Martin Downie, a 57-year-old federal worker with 30 years of Army service, was fired from his remote USDA job along with thousands of other probationary employees in February, despite what he described as "exemplary" performance reports. Downie told Business Insider reporter Bryan Metzger that he thought Rep. Chuck Edwards enjoyed the town hall and was “a little bit sadistic.” (All photos by Sean Rayford for Getty Images)

By Clayton Henkel of NC Newsline / State Newsrooms

U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards (NC-11) did his best to remain composed as he addressed an angry audience Thursday night in Asheville, North Carolina.

With Republican members of Congress advised to avoid holding in-person events, Edwards took the stage at Ferguson Auditorium and tried to put a positive spin on the first few weeks of the second Trump administration.

Karen Jackson, right, and Sam Bingham place flags in the ground as people wait in line before a congressional town hall meeting with Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) on March 13, 2025 in Asheville, North Carolina.

Edwards told the audience that President Donald Trump was committed to helping western North Carolina rebuild from Hurricane Helene and made his first trip to the region after his inauguration.

“My responsibility now is to get the money into the hands of western North Carolina,” said Edwards, in a rare moment that drew applause.

Veteran, Sam Bingham, left, points at Rep. Chuck Edwards before the start of the town hall. Bingham wore a hat that ready “grump veteran.”

As the Republican talked about his own efforts to fix FEMA, cut bureaucracy and speed debris removal, the crowd turned angry.

“Stop selling yourself!”

“Listen to us now!”

“The American people sent President Trump back to the White House and the Republican majority to restore America’s economic dominance,” said Edwards, reading from prepared notes.

“Liar!”

Throughout the 90-minute event streamed live by Blue Ridge Public Radio, Edwards was repeatedly drowned out by boos from an audience upset by Trump’s indiscriminate cuts to federal agencies.

The audience peppered Edwards with questions about jobs being eliminated in veteran services, the U.S. Park Service, and U.S. AID.

As the tone grew heated, Edwards remained calm, telling the audience that the nation’s debt crisis had been ignored for far too long.

“I was proud to vote for the House budget resolution…that provides for Congress to secure the border.”

That statement was greeted by another round of loud jeers.

Others in the audience expressed disapproval of Trump’s handling of the Ukraine war and his failure to support America’s closest allies.

A new poll released Friday by CNN finds half of Americans believe Trump’s approach to the war has been bad for the U.S. Nearly 6 in 10 don’t support his relationship with Russia.

Edwards voiced support for Ukraine but also spoke of his support for Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE cuts, the effort led by billionaire Elon Musk.

“We don’t need butts in seats at the Pentagon, we need missiles and planes,” said Edwards in a nod of support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“I’m trying get your opinion on this – yes or no – do you support Trump on annexing Canada or Greenland? Is that the way the United States should act to our closest neighbors?” pressed one gentleman in the audience. “Do you enjoy the way he’s trying to extort minerals from the Ukraine, from people that need our help?”

“Do I support annexing Greenland or Canada? The short answer to that is no.”

“You have nothing to say but lies. You’re lying. I’m a veteran and you don’t give a fuck about me! FUCK YOU! You don’t get to take away our rights. You don’t get to do this to us,” shouted Jay Carey, wearing a 53rd Infantry ball cap as police escorted him from the premises. Carey *told the Associated Press* that cuts to the VA workforce would make receiving health care more difficult.

Edward said as for the minerals deal with Ukraine, he would support the effort by Trump to help American taxpayers recoup some of the billions of dollars it has provided in military support for the war-torn country.

Another constituent told Edwards cuts to the U.S. Department of Education and Medicaid will severely harm children with disabilities. About 2.8 million children and adults in North Carolina are covered under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program as of last September.

While there were definitely policy disagreements, many constituents didn’t see eye to eye with Chuck Edwards on basic premises on what was true or false. Edwards repeated a false claim that federal dollars had been spent to make mice transgender. As the crowd booed, one man shouted “Debunked!!!” shaking his head.

Edwards said he agreed that vulnerable populations needed to be protected, but that could be accomplished with an adjustment of federal law.

“States would be given a block grant to do what the federal government is doing,” responded Edwards.

That elicited another round of ‘boos’ and thumbs pointing downward in collective disapproval.

As the town hall drew to a close, many attendees did not appear to be any more satisfied than when they first arrived.

For Edwards, he offered a final olive branch.

“I really appreciate the energy you brought, the contradiction of opinions, the passion that I hear, and the patriotism that I sense.”

Chaos at Republican Town Hall