Rep. Mike Flood, a Republican from Nebraska, was jeered and backpedaled from several of President Donald Trump’s signature policies at a town hall Tuesday evening — his second contentious encounter with constituents within the past year.

In his first town hall of 2026, Flood was asked to defend his party’s stances on a number of issues, from Medicaid to the Iran war. Many attendees were unhappy with the state of the American economy in Trump’s second term — and let Flood know.

Republicans abruptly left for recess last week after their reconciliation bill fell apart due to disagreements over funding for Trump’s White House ballroom, among other concerns.

In particular, lawmakers took issue with the Department of Justice’s nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund,” which many critics have worried would serve as a payout mechanism for Trump’s allies and supporters, including those convicted of Jan. 6-related crimes.

Flood joined other members of his party in denouncing the fund after a constituent asked him how it is “fiscally conservative.”

“I do not think we should be creating a fund for people that commit physical violence against law enforcement,” Flood said during the event held in Norfolk, Nebraska. “The Senate is opening an oversight effort. And we in the House have to determine whether we do the same in the Judiciary Committee or in the Oversight Committee. I clearly think Congress needs to have an oversight role in this before I can sign off or support this.”

Flood, who is running for reelection in Nebraska’s ruby red 1st Congressional District, serves on the House Financial Services Committee. He held a widely publicized town hall last summer, at which his constituents created a contentious environment by booing, jeering and even interrupting him at times. The environment was similar this time around.

As the conflict in Iran has continued, prices for a litany of consumer goods — gas and airplane tickets especially — have skyrocketed. The audience applauded a woman after she told Flood that the war was “making everything unaffordable.”

“We can’t afford things here in Norfolk,” the woman said. “While you guys are lining your pockets within the presidency within Congress. What are you guys going to do to regulate this and actually follow laws?”

Flood stood by Trump’s decision earlier this year to launch the war and his party’s oversight actions.

“We get regular briefs from the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” Flood said in response. “We get that from the Department of War. We get that from White House senior officials. And I can tell you that we have crippled in a major way Iran’s capacity to do a lot more harm to us. But we’ve got to finish the job.”

Warren Reimer, a man who Flood said he has known since high school, accused him of being bitten “by the Beltway bug” and of supporting Trump’s stated goal of taking Greenland by force if necessary. Flood emphasized that he doesn’t support a U.S. invasion of the semiautonomous Danish territory and that he plans to meet with the country’s ambassador on June 4.

“I get that you can turn the TV on any day of the week and you can get upset by what you see,” Flood said. “But I want to be judged on the things that I do. I want to be judged on the way I conduct myself. And I want to be judged on my bipartisan, commonsense results.”

But not all in attendance were frustrated. One of Flood’s friendlier constituents asked him about how he plans to advance the SAVE Act. Flood responded saying that “70 to 80% of Nebraskans regardless of their political party support” stricter election laws.

“Do you think illegal immigrants should vote in our elections?” Flood asked in response to several grumbling constituents. “I don’t think that a majority of Nebraskans agree with you.”

Flood ended the meeting by calling it “an experiment in democracy.” Despite the tensions, he made no indication that he would shy away from holding another in-person gathering.

“I don’t plan to move or go anywhere, and so we can have these continuing conversations,” Flood said. “And as long as I’m in this role, I will do my best to represent you in Washington.”