Sen. Joni Ernest had one public event today in Maquoketa, Iowa, and the Senator who as a candidate bragged of being cutting farmer and castrating Washington by cutting pork faced a political neutering by an anti-Trump crowd that chanted “your last term,” as she entered the event.
Video by Iowa Starting Line of a crowd that they estimated as 80% anti-Trump:
Given amount of people taking part in chants, I'd say 80% of people here for Ernst forum are anti-Trump pic.twitter.com/jDhUVFLSFM
— Iowa Starting Line (@IAStartingLine) February 21, 2017
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Sen. Ernst being greeted with chants of your last term:
Joni Ernst walks in to deafening chant of "Your Last Term!" that overpowers the applause pic.twitter.com/Wc9TKh31Cz
— Iowa Starting Line (@IAStartingLine) February 21, 2017
The event was supposed to be a veterans roundtable, but it turned into an expression of constituent outrage directed at the Trump supporting Senator from Iowa. After the veterans issues discussion, the focus of the event turned to Obamacare, where the Senator was booed for her position on repealing the ACA.
After 45 minutes, Sen. Ernst ended the event, and the crowd erupted in anger:
Crowd explodes in anger as Joni Ernst ends forum after about 45 minutes pic.twitter.com/gP59grAHE1
— Iowa Starting Line (@IAStartingLine) February 21, 2017
Republican members of Congress who were not in office when the ACA was passed have no idea how to handle these events. Ernst was trying to lay low by not scheduling any town halls this week, but the crowd turned out to the public event on her schedule to give her an earful.
The public outrage is real, and it is happening in red states all across the country. People understand that there is no replace in the Republican plan to repeal and replace the ACA.
The outsider candidate who once ran this ad:
https://youtu.be/p9Y24MFOfFU
Is now a Washington insider who is being held accountable for her positions.
The shoe is firmly on the other foot, and Republicans can’t hide from angry Americans who don’t want to lose their health care.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
