Republicans in swing districts are hiding from the public to avoid 'viral moments'

As the House concluded a 17-day break, during which Congressional members go back to their home districts to engage with their constituents, several of the most at-risk Republicans reportedly minimized their interactions with the public. They feared possible fallout from President Donald Trump's controversial policies during his initial months in office.

A report published in the Associated Press on Monday said over the past two weeks, no one answered the phone at any of Rep. Scott Perry’s (R-PA.) four offices.

Perry's team withheld information about the Republican congressman's public events until after they had taken place. Even supporters residing in Perry's central Pennsylvania district struggled to recall the last occasion he held an in-person town hall meeting, per AP.

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"They are embracing the strategy outlined by GOP leaders in Washington who argue there is no benefit to creating more viral moments such as the crowd in Asheville, North Carolina, that booed U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards and the pointed questions about tariffs and deportations that were directed at U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa," the AP report said.

Perry was reelected last fall with a margin of around 5,000 votes. He ranks among the 10 most at-risk House Republicans based on their victory margins. During the recess, it was particularly challenging to locate these lawmakers, and verifying many of their public schedules proved difficult due to inconsistent responses from their offices, according to AP.

Conservatives from swing districts in Arizona, Colorado, California, Iowa, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin did not organize public in-person events. Only one group arranged a telephone town hall, while others preferred to hold smaller, invitation-only meetings with local officials, which were publicized only after they had taken place.

Some Republicans have already faced this public anger. Earlier this month, a chaotic town hall for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) ended in the arrests of two men, who were tased by local police. A woman was arrested on a "vulgar language" charge along with a number of other protestors, all spending the night in jail, a protest organizer told Raw Story.

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Greene's town hall in Acworth, Georgia — which is in Cobb County, roughly an hour north of Atlanta — was immediately disrupted by protesters despite the Georgia Republican warning attendees that any outbursts would not be tolerated. Shortly after the meeting began, a man began shouting while Greene was adjusting her microphone. He was escorted out by police as Greene and several of her supporters applauded.

The Georgia Republican said she was pleased with how the protesters who disrupted the meeting were handled.

"I'm glad they got thrown out. That's exactly what I wanted to see happen," Greene said. "This isn't a political rally or a protest. I held a town hall tonight. You know who was out of line? The protesters.”

ALSO READ: Greene gives 'word of warning' to constituents: 'Behave' or be 'thrown out' of town hall