California Democrat Shuts Down Town Hall Overwhelmed by Trump Supporters

Nanette Barragan (Aaron P. Bernstein / Getty)
Aaron P. Bernstein / Getty

Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA), a first-year congresswoman from the 44th congressional district, abandoned a town hall meeting on Friday evening in the city of Carson in Los Angeles County after she was faced with an overwhelmingly pro-Trump audience.

According to video filmed by one of the protesters, very few of Rep. Barragán’s constituents showed up for the meeting at a local school, and even fewer of her supporters. Meanwhile, dozens of Trump supporters filled the front rows.

After the meeting began without the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, the pro-Trump attendees recited it on their own. Rep. Barragán then began her remarks to the meeting by attacking Trump, and was immediately drowned out by jeers and chants: “We love Trump!” “Respect our president!”

“You did this at their town halls, and now you want respect? Hypocrites!” one Trump supporter shouted at the few Barragán fans in attendance, as they urged the pro-Trump demonstrators to be quiet.

Rep. Barragán tried to argue against President Trump’s budget proposals, and was met with repeated interjections: “She’s lying!” “We have to cut somewhere!”

Eventually, Barragán proposed moving the meeting to a smaller room, where she said she hoped to have a more productive conversation. She then left the meeting, trailed by police and staff. Demonstrators followed her, demanding to be let into the room. One shouted that Barragán was breaking the Brown Act, which governs public meetings in the state. Others shouted “Fake news!” at a Buzzed reporter on the scene.

Video of the meeting — and its end — was shared on The Gateway Pundit and at other conservative websites.

The 44th district covers parts of Compton, Carson, and Long Beach.

Over the past several months, left-wing activists have flooded Republican representatives’ town halls in a bid to imitate the grass-roots energy that fueled the conservative Tea Party movement in 2009-2010.

Using organizing materials provided in the “Indivisible Guide,” which has become an informal manual for the so-called “Resistance” opposition movement, anti-Trump activists have confronted Republicans throughout the country, and particularly in California. Friday evening was a rare reversal of roles.

Rep. Barragán posted a statement to her Facebook page: “Thanks to those who came to tonight’s #Carson town hall & for those who were civil. Apologies for having to shut it down. I’ll be back soon!”

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He was named one of the “most influential” people in news media in 2016. He is the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.

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