Rep. Lynch holds town hall on Trump administration's actions
- The Summit
- Mar 4
- 3 min read
By Caleb Tobin
Representative Stephen Lynch fielded questions from constituents about Elon Musk, Medicaid cuts, and the war in Ukraine at a virtual town hall Monday night.
Lynch, who represents Massachusetts's 8th Congressional District, which includes Easton, opened the town hall by speaking against President Trump’s recent actions, which he says have undermined America’s standing in the world.
“President Trump’s actions, from beginning to end, represent a clear and present danger to our democracy. I honestly feel that way,” he said.
Most of the event was spent answering questions from constituents, who could put their questions in a Q&A chat or ask them directly to Lynch.
One person asked how Trump could freeze funding that had already been approved by Congress and signed into law by previous presidents.
“We’ve had presidents in the past where presidents have tried to do this, and the courts, it has gone to the Supreme Court, and they’ve ruled that that was illegal,” Lynch said. He added that even short-term funding disruptions can have drastic impacts on organizations that rely on grants and other federal funding, such as community health centers.
Courts have blocked the administration’s efforts to freeze trillions of dollars in spending, but there are still fears the administration could attempt to freeze funds in the future.
Another constituent asked about Elon Musk’s actions and how they can be stopped. Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has spent the weeks since inauguration day attempting to cancel and cut various programs and agencies, including USAID.
“The premise is that President Trump empowered him, that's the simple answer. He’s given him authority to do this much the same as he empowered Jared Kushner and his daughter Ivanka in the previous administration, just pull them in and empower them,” Lynch said.
Lynch also said Musk has acted recklessly.
“He’s [Musk] done some things that illustrate how ill-equipped he is. He laid off 300 of our top nuclear security personnel and then four days later he said ‘whoops, I’ve got to hire them back,’” Lynch said. “Not all of them came back because they, you know, obviously they don't feel that they're in secure positions because of the way that they were fired.”
Questions were also asked about 25% tariffs against Canada and Mexico that go into effect today.
The tariffs will affect goods ranging from building materials and car parts to oil and natural gas. According to the New England-Canada Business Council, New England receives 80% of its gas and diesel fuel from Canada.
“It means the cost of housing goes up, right? Because that's going, you know, that steel and lumber and concrete that's going into building that housing has just increased the value, increased the cost, rather, of that housing. So, it hurts us big time,” Lynch said.
Lynch also addressed the war in Ukraine and Trump’s tense meeting with President Zelensky in the Oval Office, where Trump and Vice President Vance berated the Ukrainian president and said he should be more grateful for America’s help.
Zelensky has previously thanked America for providing aid to Ukraine multiple times, including in his speech to Congress in 2023.
Lynch said the meeting was “one of the most shameful things I’ve seen in my lifetime in the Oval Office,” and that Trump’s actions stem from his resentment over his impeachment in 2019, when he was impeached for withholding military aid to Ukraine unless Zelensky investigated then-candidate Joe Biden.
Yesterday, Trump halted all U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
“It's not only a fight for Ukraine, it’s a fight for Europe. And we’re not alone in that. The United States has admittedly paid for about half of the military aid, but the rest of Europe, the EU, has also stepped up and picked up the other half of the cost,” Lynch said.
According to the European Union, Europe has allocated roughly $145 billion in aid to Ukraine since Feb. 2022.
According to the Inspector General for Operation Atlantic Resolve, America’s response to the Ukraine war, the U.S. has appropriated $182.8 billion in aid, but only $83.4 billion had been disbursed as of Dec. 31.
Lynch said he plans on holding more in-person events in the future, focusing on community health centers, the Postal Service, and holding events in the cities and towns he represents.
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