Constituents who say U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is too soft on President Donald Trump interrupted the California Democrat's appearance at a town hall meeting Monday with boos and jeers.
The majority of people at the forum seemed supportive of Feinstein and greeted her with applause, but some people yelled "you're a sell-out" and "stand up."
Trump critics have filled town hall meetings across the country to push members of Congress to fight the Republican president on his tax returns, health care, foreign policy and other issues.
Questioners at Monday's event at the San Francisco Scottish Rite Masonic Center were chosen by random drawing. The crowd of about 750 people held up green and red "agree' and "disagree" signs.
One attendee said, "I’d like to know if there’s a red line that the Democrats in the House and the Senate would say we cannot work with these facists in the White House."
Feinstein replied, saying, "Actually, you’ve given me an idea so let me explore that idea."
When asked if she would promise not to sign an authorization for war, she answered that it would be a very difficult thing to do.
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She was applauded for saying she’d vote for a bill to ban untraceable and unlimited political contributions and booed when she said she could not support single payer health care if it meant government control.
The son of a Holocaust survivor asked Feinstein to agree that "politics as usual" was dead and to commit to not "normalize" the Trump administration.
Feinstein told protesters that they were "pretty good at yelling" and when hecklers called her a "hawk," she said, "Why don't you leave the name-calling out of it?"
Feinstein tried to stress that she was just one senator out of 100 and a member of the minority party in the Senate.
She pledged to support legislation to curb corporate money from elections and investigate the administration's ethics violations.
Afterward, Feinstein told NBC Bay Area some people in the audience had unrealistic expectations.
"We often ... have limited options before us," she said. "A lot of the problems we see are because Donald Trump hasn’t bothered to bring people together."
Feinstein wouldn’t say whether she intends to run for another term next year. When asked about support for Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee running for the Senate seat, Feinstein remained vague.
"It’s an open race," Feinstein said. "If she wants to run she’s free to run."
.@SenFeinstein refuses to endorse single payer health plan and is roundly boo'd at SF town hall pic.twitter.com/39K1yuaHSD — Mark Matthews (@MarkMatthewsNBC) April 17, 2017
.@SenFeinstein holding a "town hall" gathering in SF at 11am. SF Scottish Rite Masonic Ctr. pic.twitter.com/gqJToE9gkw — Mark Matthews (@MarkMatthewsNBC) April 17, 2017
Demonstrators outside @SenFeinstein "town hall" gathering in SF. Coverage 11am @nbcbayarea pic.twitter.com/3aKJyhrrn0 — Mark Matthews (@MarkMatthewsNBC) April 17, 2017
Audience cards being passed out at @SenFeinstein town hall in SF this morning. Coverage @nbcbayarea 11am pic.twitter.com/atvoU9voVI — Mark Matthews (@MarkMatthewsNBC) April 17, 2017
