Rep. Mike Flood faced a packed and increasingly restless crowd in Lincoln, Nebraska Monday night as he attempted to explain how a sweeping legislative package — affectionately dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” — would somehow protect the vulnerable by stripping services from them.
The town hall, held at the University of Nebraska, quickly devolved into chants of “tax the rich” and audible disbelief as Flood, a staunch supporter of President Trump’s domestic agenda, extolled the bill’s promise to cut social programs in the name of saving them.
“I truly believe this bill will allow America to experience growth,” Flood said, as the crowd erupted in protest. “It helps farmers, ranchers, and the vulnerable — specifically those vulnerable enough to succeed without government help.”
According to Flood, the bill’s deep cuts to Medicaid, SNAP benefits, and veterans’ assistance represent a forward-thinking, tough-love approach to governance. The idea, it seems, is that real Americans don’t need healthcare unless they’ve earned it by being born in the right ZIP code or deployed to the correct war.
A Vote for Borders, Not Benefits
When pressed on the cost of a $450 million immigration detention facility — informally nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” — Flood pivoted seamlessly from fiscal restraint to fortress rhetoric.
“Americans had a choice,” he said. “They could vote for open borders and fentanyl, or for walls, freedom, and no fentanyl. They chose the latter. That’s democracy.”
The crowd, composed largely of Nebraskans who had apparently failed to read the fine print on what “freedom” now entails, jeered the congressman. One audience member questioned whether spending nearly half a billion dollars to cage immigrants represented a fiscally conservative ideal.
Flood responded by listing things America no longer needs: “Illegal immigration, drugs, handouts, weakness, and pre-existing conditions.”
Fascism vs. Feedback
As criticism mounted — ranging from immigration enforcement to the conservative policy blueprint known as Project 2025 — Flood maintained that public outrage was a sign of healthy discourse, not authoritarian drift.
“Fascists don’t hold town halls,” he declared confidently, over a chorus of boos.
One audience member accused him of staying silent as authoritarian policies gained traction. Flood countered, “I’m here answering your questions. That’s the opposite of fascism. In fact, it's customer service.”
He did not elaborate on why the "customer" was having their Medicare points quietly deducted in the background.
The Earned Right to Health
Despite repeated concerns from constituents about cuts to healthcare access, Flood stood firm on the bill’s core principle: healthcare should not be a handout, but a prize for good behavior.
“Look, not everyone needs Medicaid,” he said. “Just the people who would be fine without it.”
A Marine veteran asked how he could support a bill that erodes benefits for those who’ve served. Flood, visibly empathetic, assured him that he’d spoken with the VA Secretary, and that unspecified "improvements" were forthcoming. “We’re going to fix it, just not in this bill, or the next one, or probably during this term,” he hinted reassuringly.
Epstein Enters the Chat
In a moment that likely surprised no one familiar with modern political discourse, the Epstein files made an appearance. An aide read a written question aloud: “Why are you covering up the Epstein files?”
The crowd cheered. Flood assured them he wasn’t — and that he would, in fact, sponsor a resolution to release the files. He even backed a congressional subpoena of Ghislaine Maxwell, reinforcing his party’s commitment to transparency, so long as it didn’t involve tax returns or financial disclosures.
“I’m for releasing the records,” Flood declared. “Just not the ones that would implicate anyone currently legislating.”
Elsewhere in the Free Market of Ideas
At a Michigan town hall, Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin described presidential pardon power as “a strange quirk of history.” She noted that it’s troubling for any president to hand out “get out of jail free cards,” particularly in reference to President Trump floating a potential pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell.
Slotkin stopped short of directly accusing Trump of favor-trading with known criminals but did raise the possibility that letting out pedophiles for political reasons “muddies the waters.”
Republicans, by contrast, have made it clear: it’s not corruption if it’s constitutional.
Cancel Culture Hits Renton
Meanwhile, across the country in Washington state, Democratic Rep. Adam Smith’s town hall was canceled due to protests. Police confirmed three arrests, while Smith claimed a staffer was assaulted.
Conservatives seized on the moment as further proof that leftist constituents are too angry to debate civilly — a trait that somehow invalidates their arguments, but not the frustrations of Republican voters at school board meetings.
The New Vision: Earned Compassion™
Despite a volatile reception, Flood stuck to the Republican playbook: defend the bill, reject universalism, and rebrand austerity as moral clarity.
“This isn’t about denying people healthcare,” he said. “It’s about making sure they want it badly enough to deserve it.”
For many in attendance, the disconnect was stunning. For others, it was just Tuesday.
