In a recent town hall meeting in Salt Lake City, Republican U.S. Representative Celeste Maloy received mixed reactions from attendees while discussing concerns of authoritarianism and executive overreach in the United States. Speaking alongside Republican U.S. Representative Mike Kennedy, she highlighted the need to rein in the executive branch to prevent authoritarian drifts, a sentiment she maintained was consistent regardless of whether it was under Democratic or Republican presidencies.
Her statement, initially met with applause, quickly turned to boos as she clarified that her concerns were not limited to former President Donald Trump. “When Biden was president, I had the same concern,” she said, referring to former Democratic President Joe Biden. Throughout the town hall, Maloy took a cautious path in critiquing Trump’s administration while acknowledging the broader issue of executive power.
The event was distinctive as it was held against the advice of House Speaker Mike Johnson, who suggested skipping such forums due to potential protests. As the crowd in the liberal-leaning area of Salt Lake City pressured Maloy to denounce significant federal budget reductions by Trump’s administration, she emphasized her role on the House Appropriations Committee, expressing opposition to cuts affecting areas like the National Park Service. Nevertheless, she acknowledged the necessity of difficult fiscal decisions, stating, “We are not going to get out of the situation we’re in financially without all of us feeling some pain.”
Expressing a desire to foster civil discourse, the lawmakers encouraged questions from the audience, allowing submissions and votes on a message board. One participant questioned Maloy about the risk of authoritarianism in the country, to which she agreed that excessive executive power poses a risk. However, she later clarified, “Do I think America is drifting towards authoritarianism? No. I have only hope and optimism about the direction our country is headed.” She stressed the need for more restrained federal agencies and saw an opportunity to address this issue.
Kennedy found himself facing criticism when defending Trump’s initial actions in office, notably the termination of foreign aid contracts. He argued for domestic fiscal responsibility, asserting, “We need to make sure that our own house is in order.” Maloy’s cautious rhetoric called for additional checks on the executive branch due to Trump’s issuance of numerous executive orders. While she supported the reduction in government size, she opposed the mass terminations of probationary employees—a decision recently overturned by judicial orders.
Questions also revolved around the implications of federal budget cuts on Utah’s public lands and national parks. Both Maloy and Kennedy voiced opposition to Trump’s reductions in National Park Service staffing, though they admitted to having limited sway over such federal decisions. Maloy, rooted in a region north of Zion National Park, has a history of working in conservation and water management at the U.S. Department of Agriculture prior to her congressional role, and her district is known for its rural outdoor recreation sites.
Kennedy’s district includes diverse areas from the recreational hotspots to urban locales. Although the town hall primarily focused on executive expansion and budget cuts, some participants expressed a desire for more discourse on social security, amid office closures attributed to actions by the Department of Government Efficiency. Despite the overwhelming dissent against Trump’s policies, Andrew Turner, a young Republican, vocalized support for budget cuts, asserting the unsustainability of current social security trajectories.
While reactions from the town hall were varied, the meeting underscored the complex balance representatives must maintain between acknowledging executive overreach and addressing fiscal challenges facing the nation.