Frustrated by a lack of town halls from elected officials, a local activist group tried putting on its own.
The progressive grassroots organization Indivisible Tulsa arranged a town hall-style event at All Souls Unitarian Church Thursday night.
The group had previously hand-delivered invitations to the event to U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern, Sen. James Lankford and Sen. Markwayne Mullin. None showed.
In front of three empty seats, numerous constituents stood to ask questions of the absent congressmen or simply air their frustrations at President Donald Trump’s policies, including deportations and the dismantling of federal departments.
Zoe Hale invoked Senator Lankford’s Christian faith when criticizing his voting record.
“Do you really think Jesus would look at your votes and be pleased?” s Hale said. “Is protecting tax breaks for the wealthy really what moral leadership looks like?”
Bernard Dreyer, who said he was born in Nazi-occupied France, chanted, “Resist! Resist! Resist!”
Video: Organizers and attendees perform the "Chicken Dance" at at town hall event inside All Souls Unitarian Church organized by Indivisible Tulsa on April 17, 2025.
Congressional Republicans have reportedly been advised not to host public-facing events following some raucous town halls.
Heather Hope, one of the event’s organizers, said that isn’t acceptable.
“What happened to our representatives in our representative democracy if they will not present themselves to the voters, their constituents, to answer our questions?” she said.
Organizers had hoped to catch elected leaders during the congressional recess in tandem with the Easter Holiday.
Rep. Hern was reportedly in El Salvador visiting the country’s notorious CECOT mega-prison. President Trump has deported migrants seemingly without due process, including Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man under protected status whom the administration admits was deported by mistake.
