Elise Stefanik Was Booed in Her District, in Part Because She's Not Usually There

Although the midterm elections are still a year away, there's clearly some concern among Republicans about facing voters in their districts. Many Republicans have canceled events in their districts precisely because they don't want to face the rage of voters who are angry at them over everything from the economy to Jeffrey Epstein.

During a recent trip to Plattsburgh, N.Y., though, Elise Stefanik was booed by protesters who claimed that they were booing in part because she hasn't held a town hall. Stefanik was at a renaming ceremony at the Clinton County Government Center that was meant to honor the late John Zurlo. Here's what we know about why the member of Congress was booed during the event.

According to the protesters who were at the event, Stefanik was booed during her remarks because she has been so absent from her own district.

"Well, Elise has not shown up in our district for months and months," said protester Mavis Agnew, according to MyNBC5. "She won't hold a town hall, she won't take questions. She's never in her office. People show up at her office constantly, door's closed."

"Her representatives, her employees won't talk to her. ... So this was her first appearance, the first opportunity we had to let her know we're unhappy," Agnew continued.

Activist groups apparently organized the demonstration, including one called Show Up.

Another protester who attended the event said that she was not necessarily there because she was a Democrat. Stefanik has been a long-time supporter of Donald Trump.

"I don't think this is about Democrats versus Republicans or anything," said Jesse Murnane. "We're all represented by Stefanik. We're all here represented by Stefanik. And with the recent cuts that have just been passed, we're all going to be affected by rural hospitals. Hudson Headwaters potentially being affected, our only clinics available to patients. That's important to me."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Stefanik was not happy to have been booed while attending an event in her home district.

"Today's event was about honoring John Zurlo," she said afterward. "It is a disgusting disgrace that this is what the far left does. Rather than understanding that his family has been through a tremendous amount. It was about honoring his legacy."

The video of Stefanik being booed went viral online and is just one of several recent examples of Republican officials being booed while attending events in their districts. Of course, Republican districts are vast, and these boos don't necessarily mean that all of these officials will be voted out of office.

What they do appear to indicate, though, is that there is fervent opposition in some corners of Republican leaning districts. Protesters have a right to speak out against politicians they disagree with. Politicians exist to represent their constituents, after all, and that includes the one who might disagree with them on substantive policy matters.