A Wisconsin Republican was confronted Friday afternoon with shouts and boos from his own constituents, irate over Gaza and President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Rep. Bryan Steil joined CNN’s Phil Mattingly on “The Lead” to go over what happened Thursday. Mattingly played a clip of constituents shouting at Steil over Israel’s handling of the Hamas war.
“Two million people in Gaza are starving!” a constituent shouts at the lawmaker. “What do you have to say about that?!”
The man raised his hands in the air in triumph as the crowd erupted into cheers.
“I’m of the view that Israel has a right to defend itself,” Steil replied. “And the easiest and simplest way to end this horrific war is for Hamas to surrender and release their hostages. I appreciate everybody coming out tonight. Doesn’t mean that everyone fully agreed with me.”
The crowd audibly jeered at his response.
Mattingly applauded Steil for holding a town hall, something Republicans were recently warned against doing.
“I understand that people who make a lot of noise aren’t necessarily representative of everybody who was there,” said Mattingly, who then launched into his question about Trump’s remarks that he’s concerned about humanitarian issues on the ground. “Do you have a sense of what exactly they’re doing and whether or not there’s any sign that it’s been effective up to this point?”
Steil called it “positive” that the Trump administration sent the Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Ambassador Mike Huckabee to the region on a fact-finding mission.
“I don’t think it’s easy for anyone to look at the images coming out of Gaza, especially as it relates to children, and not recognize that something needs to change,” he said.
He repeated his stance that Hamas should surrender and release its hostages.
“While that is not yet satisfied, making sure that we’re on a fact-finding mission to provide relief, in particular to the children of Gaza, I think, is absolutely appropriate. And I commend the President for taking this action,” he said.
Mattingly then grilled the lawmaker on his constituents’ response to Trump’s marquee spending bill.
“What’s your sense when you go back home? You were faced with some questions, some frustration, over the legislative cornerstone of the Trump agenda that you guys enacted, including this,” he said.
Mattingly then played another clip of a constituent concerned that Congress was ceding its power to Trump
“I was always under the impression that Congress was responsible for issuing the tariff,” a man said. “I really feel that this is a terrible tax that’s going to be placed upon the citizens of the United States.”
Steil received a chorus of boos as he called it an “opportunity” to ensure other countries are “treating the United States fairly.”
Mattingly noted trade is a “very significant issue” in Wisconsin.
“What is your sense of the ag community, of your constituents, of the state writ large with the trade war as it stands right now?” he asked.
Steil said his state’s agriculture community is eager to know that it can export its goods worldwide.
“And for a long time, a lot of countries have not traded fairly with the United States. The president recognizes that,” he insisted. “I would like to see us, with our ultimate goal, is striking these deals with our allies, opening up our markets across the globe so our farmers in Wisconsin can export corn and soybean, and other products from around the country, across the globe.”
“Then, working with our allies and addressing the real culprit on the trade front, which is China. And so, the biggest challenge that we face is the abuses of trade agreements from China, and that’s occurred over multiple administrations,” he added.
Steil called for lowering barriers with eyes and targeting the “real culprit” — China.
“It’s time that we stand up and are working on behalf of American workers and American farmers,” he said.