Hundreds clash with Congresswoman Spartz through two-hour town hall

By TIM SPEARS
WISH-TV | wishtv.com

It was supposed to be a town hall, but it turned into a shouting match between Indiana Congresswoman Victoria Spartz and hundreds of voters in Hamilton County.

The Republican representative had to move last Friday’s town hall to the IMMI Conference Center in Westfield over capacity concerns, which were confirmed when some people had to be removed and others kept out of the event altogether.

Rep. Spartz struggled to speak over the chorus of critics through much of the two-hour town hall. About 500 people were inside the venue, while protesters staged outside the entrance.

Discussion of DOGE drew boos, mentions of President Donald Trump drew boos, and even calls to stop the boos drew boos. It mirrored other high-profile Republican town halls amid a controversial start to the second Trump term.

“She’s a politician. She had her agenda. She didn’t want to hear our agenda,” attendee Kay Murphy Collins said after the event.

Facing an adversarial crowd, and intermittent chants of “do your job,” Spartz defended DOGE by saying the debt and deficit situation is becoming dire.

Spartz also said she supported President Trump’s sweeping executive orders, saying the filibuster stops congress from passing his agenda, which she called a “broken system.”

“Unfortunately, to pass any law right now, you would need 60 votes [in the Senate],” Spartz told the audience. “Congress cannot come to an agreement.”

“She gave no direct answers, she just gave the talking points she wanted people to hear,” attendee Joyce Kleinman told News 8 afterwards. “And she kept saying she wanted to have a conversation. And that’s not a conversation.”

As the night went on, some in the audience asked the crowd to stop shouting during Spartz’ answers. The congresswoman even earned applause with a half-hour left, when a man thanked her for holding the town hall.

But many were disappointed with what they heard.

“I hope that people are resolved and are going out to say ‘What can we do?’” Barbara Kramarc said after the town hall ended. “We need to save our nation.”

This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/i-team-8/hundreds-clash-with-congresswoman-spartz-through-two-hour-town-hall.

 

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Spartz: ‘radical left’ at fault for hostile town halls

Submitted by Office of Rep. Spartz

Last weekend, Congresswoman Victoria Spartz held two in-person town hall meetings in Hamilton and Delaware counties, engaging directly with hundreds of constituents to discuss the key issues impacting Hoosiers.

Rep. Spartz held a town hall meeting on Friday night in Westfield. Due to overwhelming interest, the event was moved to a larger venue to accommodate as many constituents as possible. The event took place at the IMMI Conference Center where more than 500 Hoosiers were able to engage with Congresswoman Spartz.

Click here to watch the Westfield town hall, which was streamed on the Congresswoman’s X account.

On Saturday, Rep. Spartz held a meeting at Muncie City Hall and welcomed over 150 constituents from Delaware County.

“In today’s political climate, these town halls are not always easy, but they are an essential part of the democratic process,” Rep. Spartz said. “I appreciate all the 5th District constituents who took the time to attend, ask questions, and engage in meaningful discussions.”

Rep. Spartz says that “despite organized attempts by the political opposition to ambush, create chaos and disrupt the events,” she remained committed to an open and respectful dialogue.

“The radical left still hasn’t learned that shouting and screaming won’t work – no one is going to be intimidated and silenced,” Rep. Spartz said. “I hope at least some attendees were able to hear the common-sense policies I am working to implement to benefit all Americans.”