Voter confronts Rep. Casten at Illinois town hall

Rep. Sean Casten from Illinois faced a heated moment during a town hall meeting in Downers Grove. Some voters were angry about what they see as inadequate responses from Democrats to the Trump administration's policies. One attendee confronted Casten directly. He expressed frustration about a lack of support for his concerns. "What you’re saying is I’m not going to get my way when my people are being slaughtered," he shouted. Casten told him to consider running for office himself. The man responded by calling Casten "the most soulless piece of crap." Tensions rose as he approached the stage, prompting police to intervene, leading to the early end of the meeting. Casten's encounter is part of a broader trend. Many lawmakers from both parties are facing angry constituents during this recess period. For example, Rep. Glenn Ivey from Maryland also experienced similar frustrations during his town hall. In response to the growing anger, the chairman of House Republicans' campaign group has advised members to skip in-person town halls. Some Republicans have still engaged with voters, while others, like Rep. Derrick Van Orden, have faced criticism for avoiding their constituents. Democrats are responding by organizing town halls in areas where Republicans haven’t engaged. In Wisconsin, a local group put up a billboard asking, “Have you seen our congressman?” to urge engagement.