Rep. Mike Flood faces angry crowd in Nebraska town hall
More than 200 people attended a town hall meeting on Tuesday evening in Columbus, Nebraska, with Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Flood. The event quickly turned heated, as many attendees expressed anger towards Flood's support for President Donald Trump’s policies. This was Flood's first in-person town hall of the year. Columbus is notable for being the hometown of Nebraska's Republican Governor Jim Pillen and is located in a county that heavily supported Trump in the last election. Despite Flood's popularity as a former state lawmaker, the crowd was largely unsupportive, vocalizing their frustrations. Concerns centered around potential cuts to crucial government programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. Many attendees feared these services could be affected by actions taken by Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. One participant, Pat Lostroh, traveled over 30 miles to voice her concerns about what she described as threats to democracy. While fears of funding cuts dominated the conversation, attendees raised various issues, including the U.S. government's stance on the war in Ukraine and concerns about the privatization of the U.S. Postal Service. Despite the tense atmosphere, participants appreciated Flood's willingness to face them in person. He acknowledged the angry feelings in his district but also noted there are people who feel positively about the country’s direction. Flood highlighted the importance of allowing constituents to express their concerns directly.