There was applause and people thanking the elected official for showing up and meeting with his constituents.
There were also folks incensed about actions taken by the Trump administration who demanded to know what Democrats — and in particular, their congressmember — plan to do to stop what many in the audience described as an unchecked power grab by President Donald Trump.
What was supposed to be an hourlong town hall turned into a nearly 90-minute session between Rep. Gil Cisneros, D-Covina, and his largely working-class constituents in the San Gabriel Valley on Tuesday night, March 18.
The Democrat’s decision to hold an in-person town hall — in a Democrat-heavy district —contrasts with guidance from Speaker Mike Johnson, who recently told GOP House members to skip town halls to avoid protesters angry about cuts made under the Trump administration.
Recent town halls in other districts have seen members of Congress put in the hot seat.
To be sure, Cisneros faced some blowback. But attendees were, for the most part, respectful, even as they asked pointed questions and the frustration in their voices was evident.
Some attendees criticized the Democratic Party, saying it lacked leadership, a plan and a unifying message for wresting back control during next year’s midterm elections. They also pressed Cisneros for examples of what he and his Democratic colleagues have done to challenge Republicans, who have full control of the executive and legislative branches in Washington.
Others accused Cisneros of not showing enough anger over potential slashes to Medicaid, Social Security and other federal programs that Trump and other Republicans have been peddling.
“I am so angry. I am so scared,” said Melissa Morgan of San Dimas.
“I feel our democracy is in danger. … I wish you would be angry,” Morgan said. “You’re not mirroring, I think, many of the feelings this audience has. … I just wish that the Democrats would match my anger and my fear.”
Cisneros insisted that he, too, is angry, even if he holds his emotions inside.
“I do worry about people losing their Social Security. I do worry about health care going away. … I’m hearing you. There is anger there; I am angry,” he said.
Earlier in the evening, Cisneros said 15 million Californians rely on Medicaid, including 40% of constituents in his district. He told stories about how his father used to travel to Tijuana, where it was cheaper to purchase medications, and how he’d never seen anyone happier to turn 65 than his mom because it allowed her to enroll in Medicare.
Still, one man accused Cisneros of being “out of touch,” saying the congressmember last week had a social media post about solar panels the same day Republicans were discussing cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
Cisneros insisted he isn’t out of touch with the public and said he’s spoken out about such cuts on numerous occasions.
While members of the public who spoke during the town hall didn’t shy away from criticizing Cisneros or his fellow Democrats, attendees largely didn’t heckle and took turns speaking, even as they pressed the congressmember for details about how he plans to challenge Trump and Republicans in Congress.
Some expressed a desire for a leader to step forward to address what they perceive as inaction by Democrats.
Patrick Fernandez, 37, of La Verne, said the Democratic Party is struggling with its messaging and said that during the Civil Rights Movement, there were people like Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Lewis to lead the way.
He urged Cisneros to relay to Democratic congressional leaders that filing “uninspiring lawsuits” won’t win the fight. He called the actions by the Trump administration and other Republicans “every bit as perilous as the opening volleys that were fired upon Fort Sumter” during the Civil War and implied a need to act with greater urgency.
“Why are we treating this moment like, ‘Well, maybe we’ll vote them (Republicans) out in midterms?’ … We can’t bank on midterms,” said Fernandez. He equated actions by Elon Musk, a tech billionaire who has become a top advisor to Trump, and the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency — which has already gained access to federal records — to a “coup.”
DOGE has been responsible for many of the federal employee layoffs and funding freezes since Trump returned to the White House. Supporters of DOGE say the department is rooting out waste, fraud and abuse within the federal government.
Cisneros agreed that Democrats’ messaging “has not been good.”
He said young people, in particular, no longer get their information from traditional news outlets but instead are turning to social media and podcasts. Republicans have turned to these other forms of media to communicate with voters, and Democrats are behind in this area, he said.
He then said that he recently started co-hosting a podcast with Max Katz called “Who Dem?” It will be a weekly podcast where the hosts will bring on “Democratic leaders, candidates, personalities, and more with a goal of truly getting to know the person beyond politics,” according to the podcast’s description.
The first episode, released Tuesday, discussed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s own new podcast, masculinity and so-called “diversity, equity and inclusion” initiatives that the Trump administration seeks to end.
Near the end of the town hall, one attendee pressed Cisneros to name specifically something he and other House Democrats have done to push back against Trump and Republicans.
The congressmember said he’s repeatedly spoken out on the floor against Republican policies and Democrats heckled Trump during the president’s address to a joint Congress earlier this month.
“There is action,” Cisneros said. “Now, you may not see it as action, but there’s action.”
While many of the speakers during Tuesday’s town hall were critical of or questioned what Cisneros and other Democrats have done, multiple speakers also thanked the congressmember for his service and for meeting with them in person.
Some legislators may be skipping town halls — or at least ones held in person — to avoid confrontations with protesters following reports of tense moments during such recent events.
In Southern California, Republican Rep. Jay Obernolte got booed during a town hall last month in San Bernardino County for defending Musk.
Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, also held a town hall this week. His district includes parts of San Diego and Orange counties and is considered “purple.” But, the people who showed up to his town hall were overwhelmingly anti-Trump, and some voiced frustration that Levin did not appear angry enough about events taking place in Washington.
Tuesday was Cisneros’ first town hall since returning to Congress following his election in November. The lawmaker said he hopes to host quarterly town halls in his district.