look at one, one in particular who is actually embracing them. So, Barbara, you've been spending some time with Republican Congressman Mark Alford in his home district in Missouri, and he's an outlier in having town halls at all, right?

[Barbara Sprunt]

Yeah, that's right. He is really bucking the trend. The nrcc, the campaign arm of the House gop, had sent guidance earlier this year, basically telling members to avoid these in person town halls, which can get really contentious, can turn into, like, yelling matches. I think we've all seen some of the videos, and Alfred is going in another direction. He didn't just hold one this week, he held 15. Yeah, 15 over the course of four days, like, spread across all sorts of counties. His last event ended probably like a few hours before this podcast is going to post, so he's had quite the marathon week.

[Deepa Shivaram]

Interesting. So, okay, so when we talk about bucking the trend, I mean, Ashley, what have these past town halls typically looked like for gop members.

[Ashley Lopez]

Well, right now, they're not having many. I mean, the trend is that a lot of Republicans are not holding town halls. I mean, typically in recess. Like, this is a thing that members of Congress would do is they'll go to their constituents and, you know, talk about the things they did when they were there, and one of those things would be, you know, passing the tax and spending bill. We could get into why a lot of them are choosing not to do that. But I will say this is not atypical for the Republican Party under Trump. I think in 2017, it was sort of the similar thing. Congress went into recess, and it was noticeable how few town halls were being held to the point that, you know, Democratic activists in, like, the group Indivisible in particular, which is an activist group that is not directly linked to the Democratic, but it was just sort of like, you know, a good government type pushback, people were holding town halls for their congressmen even without them there. So this isn't totally atypical, but, yeah, right now, members of Congress are not holding a lot of town halls, and the ones that are happening are actually pretty contentious. I mean, I think we all saw a lot of footage of Mike Flood, the Nebraska Republican. His town hall was a little spicy.

[Deepa Shivaram]

Yeah. And spicy meaning like, heckling and protests and like, the person who's holding the town hall maybe not being able to answer the questions and not a good spirit.

[Barbara Sprunt]

Not like a little, like, too many habaneros. Yeah. And I actually asked Congressman Alford about this, like, why have so many, especially, like, in this time and, like, given everything that his colleagues have gone through. And he actually said, like, yeah, I was a little apprehensive. He's a former broadcast journalist. He likes being in front of people. But he said, yeah, it gave him pause.

[Presley Simulas]

I had seen the video of Mike Flood, and I had had a bad experience in March where 12 people were supposed to show up for Mondays with Mark Coffey. And there was 200 people that showed up and basically shouted over me as I was trying to get the answers out. I don't want to talk over people. Are we going to help heal America by shouting at each other?

[Barbara Sprunt]

His concerns aside, it didn't turn into that. It did not turn into screaming matches. He went to places like a university, diners. What stood out to me was, yes, there were, like, heated moments, like, there's always gonna be someone who has something really spicy to say, and it usually does get a lot of the attention. But overall, it was a really civil experience, and it Surprised me because this is a really tense time and we're sort of used to everything. Sort of like you're anticipating all of the stress that's coming your way. He said, this is your time. I'm not gonna scream over you. And it created an environment where people felt like they could say their piece. He responded to them by name and was like, thank you so much, Tim, for, you know, coming here, even though we disagree.

[Deepa Shivaram]

So what spec specific concerns did people bring up?

[Barbara Sprunt]

Yeah, you know, there are a couple that stand out to me. A man named Jeff Droz. He owns a solar energy company in the area. And he described a situation where he had applied for grant funding from the usda, which had gotten some funding from the Inflation Reduction act. And basically he got approval for this project. He spent $100,000 on solar equipment, and then there was a halt.

[Unknown NPR Announcer]

You know, people can argue the merits of the funding, but it's the fact that when they say it's available and then they take it away after the projects have been and leave everyone holding the bag, it's painful. I mean, it's life changing in a very, very damaging way to people. Like, I'm gonna have a heart attack or a stroke.

[Ashley Lopez]

This is the reason town halls exist so many times. Lawmakers will pass a bill and pretty much exclusively hear from lobbyists and sort of special interest groups. And everyday Americans don't have the time to go to Washington and tell you, this is how this bill is gonna affect me. Town halls are how politicians and lawmakers hear how something is received on the ground. And it's not an election year. So the folks who are going are people who have been directly affected by a piece of legislation. So I think it is interesting that Republicans are deciding not to partake in these because I don't think they're getting a real sense of how this is affecting their constituencies. And this is a way in which Alford is.

[Barbara Sprunt]

Another person who spoke up at a town hall was Jeff Carneel. He's a veteran, he's an independent voter. And he talked about how there was a hiring freeze at the VA hospital and it affected his care in the brain injury and spinal care unit unit, and how he wanted to make sure that more funding wouldn't get cut under HHS Secretary Bobby Kennedy. So I asked him about how this has influenced his political views. With the midterms more than a year.

[Presley Simulas]

Away, I don't think Mr. Alford is. I think he's just toeing the line. Whatever Donald Trump says, yes, sir, Master, I'm going to go do it. And I wish he wouldn't be that way. I voted for him. You know, I've met the man, he seems very nice. I got to talk to him once or twice if things change. Yes, I will vote for him if he stands up to Donald Trump.

[Barbara Sprunt]

This theme of like standing up to Trump is something that came up repeatedly at all of these stops. And Alford had praised Trump at times, like, for his leadership. He pushed back at the idea that he has a lot of personal influence over the president. He had to tell people like, hey, like ma', am, I don't have his cell phone number. We don't have a close personal relationship. But I think it's interesting that that's like sort of the appetite from folks.

