Summary

Rep. Chuck Edwards’ North Carolina town hall erupted in chaos as constituents furiously protested DOGE, a Trump administration initiative tied to mass federal job cuts and Elon Musk’s growing influence.

Attendees, including laid-off government workers, jeered at Edwards over employment losses and reduced federal funding.

Constituents raised concerns about federal job cuts affecting veterans’ services, national parks, and Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.

Edwards struggled to respond but remained unfazed. The GOP downplayed the unrest, calling it staged, though independent voters like veteran Martin Downie say they feel directly targeted by their own government.

  • TheFonz@lemmy.world
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    5 hours ago

    Where the fuck was all this rage in November, my fellow Americans? We already had four years of Trump, January 6 insurrection, a disastrous reduction in foreign relations. But I guess that wasn’t enough???

    • inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world
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      3 hours ago

      These are MAGA morons, deplorables if you will, who are now upset that they’re being affected by project 2025 because they had it in their heads that they would be spared as being good whites and it would only affect minorities and liberals because they’re racist deplorables.

        • AA5B@lemmy.world
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          2 hours ago

          But this is what I don’t get - Trump isn’t even good at lying. Practically every word is a lie but fails on logic and he’ll usually say the opposite soon enough. How do people even fall for it? Do they actually listen to him?

          It must be just cherry-picking: if he says enough lies you can usually find one you like. But how could you reconcile that one thing you think you agree with out of a vast ocean of lies?

        • oppy1984@lemm.ee
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          4 hours ago

          I know a ton of people died, and countless more where hurt, and it hurt the economy, but as an introvert hermit, GOD DO I MISS LOCKDOWN.

          I do my best to keep up the life style, but I’m still expected to go into the office every once in a while for my wasted day as we all call it.

  • Suavevillain@lemmy.world
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    6 hours ago

    Too bad there isn’t a Dem that could really thrive at this moment of darkness for some good. 2016 Bernie’s messaging would connect now more than ever but that time has passed. I’m glad Republican voters are mad, even if I bet it is just because they are being affected too, not really mad about the harm.

    • sowitzer@lemm.ee
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      3 hours ago

      Eh, probably need an old white guy. Walz or Newsome are the two who should be getting in the spotlight now. Then the Dems get a group of progressives who will back either of them to make some waves and say what they won’t. Dems need to be more unified and not go too crazy. Too many young people are MAGA inclined, no matter how left leaning they say.

      But I’m just some guy. I’m sure they know better and it’s “her/his time” or whatever they want to push.

    • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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      7 hours ago

      Too bad there isn’t a Dem that could really thrive at this moment of darkness for some good.

      AOC seems to be having a moment. And Bernie seems to be in the recruitment phase for something, at least I hope he is.

      • NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io
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        6 hours ago

        And Bernie seems to be in the recruitment phase for something, at least I hope he is.

        Don’t expect much from Bernie on that front. He’s a good progressive Senator, but he’ll never actually lead a progressive movement. I don’t know if he doesn’t have it in him anymore or if he’s just not that kind of guy, but Bernie works a lot better as a symbol than as a leader.

        • Talaraine@fedia.io
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          6 hours ago

          AOC seems to be throwing in with Bernie. Yes, Bernie is getting older, but with a sort of confirmed ‘successor’ may still have some bite… as long as the Democratic party doesn’t pull the same bullshit.

          • NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io
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            6 hours ago

            I don’t think you’re getting me. Just voting for progressive candidates won’t fix things. I don’t know if there was any point where that was enough to fix things, but if there was it definitely isn’t now. Therefore, Bernie—who did not, does not and will not recommend any method of resistance beyond simply voting—is incapable of leading a progressive movement. Bernie and politicians like him need an independent progressive movement behind them to win elections; if you put them in charge of the movement they’ll sit around doing nothing for most of the year.

            • aesthelete@lemmy.world
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              4 hours ago

              I don’t think you’re getting me. Just voting for progressive candidates won’t fix things. I don’t know if there was any point where that was enough to fix things, but if there was it definitely isn’t now.

              I was a vote guy until last November. You’re absolutely 100% right. Electoralism has failed. We cannot expect elected officials to somehow fix this and we cannot expect people in Washington to fix it. Bernie said as much himself. The system is corrupt to its core and it’s gonna take a movement from the grass roots level to change it.

              Or more likely America will just become a fascist dictatorship complete with concentration camps, disappearing people, fake ass state run media, and pretend elections.

  • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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    9 hours ago

    This was a fun one to watch. Edwards said that he was proud to vote for the budget resolution and was booed hard. He smiled in response, like a goddamn sociopath, further enraging the people. A veteran stood up, shouted louder than the crowd and was forcibly removed by police. At the end of the town hall, Edwards hid inside the building for almost an hour, waiting for the crowd to disperse. Not only were they all waiting for him outside, they surrounded his car and made him sit in the center of a parking lot protest for 20 minutes until the police broke it up. Fuck any public servant that refuses to represent their constituency.

  • null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    9 hours ago

    I guess it’s good that non-political people are starting to get involved. Shame they didn’t spend 5 minutes to check which way the wind was blowing in November last year.

    • WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world
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      8 hours ago

      They’ll still vote for fascism. They’re just angry it’s impacting them directly.

      • aesthelete@lemmy.world
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        4 hours ago

        In the end it will always affect them directly. So they’ll remain angry until they get half of a fucking clue about the issues.

        • TexasDrunk@lemmy.world
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          2 hours ago

          So they’ll remain angry until they get half of a fucking clue about the issues.

          Then they’ll be even more angry. I know I am.

    • grue@lemmy.world
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      8 hours ago

      Shame they didn’t spend 5 minutes to check which way the wind was blowing in November last year.

      Which is especially weird, since they should’ve learned the importance of it from the wind in September.