AI generated image of Emily Feiner at Lawler Town Hall
L-R-Mike Lawler, Donna Brazile, Bill Maher
Editor’s Note: After the recent Town Hall held by Congressman Mike Lawler in Somers, one of our readers wrote: “I was at the Town Hall in Somers on May 4. Simply put, supporters of Lawler were outnumbered by his opponents by at least 2 to 1. Supporters of the Congressman could not drown out the constant booing, screaming and jeering coming from the crowd. The only way to stop this is to better organize, and get more people to Lawler events, thanks Pat Hadwin, Yorktown.
Emily Feiner was the protestor-or disrupter who was removed from the Lawler Town Hall in Somers. While we disagree with her removal, (because she is now a Martyr and has made national news)we also wonder, why she was at the event in Northern Westchester. Feiner is from Rockland County, and while in the district, the Somers Town Hall is about an hour from her residence.
Lawler appeared on the HBO Bill Maher Show after the Feiner Town Hall. When asked about the incident, Lawler said “I am conducting these sessions at a time when our leadership is telling members not to conduct town halls. I believe it is important to engage in conversation with my constituents. The woman in question was called upon to ask a question which was fine. I answered it. She didn’t like my answer and kept screaming. She got into a verbal altercation with my staff and was asked to stop by security and then by members of the State Police. When she refused, she was removed.”
“We had people throwing things, punching and verbally attacking my staff. That kind of stuff is unacceptable. I am more than willing to take the heat. I have no problem with that. If people want to attend my meetings and have a constructive dialogue and discussion, I am all for it. If you want to protest, do it outside.”
Kudos to Lawler for appearing on both the Bill Maher Show and the Sean Hannity Show in the same week. My final thought on the disruptions at Town Halls is, is it benefiting your cause to do this?
Below is a column that we received with an interesting perspective.
LAWLER RESPONDS TO CONSTITUENTS IN SPITE OF PLANNED & STAGED DISRUPTIONS FROM PROTEST GROUPS
BY: Robert Jowaiszas and Keith Shikowitz
Throughout American history there have been progressive groups who look to make changes to the cultural, political, economic and social aspects of the country. The progressives of the 19th and early 20th centuries had a specific societal “wrong” they wanted to correct. Abolition of slavery, Women’s Suffrage, prohibition, and equal rights.
People say that the “progressives” today have only one message and that is to hate President Trump and anyone who supports him. History has shown that groups who have a SPECIFIC message and cause to fight for generally succeed, even if their cause was picked up by one of the major political parties. Groups WITHOUT a specific cause or message are doomed to failure.
The “far left activists” have a stated goal of disrupting Republican Town Hall meetings to make it look like the constituents are not supporting them. This was evident at the first two of four Town Hall meetings that second-term Congressman Mike Lawler held at Clarkstown South High School on April 27 and at JFK Catholic Preparatory School in Somers on May 4.
New York Senator Chuck Schumer stated, “We are mobilizing in New York. We have people going into Republican districts, going after the republicans who are voting for this and forcing them to either change their vote or face the consequences. This is a long relentless fight that we fight every day.”
This says to many that the people going into disrupt these meetings may not even be residents of the districts.
Matt Slater, Assemblyman for the 94th Assembly District, opened the Somers Town Hall. He wanted this event to be a model and show the rest of the country why these town halls are important and work. “We also have members of the press here tonight. We know who they are. We know where they are. The members of the press are the only ones who are permitted to record, so please respect that request. As always, stay seated throughout the entirety of the town hall.”
Slater introduced the host of the event, Father Valancourt, who welcomed the attendees and gave a history of these kinds of events at the school. He also gave a brief history of the school and an invocation. He then asked Town of Somers’ Supervisor Rob Scarano to lead the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance. Unlike at the Clarkstown Town Hall, no one booed the pledge.
Lawler said, “I passed 11 bills, 6 of which were signed into law in the 118th by President Biden, and that speaks to my ability to get things done on behalf of our district. As Ed Koch famously said, if you agree with me on 9 out of 12 things, vote for me. If you agree with me on 12 out of 12 things, have your head examined.”
Questions involved the 2020 election, Due process for illegals, and the possibility of impeachment. Lawler replied, “Folks, you’ve already tried that twice and it has not worked, and the American people spoke. The American people spoke in November, and you’re not going to nullify an election result by just claiming you want impeachment.”
