GOP lawmakers face protests, angry town halls as Musk’s aggressive cuts fuel nationwide outrage

House Republicans, rattled by furious town halls and protests, are now urging Elon Musk to soften his approach to DOGE. Facing a wave of public anger over slashed funding and mass layoffs, GOP lawmakers are scrambling to contain the fallout.

Returning to Capitol Hill after a bruising week in their home districts, many Republicans are suddenly calling for a more compassionate tone from Musk, whose drastic cost-cutting measures have left thousands jobless and triggered protests across the country.

Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) bluntly acknowledged the public fury, warning that Republicans must take voter concerns seriously. “When you have a lot of people who are scared and angry, of course you should take it seriously,” he said.

McCormick also reminded Musk of his 2022 call for Republicans to show more compassion. “He’s kind of forgotten some of that,” he added. “I want to be his conscience.”

Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) echoed the sentiment, saying, “We can all agree on removing fraud, waste, and abuse … but does it also mean removing benefits from those who need it? The answer is no.”

Public Rage Erupts Over DOGE Cuts

The backlash against DOGE exploded last week, with GOP lawmakers facing packed town halls filled with furious constituents. Some dismissed the outrage as orchestrated by liberal activist groups, but others saw worrying parallels to past populist uprisings.

Several Republicans faced intense grilling from angry voters, while dozens saw protests erupt outside their district offices. The sudden wave of anti-DOGE activism has unsettled lawmakers, with many now urging Musk to tread more carefully.

“It would be more helpful if some of those DOGE folks showed more sensitivity to the people being terminated this way,” admitted one anonymous House Republican.

While some GOP members support the budget-slashing moves, they warn that the public backlash could be politically disastrous. “A lot of people are losing their jobs, and they don’t understand why,” said another Republican lawmaker.

Adding to the frustration, one GOP representative privately admitted Musk is “more liked by people in the White House than anyone here because we have to deal with the ramifications of what he says.”

Republicans Scramble for Damage Control

Behind closed doors, House Republicans aired their frustrations in a private meeting on Tuesday, where many complained about DOGE’s heavy-handed tactics and lack of coordination with Congress.

“There has to be a little more strategy and a little more recognition that these are people,” said a Republican lawmaker pushing for a gentler approach.

Some members even floated the idea of an internal training session on how to handle confrontational town halls—offering tips on avoiding viral social media moments and not getting baited by activists.

While some Republicans are now pushing to reinstate federal workers they believe were wrongly fired, others remain defiant, dismissing the protests as political theatre.

“There’s some dissent out there, but there’s a heck of a lot of support,” insisted Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.).

Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) took an even harder stance, advising his colleagues to avoid public forums altogether. “I don’t know why you’d want to hold a town hall right now,” he said. “You know the left is going to set some people up in there just to be rabble-rousers.”

His solution? “Let’s keep winning. That’s it. Town halls can come later.”

But with mounting anger on the ground, Republicans may find that avoiding their constituents only fuels the fire.