Republican Representative Barry Moore of Alabama left a town hall meeting through the back door on Thursday without giving any closing remarks after being repeatedly booed and jeered by attendees.
Newsweek reached out to Moore for comment via phone and voicemail on Friday outside regular office hours.
Why It Matters
Moore is the latest in a series of Republican lawmakers to face jeers during town hall meetings. Earlier this year, House Speaker Mike Johnson even advised colleagues not to attend such events.
This week, President Donald Trump’s net approval rating fell to -11 percentage points—his lowest since returning to office—according to a Newsweek tracker, amid criticism over his handling of tariffs and the economy.
What To Know
Moore faced a hostile reception, including chants of “shame,” on Wednesday while speaking at a town hall in Daphne, Baldwin County.
Audience members challenged him on issues like Medicaid cuts, abortion, immigration, and Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C.
Footage on YouTube shows Moore leaving the event through a backdoor after answering the final question. He did not give a closing statement to the crowd.
Moore was accused of lying when he said Medicaid cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill, passed by congressional Republicans and signed by Trump last month, would affect only illegal migrants. According to the Center for Medicare Advocacy, the package cuts more than $1 trillion from health programs, marking “the largest rollback of federal support for health care in American history.”
He also faced jeers after claiming that tighter border security was Trump’s “most meaningful” accomplishment, while the crowd cheered calls for military aid to Ukraine, which he opposed.
When asked about Trump’s tariffs, a constituent said, “Who pays the tariff? Is it the consumers or through the exporting country?” Moore began discussing a report he said showed inflation hadn’t increased, prompting the audience to chant: “Who pays the tariffs? Who pays the tariffs?”
American Bridge 21st Century, a campaign group focused on “holding Republicans accountable,” posted a clip of the exchange on X.
Moore told reporters on Thursday that some attendees were “the same bad actors” he had seen at previous events.
Earlier this week, a video went viral of a farmer telling Republican Representative Mark Alford of Missouri to take his “head out of Trump’s a**” at a town hall at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar. On August 11, Republican Representative Doug LaMalfa of California faced boos and jeers after defending Trump at a town hall in Chico, north of Sacramento.
What People Are Saying
Moore commented on the town hall on The Dale Jackson Show: “We left like any other event. I think we tried to engage and answer questions, but unfortunately, it got hijacked.”
What Happens Next
Earlier this month, Moore announced he is running for the Alabama Senate seat currently held by Senator Tommy Tuberville, who is not seeking reelection. The election is set for November 3, 2026, with primaries in May.
