Representative Mike Lawler’s town hall descended into chaos Sunday night as he tried to defend President Donald Trump’s war in Iran.
The MAGA congressman from New York faced his constituents in yet another controversial town hall at Mahopac High School in Putnam County.
As the audience, frustrated by the Iran war that started on February 28, began to heckle Lawler, the congressman suggested they were acting like children.
"We're in a high school auditorium, and high school students act a lot better than you are acting," Lawler said, per the New York publication, The Journal News. "Actually act like an adult, and stop."
Lawler expressed his support for the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, arguing, “We need to do everything we can to ensure that this regime never gets a nuclear weapon.”
Shortly after launching the war, Trump said Iran posed an imminent threat to Americans with its nuclear ambitions and development of long-range weapons. Peace talks in Pakistan fell through at the weekend as Vice President JD Vance, who was leading the U.S. delegation, said Iran refused to give assurances it would not seek a nuclear weapon.
One audience member at Sunday’s town hall said it wasn’t enough for Lawler to merely tell Trump when he disagrees with him, demanding that the congressman “must impeach” the president.
“He's a fraud, he's corrupt, he's an incompetent psychopath. The Republican Party and you are enabling him. You're all cowards, and you're spineless,” the man, who was later escorted out, said.
Lawler was specifically asked about his opposition to a war powers resolution, largely led by Democrats, that would’ve curbed Trump’s ability to launch further attacks without congressional approval.
The congressman argued Trump is “well within his authority to conduct the strikes that have been conducted,” according to The Washington Post. “If, at the end of these 90 days, the conflict is not done, then yes, Congress should take steps to authorize continuing force.”
Another point of contention was the endangering of U.S. troops in the conflict. Thirteen American service members have died, and more than 300 have been injured, according to reports.
“You have in fact endangered our young people, our service members of our country and killed civilians by not standing up to Trump on this unjustified war,” a woman who identified herself as a military mother and daughter said at the town hall.
Around 1,700 civilians, including more than 250 children, have been killed in the war, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
When reached for comment, Lawler’s team directed The Independent to his campaign kickoff event in Pearl River on Sunday, where Rabbi Shmuel Gancz from the Chabad Jewish Center of Suffern praised the congressman’s support for Israel during the growing conflict in the region.
“His leadership reflects a broader vision in his work in addressing the complex challenges in the Middle East,” Gancz said.
“He has helped confront serious threats,” the rabbi continued. “We are especially proud of the courage that our congressman has shown in standing up for Israel.”
Lawler also faced a rowdy crowd at a town hall in February after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis in January.
Republican town halls have become particularly chaotic since Trump took office for the second time. Republican leadership went as far as to advise GOP lawmakers to stop holding in-person meetings with constituents last year.
Lawler serves the highly competitive, politically divided 17th Congressional District of New York. He is up for reelection this November.
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