Democrat Tom Suozzi, who represents parts of Queens, held a town hall Thursday on Long Island. NY1's Bobby Cuza filed the following report.
Democrat Tom Suozzi's district, which covers parts of Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties, has a relatively even split of Democrats and Republicans. But you wouldn't know it from Thursday night's town hall.
The crowd featured longtime activists and political newcomers alike, but all of them were fervently anti-Trump.
"The blessing is, is that so many people are active and engaged, and this country needs this type of engagement," Suozzi said.
Unlike town halls across the country where Republicans have faced the wrath of angry constituents, Suozzi was generally on the same page as this crowd politically, though many sought to push him left on issues like single-payer healthcare, gun control and a bill related to U.S. funding of terrorism.
"You are not co-sponsoring. Are you going to co-sponsor and support the Stop Arming Terrorists Act? And if not, why wouldn't you?" said one person at the town hall.
Suozzi acknowledged the town hall was organized using campaign funds and was not official governmental business, because, he said, he hoped the event would mobilize supporters to organize. When Suozzi asked if any Trump supporters were present, only two hands went up in a room of nearly 500.
Themes included Trump's travel ban, immigration policy and ties to Russia.
"We want to know what's going on with Russia and Putin and Trump," Suozzi said. "If you care about your country, you want to know the answer to this question."
Suozzi's town hall, albeit in front of a friendly crowd, stood in contrast to Republican congressmen like Dan Donovan of Staten Island and Peter King and Lee Zeldin on Long Island, who opted for telephone town halls rather than in-person events, arguing that live town halls would not be productive.