Popular vote loser Donald Trump isn’t hogging all the activist anger for himself. There’s plenty to go around, and congressional Republicans are getting their fair share! But for some reason, they’re not happy to be on the receiving end of the kind of rage they enjoyed during the tea party’s heyday. So, they want some bunkers of their own.
House Republicans during a closed-door meeting Tuesday discussed how to protect themselves and their staff from protesters storming town halls and offices in opposition to repealing Obamacare, sources in the room told POLITICO.
House GOP Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers invited Rep. David Reichert, a former police sheriff, to present lawmakers with protective measures they should have in place. Among the suggestions: having a physical exit strategy at town halls, or a backdoor in congressional offices to slip out of, in case demonstrations turn violent; having local police monitor town halls; replacing any glass office door entrances with heavy doors and deadbolts; and setting up intercoms to ensure those entering congressional offices are there for appointments, not to cause chaos.
Deadbolts! Metal doors! Heck, they should go all out and dig themselves some escape tunnels, and maybe a pocket hiding spot under the floor boards. Of course, there’s that pesky problem of having to leave to go to work, get home, or just enjoy some actual sunshine and whatnot. But if they can get local police to “monitor” their movements, perhaps form a protective cordon around them when moving around, they may get to avoid the unpleasantness of coming face-to-face with their constituents, and dealing with the “chaos” of suffering a dissenting point of view.