ATLANTA -- Senator David Perdue (R-Georgia) says he is not avoiding voters angry about the first few weeks of the Donald Trump presidency. But Perdue says he’s also planning no town hall meetings this week either.
Perdue has been a very vocal surrogate for Donald Trump since the campaign. Since Trump's election, some of Perdue’s constituents have been very vocal about their disdain for the President’s policies – and contend that Perdue has been hiding from them.
Perdue was at the Capitol Wednesday, taking photos with members of the legislature. His appearance here was not publicized by his press operation. Over the last five weeks, Georgia critics of President Trump have requested a town hall-style meeting with Senator Perdue. A large crowd of those folks gathered Tuesday at Perdue’s Atlanta office, as they have weekly since January. Perdue has declined to have such a meeting.
PHOTOS: Protestors rally outside Sen. David Perdue's Atlanta office
"I do it differently. I engage individually and in small groups. And I do a lot of that in this state," Perdue told reporters Wednesday. "So (the town hall is) a method some people do. I do the tele-town halls. We’ve done that. But I get a better reaction and better information when I’m talking to people individually about their critical issues."
Some Republicans in Congress have had some very uncomfortable experiences with some of their left-leaning constituents over the last few weeks, especially at town hall-style meetings.
Caroline Stover, a DeKalb County resident who was at Perdue's office Tuesday, said Wednesday the senator "really seems to be hiding.”
Perdue says he has private meetings planned this week with constituents and business owners and state leaders. His staff will hold mobile office hours at the Henry County Farm Bureau in McDonough Thursday but Perdue says he won’t be there.
