“Brutal” is the word of the night Wednesday for reporters covering a town hall meeting being hosted by New Jersey Rep. Tom MacArthur.
This Rep. Tom MacArthur town hall is pretty brutal. https://t.co/VFOB6D6Aqj
— Matt Largey (@mattlargey) May 10, 2017
This MacArthur town hall is brutal…
— depressed Sabres fan (@CoryLandel) May 10, 2017
This MacArthur town hall is absolutely brutal. He's been absolutely shredded.
— Alex Adams (@alexjhadams) May 11, 2017
Anticipation for the town hall had been growing for days, though some wondered if MacArthur would follow through.
I hope Tom MacArthur gets pelted with garbage during his town hall. And then gets hit by a bus.
— future canon (@futurecanon) May 4, 2017
MacArthur is a rich target for critics of the American Health Care Act, as he authored the amendment that would allow states to obtain waivers to some requirements of the Affordable Care Act.
Many interpret that to mean the amendment does not cover pre-existing conditions, despite language explicitly stating that “nothing in this Act shall be construed as permitting insurers to limit access to health coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions.” That didn’t stop protesters from holding a “die-in” outside, dressing up as the grim reaper, or waving Halloween skeletons around.
Happening now: die in at Tom MacArthur town hall #NoAHCA pic.twitter.com/PdIv52oYeU
— NJ Citizen Action (@NJCitizenAction) May 10, 2017
Dang, who drew the short straw and had to play the guy who died of an untreated STD?
I'm in Willingsboro, New Jersey where an hour and a half before Republican Rep. Tom MacArthur's town hall many protesters have gathered pic.twitter.com/EceR9pvEFh
— Paul McLeod (@pdmcleod) May 10, 2017
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"The GOP plan is bullshit," says the speaker, who has a chronic illness. "It is nothing short of committing genocide."
So people are angry.
— Paul McLeod (@pdmcleod) May 10, 2017
So, if that was the protest outside beforehand, how brutal was the town hall? MacArthur attempted to share his own experience of taking his 11-year-old daughter off of life support but was shouted down and shamed by constituents. Maybe he should write a book about it and spare those not interested.
"If I talk about my daughter too much then so be it," MacArthur opens w stories about his special needs child to defend against AHCA attacks
— Garance Franke-Ruta (@thegarance) May 10, 2017
MacArthur booed and hit w "shame on you" for long wind-up story about his daughter. "I will say, shame on you, quite honestly," he says.
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) May 10, 2017
This audience is brutal. Even a MacArthur story about taking his daughter off life support is met with calls for him to get on with it.
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) May 10, 2017
MacArthur was with daughter when taken off life support. "So if you think I don't care about health care…" and then he's shouted down.
— John O’Connor (@johnroconnor) May 10, 2017
Wow: MacArthur talks about his daughter born with special needs who passed, and some in crowd yell "Shame" & "you're politicizing her"
— Caitlin Huey-Burns (@CHueyBurns) May 10, 2017
MacArthur is trying to talk about his daughter who died at 11. A couple people yelling "shame" and telling him they've heard it before.
— Scott Detrow (@scottdetrow) May 10, 2017
MacArthur telling crowd about his 11 year old special needs daughter who died, but gets shouted down. "Shame on you,” he says
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) May 10, 2017
MacArthur tries to talk about his daughter Grace who passed away and constituents yell that they already heard the story.
— Lauren Fox (@FoxReports) May 10, 2017
"If I talk about my daughter too much than so be it," MacArthur said. "Write a book," a constituent yells. "Maybe I will," he responds.
— Lauren Fox (@FoxReports) May 10, 2017
MacArthur: "I put my head to my daughter's chest and listened to her die." People erupt: "Other babies will die without care, too!"
— Sonam Sheth (@sonam_sheth) May 10, 2017
MacArthur talking about his daughter, who died when she was 11. Constituent: "Did you have the money for her care?" pic.twitter.com/t45gkoXGqv
— Sonam Sheth (@sonam_sheth) May 10, 2017
MacArthur: “I want to go back to my daughter.” Grace his special needs child who died at age 11. Audience member: “We know about her.”
— Katie Jennings (@katiedjennings) May 10, 2017
https://twitter.com/CeeKayVJ/status/862458055971135489
MacArthur had told a local TV station he’d hoped the town hall would be calm and civil.
Just did an interview with Rep. Tom MacArthur, (R) NJ. He hopes tonight's town hall will be calm and civil. @NBCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/qwhZ3sPeQA
— Drew Smith (@drewsmithtv) May 10, 2017
It wasn’t.
MacArthur: "I'm asking you guys to have some respect." Constituent: "Can I be disrespectful on behalf of all the people you're gonna kill?"
— Sonam Sheth (@sonam_sheth) May 10, 2017
* * *
Update:
Here’s a snippet of video to give a better sense of the atmosphere inside the town hall, which was still going after 3 and a half hours.
Well that didn't last long. MacArthur now losing the audience, as crowd chants "shame" and consistently interrupting him. pic.twitter.com/PItTbyTm17
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) May 10, 2017
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Related:
‘I want them to be tortured’! Kurt Eichenwald rages against ‘every GOPr who voted 4 Trumpcare’ https://t.co/zJEy93ctuM
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) May 6, 2017
Police escort Republican congressman from town hall; 'Thought this was going to be an adult conversation' https://t.co/NiPFI5lqUK
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) February 4, 2017
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