Protesters tried desperately to interrupt Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) during his Monday night town hall, but he wasn’t having it.
Political tensions are as high as ever, and videos from CBS News Capitol Hill reporter Taurean Small show just how riled up some protesters became.
Watch:
Two back-to-back ejections after the crowd goes back and forth with @ByronDonalds on the Israel-Hamas war.
The first two removed shouted “free Palestine” on their way out. pic.twitter.com/SAiXRssOx0
— Taurean Small (@taureansmall) April 21, 2025
“Like I said, if you want to have a disagreement, let’s have a disagreement,” Donalds can be heard telling the woman. “But when you’re gonna stand and yell and disrespect everybody in this room because you think you’re being heard – and let’s be clear, you’re not, let’s be very clear, you’re not. What you’re doing is [unintelligible] now, and you’re being disrespectful. You, ma’am, you are being disrespectful, and I will respect you and I will honor the fact that you are here trying to get answers. But if you’re gonna hold this thing up and be disrespectful, then it’s time for you to be removed.”
The protesters reportedly yelled “free Palestine” as they were being removed for disrupting the proceedings.
“They did not come to hear you yell, ma’am,” Donalds continued, referring to the people in the audience. “They didn’t come here for that.”
The woman in black continued to scream like an inconsolable toddler, but Donalds wasn’t about to let her have her way.
“You are not the only person who has a point of view in this room,” he explained. “And if you wanna yell, then I will respond in kind, because if you have to be respectful of people. You don’t get to take over the room. I’m sorry, but you don’t. You don’t get to take over the room.”
Other videos posted show gathered critics jeering the congressman while he discusses the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) actions.
Estero, FL
A tense start to tonight’s townhall hosted by @ByronDonalds.
The first question was about oversight of DOGE/Elon Musk. Many in the crowd jeered the congressman’s response. pic.twitter.com/nI47c1IJBb
— Taurean Small (@taureansmall) April 21, 2025
“You can yell or you can hear”
Crowd grows more irate during 2nd DOGE question. The prompt asked if he agreed w/granting Musk access to Social Security records. @ByronDonalds claimed Biden gave students access to the same data. Appears he’s referencing a Brietbart story from Feb pic.twitter.com/ALqSkBWfvG
— Taurean Small (@taureansmall) April 21, 2025
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