Shouting, pointed DOGE questions at Donalds town hall
by Filip Timotija - 04/22/25 8:33 AM ET
Rep. Byron Donalds’s (R-Fla.) raucous town hall on Monday evening featured a mix of cheers, shouting and pointed questions around the work President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency has been doing to curb spending and overhaul the federal workforce.
Donalds, who launched a gubernatorial campaign in late February to replace the term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), defended the Trump administration’s approach on a range of issues, including Social Security, DOGE layoffs and the president’s sweeping tariff agenda.
The Florida Republican, who has been endorsed by Trump in his bid for governor, had a number of tense exchanges with attendees at the event in Estero, Fla., with the lawmaker saying, “do you want to yell, or do you want to hear,” CNN reported.
He stood in defense of DOGE’s work and pointed to previous remarks from former President Obama, who he said also wanted to examine federal government inefficiency while in the Oval Office.
“We actually have to let the DOGE actually finish its work. What they are examining right now is inefficiency in the federal system,” Donalds said Monday night at Estero High School.
The event was Donalds’ first town hall since the new Congress started earlier this year. House GOP leadership advised members of their conference not to host in-person town halls following other tense exchanges between lawmakers and attendees over Trump’s agenda.
Those who have done so have faced criticism. But Republicans are not the only ones who have endured tough crowds, as Democrats have also faced frustrated constituents.
One attendee asked Donalds on Monday if he approved of tech billionaire Elon Musk and DOGE “invading our Social Security files?”
“Elon Musk and DOGE have been authorized by the president of the United States,” Donalds responded but was met boos from part of the audience, according to CNN.
more
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5260208-byron-donalds-town-hall-florida-donald-trump-doge/
