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Around a dozen Teton County Democrats met alongside puddles at the back of the Albertson’s parking lot for a planned carpool to Afton, about an hour and a half south.
Maureen Barry, a retired banker, stood under an abnormally large green umbrella as she herded four other members of the local Democratic party into her brand-new blue Toyota Highlander.
“Drive safe!” a party member yelled.
“You guys too,” Barry replied. “See you down there.”
And they were off.
Maureen Barry chats with fellow Teton County Democrats at the back of the Albertson’s parking lot ahead of her drive to Afton. (Dante Filpula Ankney / KHOL)
Winding down the Snake River Canyon, the group worried aloud about immigration and maternal healthcare. State lawmakers had both at the top of their list for reform in the first legislative session dominated by the far-right House Freedom Caucus.
Nationally, they worried about the Trump Administration’s broad use of executive powers to slash the federal government, impose stricter immigration policy, and enact tariffs on allied countries.
The Democrats are a minority in the state where Hageman — a member of the House Freedom Caucus in D.C. — won reelection in 2024 by an overwhelming 70%.
Despite it all, the group still feels energized to show their disagreement.
That’s if Hageman shows up, they agreed.
National outlets have reported that Republican leadership is telling lawmakers to avoid public forums like these. Some across the nation have broken into shouting matches.
Following a series of similar outbursts and heckles at town halls across the state, Hageman decided to move her town halls online. She said the decision comes from credible threats to herself and national outbursts of politically motivated violence.
Afton’s meeting didn’t end up as the state’s most contentious, but underscored the tension felt statewide.
Barry missed the turn as the sparsely developed roadside turned into Afton’s main street. She pulled into the civic center parking lot just as Hageman and her team walked inside.
Several in the car exclaimed, “there she is,” and “oh my god.”
Inside, hundreds filled the civic center about the size of a basketball court. Some spilled into the hallway.
Hageman began by touting her goals like preserving rural postal service and delisting the grizzly bear.
“So I have a bill to delist the grizzly bear,” Hageman said, “ if we’re not able to do it through the ESA [Endangered Species Act].”
The room started to grow tense when programs like medicaid and medicare entered the conversation.
Hageman told the crowd that nobody is trying to take away social security.
“I don’t know how many times I have to say it,” Hageman said, “I don’t know how many times President Trump has to say it.”
The biggest pushback was on the topic of the Department of Government Efficiency led by Billionaire Elon Musk. Some attendees disagreed with the gutting of USAID and the firing of thousands of federal workers. Hageman did not sway in her support of the task force she said has saved taxpayers $105 billion dollars.
“So whether it is transgender comic books in Peru, or millions in political subscriptions, Congress has never voted to explicitly provide funding for these items,” Hageman said. “Musk is correcting bureaucratic decisions made absent Congress, which are wasting taxpayer funds.”
Those who traveled with the Teton Democratic Party let out occasional boos and remarks aimed at the congresswoman but caused little disruption.
Teton County residents (left to right) Clare Stumpf, Blair Crumpler, Courtney Marvin, Maureen Barry and Mike Barry. (Dante Filpula Ankney / KHOL)
However, when Hageman brought up the forest service, a group of three in the back of the room escalated.
“How many of them did you fire?” they yelled.
Disruptions like that is what Lincoln County resident Steve Pap says he expects from Teton County residents.
He sat silently through the meeting and liked Hageman’s support of the Laken Riley Act, signed into law in January. It requires the detention of undocumented immigrants accused of theft or violent crime.
“I don’t know how you get past the Democrat party wanting to protect illegals and letting illegals come in,” Pap said.
After an hour, Hageman left and most attendees walked out. The Teton County Democrats met in the lobby. They felt Hageman didn’t address their big issues.
Though they don’t feel heard — let alone represented — Maureen Barry says they’ll keep showing up to promote bipartisanship. It’s something she feels Hageman’s Republican party, which holds a supermajority at the federal and state level, isn’t doing well.
“Trump is punishing Republicans who want to work with Democrats,” Barry said.
Just as the meeting ended, the three who had been heckling loudest, not with the Democratic party but seemingly from Teton County, had one last request for Hageman.
“Come to Jackson next time!” one yelled as attendees stood up to leave.
Another attendee responded.
“How about you go back to Jackson! How about that?” she said.
And after tensions lowered, they did, along dark and snowy canyon roads.