Other questions concerned tariffs, his addressing the concerns of his constituents, Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security cuts and a variety of other topics.
Here are a few of the questions that were asked and how the crowd responded to Lawler’s attempts to answer.
The first question came from C Blair. “Do you believe that President Trump won the 2020 election or, or do you feel that the determination of the system was correct and if you do believe him, how can we believe anything else he says?”
Lawler responded, “So I appreciate your question. I’ve been asked it many times, and my answers never changed. Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. I’ve been very clear on that the outcome was what it was, and I respected the results. I found area of opportunity to work with President Biden where I could, and to disagree where I had to strongly, and I was also very clear that what happened on January 6th never should have happened. It was wrong. Everyone across our country has the right to peacefully protest. I saw people protesting on my way in today. That is their right.”
Lawler made a point that people might say was directed at those who were there to protest and disrupt the proceedings. “Where you cross the line is when that protest either turns physical or violent, or where it seeks to undermine a government operation or activity.”
“My fundamental view was that, this year, I was part of January 6th of 2025. We were part of the process to certify the election results. That is the responsibility of Congress, and I did my duty. I certified the results. Donald Trump won in 2024, and now we get about the process of governing. That is how our system is supposed to work. There is supposed to be a peaceful transfer of power and so I supported the election results in 2020 in the same way I supported it in 2024.”
“Then, on the second part of your question, how do I believe Trump? Ultimately, the American people decided to support Donald Trump for president. Whether you like it or not, that is the outcome, and every one of these issues was litigated in the 2024 election.”
The crowd started to get a bit unruly, but Lawler continued, unperturbed. “When it comes to our branches of government, the Supreme Court is a co-equal branch which has issued an order and if the administration does not abide by that order, then the folks, (a person yelled out that the president should be impeached) we’re not impeaching the president. Folks, you’ve already tried that twice and it has not worked, and the American people spoke. The American people spoke in November and you’re not going to nullify an election result by just claiming you want impeachment.”
He went over the process of holding someone in contempt for not obeying a court order and Congress’ responsibility in the event that the person still does not obey the court order. He gave a little history lesson about deportations under Donald Trump’s first term, they deported about a million people, a little over a million people and during Barack Obama’s two terms, they deported over 3 million people. And there is a, there is a process by which they should follow, and that is what I support.
The next question from a G Ostrander. “Thank you, Mike for holding these in-person town halls. My question for you, Mike, is, should President Trump, or one of the people who reports directly to him, openly defy an order from the Supreme Court, will you publicly announce your support for the president’s impeachment?”
Lawler began to answer and immediately the crowd showed its dislike for the answer. “So, again, I, I do not support impeachment. I think impeachment has become, (more booing and noise) entirely political. Folks, impeachment is not going to solve any, any of these issues.” The boos and noise of disapproval of the answer continued as he again explained the process of holding someone in contempt of court. ‘
The next question came from Emily Feiner, who is a defund the police advocate and an anti – Israel zealot. She even said that Jeffrey Goldberg, the Atlantic reporter who was accidentally included in that Signal chat, should have alerted the Houthis about the upcoming attack.
While she was asking her question, the crowd was applauding and screaming. When Lawler tried to answer, the interruptions became louder
In a post at 2:26 pm on August 30, 2020, she wrote Feiner Points 2 Ceasefire Now… “Defund the police, dismantle the system and rebuild one based on equity, respect, justice and rehabilitation.
In another post on September 30, 2024, she wrote, I am a Jew. I renounce slaughter, I renounce genocide, I renounce child murder. I renounce Israel. It is not a Jewish state. There is nothing Jewish about genocide.
A day later she posted, Zionists are so cringe, they really believe this Jewish supremacy/exceptionalism stuff. Now Israel is saving Western Civilization? There’s nothing civilized about Israel’s policies now or for the past 75 years. ‘
Yet even after this vitriol about Israel, at 35 minutes into the Q & A, during Lawler’s answer to a question on tariffs, she would be carried out of the proceedings screaming and falling back on that “I am an old Jewish lady” after disrupting the proceeding and not obeying the requests of staff and NYS Police to leave peacefully.
