The viral reckoning at Republican town halls

“Tyranny is rising in the White House, and a man has declared himself our king,” a voter tells Georgia Rep. Rich McCormick in a now-viral video uploaded by CNN. “So I would like to know, rather, the people would like to know, what you, congressman, and your fellow congressmen are going to do to rein in the megalomaniac in the White House.” 

The video has racked up over 3 million views and sparked a viral trend on TikTok, where users lip-sync along to the woman’s impassioned question. “There is nothing like a southern liberal woman,” one user commented. Another added: “That’s the same tone my mom would use when my siblings and I got in trouble. That congressman is in TROUBLE.”

McCormick is far from alone. Across the country, Republican lawmakers are facing increasingly intense confrontations at town halls—often from constituents who identify as Republicans themselves. Some officials have even been booed out of their own events.

Thanks to social media, these fiery exchanges are no longer confined to local community centers—they’re being broadcast to millions. The Verge spoke with Lindsay DeFranco, a first-time attendee who took it upon herself to document one such town hall. Her footage—from a debate over school lunches for low-income children (1 million views) to a discussion on female voter suppression (6.1 million views)—has reached far beyond the room.

“I really wanted people to see this is exactly what was asked, this is exactly what was said, and this is how people reacted,” DeFranco told The Verge. “They had told us that it wasn’t going to be live streamed. So I thought, ‘I have to film this right away. I have to document this.’”

In response, Republicans—including former President Donald Trump—have falsely claimed that “paid protestors” are behind the outbursts. Some GOP leaders have even suggested doing away with in-person events altogether to avoid scenes that could go viral.

But in the age of smartphones and social media, there’s really nowhere to hide.

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