Despite countless calls for a town hall, Rep. Tom Barrett ignores constituents

LANSING -- In case you missed it, Congressman Tom Barrett is currently hiding as he refuses to listen to the hundreds of protestors that gathered at his Lansing office to hold him accountable for his complicity in Trump’s agenda. Since day one, Barrett has been in lockstep with Donald Trump. From Elon Musk’s unprecedented power to growing inflation, Donald Trump has spent every day in office selling Michiganders down the river to pad the pockets of his fellow billionaires - and Barrett has supported him at every turn. 

Despite their many calls for a town hall to hear how this administration is devastating Michigan, Barrett continues to run away — starkly contrasting Democratic Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet’s new online portal to hear how her constituents are hurting under Trump. Republicans know that Trump’s agenda is the epitome of corporate greed and that it will only hurt working Michiganders — but they simply don’t care and clearly aren’t listening. 

Michiganders across the state are tired of footing the bill for Trump’s outrageous decisions, and they deserve better than a doormat like Barrett who gladly allows Trump to steal from our communities. 

Read more about Barrett’s shameful disappearing act below:

Lansing City Pulse: Barrett stays silent as pressure mounts for a town hall

• “Town hall now,” chanted a crowd Monday outside the office of U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte. Five representatives from the Livingston County Democrats were allowed in the office to speak with staff…
• The decision followed a surge of angry voters attending Republican-led town halls across the country. Town halls have grown increasingly charged as backlash mounts against the Trump administration’s budget cuts, which have been fueled by senior presidential adviser Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency…
• Judy Daubenmier, chair of the Livingston County Democrats and an organizer of Monday’s protest, said constituents’ anger did not excuse Barrett’s silence.
• “I guess talking to constituents who are mad at him isn’t on his radar or something he thinks is part of his job,” Daubenmier said. “People all over the country are having town halls, so we think we deserve one here…”
• Organizers voiced concerns about the impacts of Trump administration budget cuts on federal staff, veterans, education and research grants for Michigan universities.
• Janice Foster, a small business owner, told the crowd after the meeting that she had “spoken with Representative Barrett’s staff about how tariffs are going to kill small business.”
• Monday’s protest came on the heels of another protest outside Barrett’s office on Friday, organized by Indivisible Michigan 7. The protests were uncoordinated, but they shared common goals.
• Friday’s “Musk or us” protest came after leaders of Indivisible Michigan 7 requested a meeting with Barrett and received no answer. Organizers came with a list of demands for Barrett, including voting against budgets that give power to Trump and Musk and holding public town halls. Barrett, who was in Michigan at the time, did not appear to be present…
• “We are all recipients of the kinds of programs that are being cut right now,” Castro said. “These are the benefits we get when our money is spent well. This is what we’re going to lose when it’s taken away.”