Democrats must flip House, ‘seize Trump’s power,’ Warnock says

But one woman attending the town hall asked the question on the minds of many at the town hall.

“(Trump) just said he doesn’t know if he’s supposed to follow the Constitution. What are we doing? He’s a traitor,” the attendee said. “What’s our next step? What’s our plan?”

Dozens jumped to their feet, and cheers erupted in agreement.

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

“We have to use all the levers we have possible to hold him accountable,” Warnock responded.

When asked a similar question by another attendee, he pointed to the Republican-controlled House and Senate.

“Congress needs to seize his power,” he said. “Congress can stop this tomorrow if some folks can recognize we don’t work for a king, we work for the American people.”

The junior Georgia senator urged voters in red districts to hold their Republican representatives accountable by flipping their seats in next year’s midterms.

“I’ll be talking to all of my colleagues in Congress, not just Democrats but Republicans, because here’s the thing: We can solve a lot of this if we can get just four of them,” he said, “four of them in the House and four of them in the Senate.”

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Warnock has emerged as one of Trump‘s most outspoken critics in Washington, attending a rally in front of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in April, encouraging protesters that “now is not the time to be silent.”

But a growing frustration is simmering among liberal voters who demand Democrats take a more aggressive approach to halting Trump‘s government purge and handling of the economy.

Just 35% of registered Georgia voters approve of the Democratic Party, according to the latest Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll. That’s the lowest level of support in nine years of AJC polling.

Warnock faced multiple questions from wary constituents on how the Democratic Party will regain the trust of its base.

“I’m going to let Charlie focus on the party,” he said. “I’m focused on the people.”

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Charlie Bailey, the former candidate for Georgia attorney general and later lieutenant governor, captured this weekend’s vote to succeed U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams as chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia. He was in attendance at Sunday’s town hall.

Warnock’s town hall came approximately one week after U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff held a town hall in Cobb County where he, too, faced pointed questions from anxious constituents and disgruntled laid-off CDC workers.

And more cuts are on the horizon.

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Trump released a proposed budget Friday that would cut the CDC’s funding by almost half and eliminate the chronic disease center. The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning to cut about 20% of its workforce, or 80,000 jobs. The Social Security Administration is expected to reduce its workforce by 12%, or 7,000 jobs.

Concerns the SSA will close local field offices that provide assistance to Social Security recipients have also spread. The Department of Government Efficiency published a list of offices slated for closure in February, including five Georgia offices.

“Social Security is not a Ponzi scheme, but it is what is necessary for seniors to make ends meet,” Warnock said.

The SSA has since denied that any local field offices have been permanently closed.

Warnock and more than 100 other Democratic lawmakers, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., signed a letter to Social Security Administration Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek on April 23 urging him to keep field offices open. They also requested he identify any offices the agency intends to close.

“Given SSA’s recent attempts to close field offices — only to reverse course after public outcry and claim it never had plans to close offices — will you commit to keeping each one of these offices open?" the lawmakers asked in the letter.

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Several pro-Palestinian activists briefly disrupted the town hall, yelling, “Stop the genocide!” and “Free Palestine.” A shouting match between the activists and rest of the crowd urging them to sit down or leave continued for about 10 minutes before the activists eventually exited the town hall.

Warnock proceeded to field questions varying from access to health care, homelessness and disillusioned voters, to the administration’s rollback of DEI initiatives.

“During this unprecedented time, we must come together to fight back against the dangerous acts of this administration,” he said. “This is no ordinary time.”