Rep. Mike Flood faced a tough crowd during a town hall in Columbus, Nebraska on Tuesday. As he tried to explain his stance on major social programs and government debt, the audience was quick to respond with boos and jeers.
Flood, a Republican from Nebraska, opened the meeting by saying that town halls are a crucial part of democracy and a way for lawmakers to connect with their constituents. However, things quickly became heated when he discussed the future of programs like Social Security and Medicaid.
He reassured the crowd that these programs were “not on the table” for cuts. But people in the crowd weren’t convinced. As he spoke about the federal government’s massive $36 trillion debt, they shouted back, clearly upset. He tried to calm things down, telling the crowd, “Let’s remain calm,” but the tension was high.
Flood continued to say that the U.S. must tackle the debt by either cutting spending or growing the economy. This sparked another round of boos. When he said he supported President Trump’s approach to fixing the debt, the boos only grew louder.
Things got even more heated when one woman in the audience stood up and publicly criticized him. She took issue with his comment about Ukraine’s President Zelensky, calling it disrespectful to President Trump. The crowd cheered as she told Flood, “shame on you” for the remark.
She then questioned who was telling the truth, asking whether veterans’ groups were right about being underfunded or if Elon Musk’s efforts were a better solution. The crowd responded by chanting, “Tax the rich!”
Flood asked if their solution to the debt was really to “tax the rich,” and the crowd cheered and kept chanting, making their position clear.
The town hall ended with the tension still high, as Flood struggled to answer the crowd’s concerns. The event was a reminder of how difficult it can be for politicians to face tough questions from their own voters.
Watch clips of the chanting and the full event below.
Crowd chants “Tax the rich!” at Republican Rep. Mike Flood’s town hall in deep-red Nebraska district. pic.twitter.com/gG11pzYEWf
— NewsWire (@NewsWire_US) March 19, 2025
