Florida Republican congressman faces anger over Musk Doge cuts
Donalds, who represents a southwest Florida district, faced a sometimes angry crowd on Monday night in Estero, which is located between Naples and Fort Myers
Billionaire Elon Musk's drive to slash federal programs and the size of the federal workforce came under attack at a town hall meeting held by Representative Byron Donalds, as Republicans in the US Congress find themselves increasingly having to defend President Donald Trump's agenda.
Donalds, who represents a southwest Florida district, faced a sometimes angry crowd on Monday night in Estero, which is located between Naples and Fort Myers.
Hot-button issues including gun rights, trade tariffs and diversity training programs in businesses, universities and government were among the questions on constituents' minds. Trump has been fighting for the termination of "diversity, equity and inclusion" programs nationwide.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The conversation turned particularly raucous when an audience member asked Donalds what he was doing to oversee Musk's operation as special assistant to Trump leading the president's newly formed "Department of Government Efficiency."
So far it has overseen the departure of over 260,000 civilian federal workers through firings, buyouts and early retirements, bringing uncertainty over the ability of some agencies, such as the Social Security Administration, to operate efficiently.
Democrats argue the cuts are a back-door way of cutting retirees' benefits.
Donalds said that Musk's recommendations were being approved by cabinet heads and "will get an up or down vote in appropriations" committees of Congress.
The crowd reacted with a mix of applause and jeers, as Donalds ignored the fact that many of Musk's recommendations already have been implemented without the approval of Congress.
"What DOGE is doing right now is they are going through every agency and they are examining any contracts or lack of efficiencies in spending federal dollars," Donalds said, which again elicited ridicule.
Donalds, who has served in Congress since 2021, is a strong supporter of Trump's and announced in late March that he will run for governor of Florida next year.
Congress is in the second-half of a two-week spring recess that has seen attendees of at least a handful of Republican town hall meetings turn angry.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll results, released on Monday, found that 42% of respondents approved of Trump's performance as president, down from 47% after his January 20 inauguration.