[Deepa Shivaram]

Well, one thing, you know, you kind of touched on, Barbara, that I want to ask you, Ashley, about is this idea that selling this big domestic bill that Trump pushed through Congress. It's kind of a hard sell for Republicans in a lot of ways. What are some of those challenges when they're talking about this tax and spending bill that lawmakers are trying to maybe navigate?

[Ashley Lopez]

Well, I mean, the biggest one is that it's unpopular. The polling is not good on, you know, the quote unquote, big beautiful bill to the point that President Trump said in a cabinet meeting earlier this week that he wants to rebrand it cuz it's got stink on it. It's just like not polling well with. And yeah, part of it is it doesn't describe like what the bill does. And if Republicans, if the pitch they're making to voters is that this is a tax cut in some way, then how would you know that from, you know, the title big beautiful bill. So it is kind of like a bind. And then also this is a bill that prevented something from possibly happening. But you know, with taxes. With taxes, right. And so that's also hard to sell to voters. I mean, and also the overlaying message on this was from the Democrats has been like, actually middle class, most people aren't getting the most benefit out of this. It is wealthier Americans, which is a very unpopular thing. And then there's baked into this tax cut bill is a lot of spending cuts on things that are popular like snap, like food assistance and Medicaid. Those don't kick in until after the midterms. But still the messaging on this is kind of tough for Republicans.

[Deepa Shivaram]

All right, we're gonna take a quick break and we'll be back in a moment.

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[Deepa Shivaram]

And we're back. So, Barbara, you also spent some time with Democratic Congresswoman Amelia Sykes in Ohio. I'm curious, did she talk about this tax and spending bill? And how did she talk about it?

[Barbara Sprunt]

Yeah, she did. It wasn't, I would say, like the whole focus of. And I think part of that is the nature of her district. It's a toss up district. It's one of the top targeted races for Republicans to try to flip next cycle. And that demographic of her district is something that she really openly acknowledged right off the bat. She basically came out and said, so half of you voted for Trump and half of you voted for Kamala Harris. She has a particular kind of balance beam to walk when it comes to her district. She said she would talk about what she would do for her constituents and that her theme is not gonna be just being Trump. And I think that that's important because in some blue districts, a campaign, you know, that is fully about just pushing back against the administration can work. But I just, I don't think that's the case in a district like hers. She has to navigate this reality that a good number of her constituents probably are happy with this one big, beautiful bill. So most of her town hall was about ways to help constituents navigate things like the earned income tax credit, increasing opportunity, transportation, railways, got Like a lot of chatter. So it was an interesting place to go to, especially comp to Alford's district, but just very different beasts there.

[Deepa Shivaram]

Ashley, are other Democrats talking about this tax and spending bill. How is it translating on the other side of the aisle?

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah, I mean, the problem for Democrats is that they are, you know, speaking out against the big beautiful bill. There are members of Congress who are talking to their constituencies. The problem is, is that Democrats are really fractured right now. There's not, you know, a cohesive message. It's not really breaking through. It is. This is very different from 2017, where there was a very mobilize activist class as well as Democrats working together to oppose what Trump was up to at the time. I mean, things are just very different right now. And I mean, that is. It's a tough position for Democrats because they have so little power. It is a sort of tough spot to be in.

[Deepa Shivaram]

You know, we talked about how these town halls have traditionally been a way for voters to interact with their government. Right. This is how they get to have a piece of Washington in their hometowns. That's the way this system is supposed to work. But with all of these states that are trying to talk about or moving forward with plans to redraw congressional districts before the midterm elections, are those efforts changing the ways that these members of Congress would interact with their own constituents?

[Barbara Sprunt]

I mean, I don't think that it's necessarily changing the way that they're going to interact or that they've been interacting, but I do think it's like, it's an interesting dynamic to have kind of like holding over your head, not just as a member, but also the people going to these town halls who are like, it's very possible that their district will look completely different in a year. And to back up, this is a conversation, you know, because it all kind of like started when President Trump asked Texas Republicans to redraw their maps to give five more seats before the midterms next year. At least seven states in response to that have said that they're open to, you know, adjusting their maps as well. If Missouri's governor and legislature do decide to do this mid decade redistricting, which I should say they don't have to do, like, that would be a choice to do. Ohio, on the other hand, they have to do it. But if Missouri does go ahead and do that, there's an interesting kind of thing that would happen in Alford's district. It would probably become a little less strongly Republican. Right now, it's a very safe Republican seat.

[Deepa Shivaram]

It's comfortable. Yeah.

[Barbara Sprunt]

If they're trying to dilute a nearby blue seat and make that more competitive for Republicans. Like, the flip side of that is that it's gonna make Alfred's seat a little more competitive as well.

[Ashley Lopez]

And that's the part of this that I think is really interesting, which is like a lot of members of Congress don't really need to be doing a lot of things like town halls and events to court voters because they're in safe seats. Arguably, this is an easy reelection for them. But as states continue to look at, you know, creating more safe seats for their party, it makes other seats around them less safe. So I don't know, there could be some members of Congress who could be forced to be doing a little bit more work in things like town halls in order to keep their seats.

[Barbara Sprunt]

Yeah.

[Deepa Shivaram]

A lot more work on the ground. That is really interesting. All right. We're going to leave it there for today. I'm Deepa Shivaram. I cover the White House House.

[Barbara Sprunt]

I'm Barbara Sprent. I cover Congress.

[Ashley Lopez]

And I'm Ashley Lopez. I cover politics.

[Deepa Shivaram]

And thank you for listening to the NPR Politics podcast.

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