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A scuffle erupted at Representative Katie Porter’s District Town Hall meeting on Sunday, with her supporters battling with supporters of former President Trump who loudly interrupted the MP as she spoke.
Porter, a Democrat from Irvine, said the protesters’ actions were premeditated and all participants were given an opportunity to ask questions.
“It is disappointing that a small but noisy group of attendees, who announced a ‘confrontational rally’, created dangerous conditions at a planned family event,” Porter said in a statement. “While I absolutely respect their right to disagree, their disruption disrespected all families who attended and were ready to engage in a thoughtful, civil and safe manner.
“My team and I are evaluating the next steps, but my promise to families in Orange County is that I will continue to hold town halls and talk to them.”
Porter was referring to an Instagram post by Nick Taurus, which says he is running against her in the midterm election. Thursday, he invited the supporters to join him at the town hall for “CONFRONT KATIE PORTER!
“Katie Porter is a far left ideologue backed by Bay Area academics, the billionaire class and foreign lobbies! he wrote in the post. “His America Last policies are awful for the 45e district and we intend to express our dissatisfaction.
Taurus was among those involved in the brawl; he declined to comment on The Times.
The crash came shortly after Porter began speaking to a crowd of a few hundred people at Mike Ward Community Park in Irvine. This was his first in-person town hall since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am so excited to be here with all of you today. Thank you all for coming to express your opinion, ”she said. “It’s an outdoor activity; we have a lot of wind. So I’m going to ask everyone, whatever your point of view, to try to keep their voices low and be quiet so that we can have a conversation.
She added that as a mother of three, she often worried about finding daycare to attend such events, so she asked her team to make the event family friendly. Its staff distributed popcorn, snow cones and pocket copies of the Constitution to children.
“I’m really excited to have kids here with us today, and I want it to be a very family environment, even when we’re talking about the tough issues,” Porter said.
As she spoke, a handful of protesters shouted “Carpetbagger Katie! And “Corrupt Katie Porter”. They continued to interrupt her as she spoke about climate change, COVID-19 vaccinations and other topics.
Porter’s supporters, who made up the bulk of the crowd, attempted to drown the protesters by chanting “Katie! Katie! Katie! ”Or shouting“ Shut up! ”A few protesters clashed, resulting in punches and men falling to the ground. Porter rushed into the scuffle, wrapping his arms around him. an elderly woman near the fray.
Officers from the Irvine Police Department intervened and split the factions. Sgt. Karie Davies said a Porter supporter was arrested but released on citation, and police took a report of assault and battery. The injuries “appeared to be minor,” she said.
Porter’s Congressional District is expected to be hotly contested in next year’s midterm election as Republicans attempt to regain control of Congress. The affluent neighborhood includes Irvine, Tustin, Villa Park, Laguna Hills, Lake Forest, and Rancho Santa Margarita, as well as parts of Anaheim, Orange, Laguna Woods, Mission Viejo, and Trabuco Canyon.
Porter, a 47-year-old lawyer, toppled that former Republican stronghold in 2018, becoming the first Democrat to represent the district, then was re-elected last year by seven points. Yet her electoral performance fell short of President Biden, which is part of the reason she is among the incumbents of the Democratic House targeted by national Republicans in next year’s midterms.
GOP officials argue that Porter, a darling of progressives, is too liberal for his neighborhood swing.
“The socialist agenda of Katie Porter and the Democrats has made everyday goods cost more, created a border crisis and led to an increase in violent crime,” said Torunn Sinclair, spokesperson of the Republican National Committee of Congress. “It will cost him his re-election.
No top challenger has emerged to stand against Porter.
Anyone who ultimately challenges her could face an uphill battle. Porter, a protégé of Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Is a prodigious fundraiser and has gained national attention due to her acute questioning of business leaders and government officials and her use of tables blanks to explain complex policies.
After the rally ended, Taurus sang “America First! America first! and asked audience members if they were from America.
Kathleen Ripley, 35, grimaced as she looked. The Irvine resident is backing Porter, though she criticizes the MP, saying she wanted to talk about college debt. But Ripley left town hall grieved by the shows she had witnessed that afternoon.
“It’s overwhelming,” she said. “But there’s no point talking to them. They literally had the chance to ask questions like all of us … but instead they decided to be disrespectful and yell at the member and everyone here.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
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