BURSTRep. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah) told a packed Salt Lake City town hall Thursday night that she is concerned about the country careening toward authoritarianism "if we don’t get the executive branch under control."
But she said her concerns aren't tied to President Trump's return to office or directed at the grievances the town hall attendees lobbed at her and Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-Utah) during their nearly hourlong event.
“When Biden was president, I had the same concern,” she said.
Attendees, some waving signs, frequently interrupted the duo, pressing for clarity over the Trump administration's efforts to reshape government by drastically cutting the federal workforce and programs.
"We are not going to get out of the situation we’re in financially without all of us feeling some pain," Malloy told the crowd at one point.
Maloy, 43, was elected to the House in a 2023 special election to replace Republican Chris Stewart, who stepped down after a decade in the seat, citing his wife's health issues. Maloy, who formerly worked for Stewart, won her first full term last year. She is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.
House Republican leaders have advised members against holding public forums because of recent protests prompted by President Trump's first two months back in office, especially changes implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency.