Representatives Seth Moulton, Ayanna Pressley hold town halls opposing Trump
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But Pressley, also speaking to about 150 people at a community center in Chelsea, said there is an effective resistance to Trump ongoing. Politicians and advocates, she said, had wins over funding and immigration in court, and, 'We sent Elon Musk packing.'
Some of the questions Moulton and Pressley faced, however, underscored the limits of what Democrats can do to stop the Trump administration as Republicans maintain total control of the federal government.
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One teenager told Moulton she was worried about how cuts to the Department of Education could affect her ability to access college financial aid. Moulton said while Democrats would fight funding cuts, 'we don't know exactly where this is headed with the Department of Education.'
When another attendee asked Moulton how she could protect her Latino grandson, an American citizen, from being detained by ICE, the congressman said he, too, has relied on public guidance put out by the Massachusetts attorney general's office. 'The honest truth is that we can't trust ICE with what they've been doing,' he added.
Pressley, similarly, asked what everyday people can do to stop the mass deportations, acknowledged 'people have expressed their frustration' about what elected Democrats can do. She pointed to ongoing fights in the courts, largely out of congress members' control.
'This administration is lawless, and we are trying to beat them with the rule of law,' Pressley said. She encouraged people to support each other and help when they have the chance.
Moulton laid into Trump and his administration on a number of issues that have alarmed Democrats in recent weeks, including criticizing the recent ICE detention of 18-year-old Marcelo Gomes da Silva, the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, tariffs being imposed on longtime US allies, and the forceful removal of California Senator Alex Padilla as he tried to confront Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem last week.
'We don't have authoritarians or dictators here in America, and I think we're sliding dangerously in that direction,' Moulton said at one point.
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He specifically criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson, saying he does not believe Trump 'has any legal basis' to take actions such as cutting funds already appropriated by Congress. 'The problem,' Moulton added, 'is he's getting away with it because we have a person in charge of the House of Representatives who I think will go down as the weakest speaker in American history.'
In front of a friendly crowd that gave her a standing ovation at the start and end of the event, Pressley insisted that Democrats should not give up on the policies favored by its left wing, including universal health care, reparations for Black Americans, and diversity and equity initiatives. She hammered Trump— continuing her longstanding tradition of only referring to as 'the occupant' of the White House—as a 'fascist dictator' who's trying hard to drastically change American values.
'This moment, I believe, will shape the next 100 years,' she said.
Erika Winchester and Roxana Woudstra, Tewksbury residents and friends, said they decided to attend Moulton's event after growing increasingly alarmed by issues including immigration raids, cuts to veterans programs, and changes to the country's international standing.
'Everything is really concerning and nerve-wracking and anxiety-inducing, and we're worried about the future for our children,' said Woudstra, who added she had started carrying her passport with her 'because I don't want to accidentally be abducted.'
The pair said they wanted Democrats like Moulton to better explain what they were doing to push back on Trump and to do so in new ways.
'I want to see more people being outspoken and not just being shut down by the lies and rhetoric and propaganda that's just being spouted by this whole administration,' Winchester said, pointing to Padilla's attempt to speak with Noem as an example of what she wants to see.
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'Be more active, like actively resisting what is happening,' Woudstra said, later adding, 'I feel like the Democratic Party is all talk and no action.'
Anjali Huynh can be reached at
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