HAMPTON — Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley fielded questions from a packed room of heated Iowans in the Franklin County Courthouse Friday urging him to “stand up for what’s right” against Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration.
The town hall, which drew a crowd of more than 100 Iowans quickly reaching the room’s capacity, comes after the National Republican Congressional Committee recently advised Republicans against holding public town halls as speakers’ anger over Trump’s administration policies went viral.
“My question, which I think is on our minds here, is where is Congress?” a speaker at the town hall said, which was met with cheers from the audience.
Grassley said he wouldn’t be able to answer everyone’s questions over the hour-long town hall. He stood stern and remained calm as speakers shouted — sometimes all at once. Speakers asked Grassley to respond to questions about veterans issues, Trump’s policies and cuts to the federal government.
“Thank you for hearing because we are upset,” a speaker said.
The concerned Iowans flocked to Grassley’s town hall as Democratic voters’ say their demands from Iowa’s federal delegation to host them haven’t been answered.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz held a town hall in Iowa last week ahead of the 2026 Midterms in response to Democratic voters’ calls for Iowa’s federal delegation to host them, which they say haven’t been answered.
“There’s a responsibility in this time of chaos where elected officials need to hear what people are irritated about,” he said. “And I would argue that Democratic officials should hear the primal scream that’s coming from America, (which) is, ‘Do something, dammit! This is wrong!’”
In response, Democrats have also held over a dozen “people’s town halls” or “open seat town halls” across Iowa.
Margaret Smith, of Hampton, said she’s glad Grassley is meeting with Iowans, but it is what he does with the information he hears Friday that is important.
Sitting in the back of the town hall sporting a no “CO2 pipeline” pin, Ann Bokelman, 73, of Hanlontown, said she drove 45 minutes to voice her concerns to Grassley. She said her land will be 450 feet from Summit Carbon Solutions’ planned Carbon dioxide pipeline
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Sabine Martin covers politics for the Register. She can be reached by email at sabine.martin@gannett.com or by phone at (515) 284-8132. Follow her on X at @sabinefmartin.