The crowd was further disrupting the event by repeatedly yelling “Let her stay! And then SHAME!” Pointing to Lawler and the NYS police.
The ABC News video, which was acquired from an attendee who was recording at the event in violation of the rules, picks up after her disruptions, only showing the dealings with the staff and police making it look like they were removing her for no reason.
This was the pattern throughout the evening. Questions would be asked and people would yell, jeer, and disrupt his ability to answer the question asked.
Ciro Riccardi, Communications Director to Congressman Lawler explained the incidents involving Feiner and others: “The attendee was asked to leave after repeatedly engaging in abusive and combative behavior with staff and disrupting nearby attendees. She was escorted from the auditorium when she continually refused to comply with New York State Troopers. Multiple staffers of the Congressman were physically assaulted at the event, and other attendees who were ejected also engaged in verbal abuse of staffers, including commenting on their appearance, weight, race, and in other ways.”
Even while the crowd was being unruly, Lawler kept his composure and did not give in to basic human instincts to reply to the crowd the way they were heckling him verbally. There were times he tried to get the crowd to settle down, and others where he just stood there on stage quietly and let the crowd settle itself down. Slater tried as well, reminding them that they were wasting their time to get their questions asked and answered.
There is further proof of the purposeful nature of these disruptions, outside of Schumer’s statement. There is a protest group in our area called Indivisible Rockland. They are a part of a national organization who go to these events with the goal of disrupting Republican representatives.
National Disruptions Involving Indivisible Chapters:
Phoenix, AZ (Feb. 2025) – Protesters interrupted a town hall with Rep. Andy Biggs, refusing to let him speak for more than two minutes at a time.
Columbus, OH (Jan. 2025)—Indivisible-linked activists triggered a fire alarm during Rep. Jim Jordan’s community forum, causing a building to be evacuated.
Atlanta, GA (Dec. 2024) – A town hall hosted by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was met with whistles, noise machines, and signs comparing her to fascist dictators.
Orange County, CA (Nov. 2024) – Police were called when protesters stormed a town hall held by Rep. Michelle Steel, leading to three arrests.
Dallas, TX (Oct. 2024) – Indivisible protesters chained themselves to entry doors ahead of a rally with Sen. Ted Cruz, forcing venue staff to delay entry for over an hour.
Naples, FL (Mar. 2025) – Rep. Byron Donalds faced interruptions as protesters from the local Indivisible chapter demanded his resignation, shouting at him during every attempt to speak
Des Moines, IA (Feb. 2025) – Sen. Chuck Grassley’s town hall was interrupted by loud chanting and a staged walkout organized by local Indivisible members. And there are more of these.
One person who attended the Clarkstown meeting (name withheld) said about the protests and disruptions, “The town hall has been a staple of American political life since colonial times. Peaceful protesting is a right in the First Amendment. The operative word is peaceful. All these people want to do is cause chaos and make it look like the people don’t support the Republican representatives. I draw the line when political discussion turns to violence and disrespect,” adding “You can disagree with our politicians, that is what our constitutional republic is based on, but when you start with Nazi imagery, to me that crosses the line big time. It is an insult to every man and woman who fought and died in WWII to save the world from the Nazis. I don’t think these people really understand what the Nazis and dictatorships are. Let them go live in Communist China, North Korea, Vietnam or in the Middle Eastern countries where the freedoms they are exercising are not permitted, and if you do, you get more than just removed from a town hall meeting. How does prison for 10 or 20 years at hard labor sound?
People are saying that the removal of Emily Feiner is an attempt to silence dissent in the district. Congressman Lawler and others present at the event stated that she was removed after being disruptive and disrespectful to staff and others attending the event.
Yet State Attorney General Letitia James had a person removed from her town hall for simply asking a question she did not like. Is this a case of silencing dissent in the state? Amidst booing from the crowd, the person asked her “Will you apologize to President Trump and the State of New York for wasting millions of dollars for a witch trial and how does it feel to know that you will be in prison for mortgage fraud?”
He was then escorted out. James stated, “We want to thank him for coming. We respect all opinions. The charges are baseless and discredited…”
In response to this, SBS a resident of Lawler’s district, said, “If she respects all opinions, why was he escorted out? At least when someone was removed from Lawler’s event it was because they violated the rules by becoming disruptive to the process.”
