From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE — U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-Flat Rock, held a town hall meeting at A-B Tech’s Asheville campus on March 13 night “that escalated into a shouting match by constituents,” Asheville televisiion station WLOS News 13 reported on March 14.

Speaking from his office at the Henderson County Courthouse in a March 14 interview with News 13 — a day  after the town hall — the TV station noted that Edwards said “he was surprised it went off the rails as much as it did.” 

Specifically, Edwards told News 13, “I thought that it might be a bit more civil than what we ended up with.”

In the aftermath of the town hall, “videos of a (20-year U.S. Army) veteran (Jay Carey) yelling at Edwards amid talk of VA (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) cuts, made national news on TV and the outburst was published in leading newspapers, including the Washington Post,” News 13 stated.

The TV station added, “Inside the town hall, the crowd’s energy and passion were high and palpable as they had a chance to talk to Rep. Edwards and ask him questions... Despite a lot of negative reactions from a very boisterous crowd, the congressman stuck it out for a full 90 minutes.”

Meanwhile, The New Republic, a long-time left-leaning magazine (billed as being “founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement”) reported on the melee — in depth — in a March 14 story headlined, “Republican Congressman Ruthlessly Grilled at His Own Town Hall,” with a drop-head noting, “Representative Chuck Edwards couldn’t face his own constituents—and called for an escort to help him leave.”

For its national audience, The New Republican story stated, “Republican Representative Chuck Edwards decided to hold a town hall meeting in his district Thursday, and it went so badly that he had to call for security to escort him out.

“Edwards was bombarded with angry questions from his constituents in Asheville, North Carolina, over President Trump’s disastrous policy decisions. One constituent asked the congressman some blunt questions that got support from the raucous crowd.

“‘Do you support Trump on annexing Canada or Greenland, and do you like the way he treats the premier or the president of Canada, calling him “governor?” Is that the way you’d do as a diplomat? Is that, is that the way the United States should act to our closest neighbors?’ the constituent asked, drawing applause from the audience. He followed up with more direct questions.

“‘Do you enjoy the way he’s tried to extort minerals from the Ukraine? Do you like bullying people that need your help? Do you go for kicking the guy when he’s down? Do you support Trump in these things? This is a yes or no,’ he pressed further,” the New Republic reported.

“Edwards managed to muster up a response, replying, ‘The short answer to that is no, I do not,’ drawing his own small amount of applause. But then he lost the crowd when he backed Trump’s stance on extracting Ukrainian resources in exchange for military aid, and spoke on his decision to support the Republican-drafted continuing resolution to fund the government, drawing boos.

“The congressman tried to deflect the Bronx cheers, remarking, ‘And you wonder why folks don’t want to do town halls anymore?’

“One man (Jay Carey) stood up and cursed at Edwards. “‘You have nothing to say but lies,’ the man, who called himself a veteran, said loudly, to laughter and cheers from the audience. ‘You’re lying. I’m a veteran, you don’t give a f--k about me.’ Security moved to remove him from the room while he yelled, ‘You don’t get to take away our rights!’”

The New Republic’s story on Edwards’ Asheville town hall, which was labeled “breaking news,” ended with the following opinion expressed by the magazine:

“Edwards’s bad experience indicates why Republican leadership doesn’t want GOP representatives, particularly those in vulnerable districts, holding town halls. 

“The public is angry at the actions of the Trump administration, as well as the Department of Government Efficiency initiative led by Elon Musk. Protesters at the Asheville town hall even chanted ‘Deport Musk at one point.

“All of this may not bode well for Trump or Republicans in next year’s midterm elections.”