Political Take: The First Rule of Leadership…

Opinion By: RCT Staff

… is that everything is your fault. Congressman Mike Lawler seemed to learn that lesson the hard way on Sunday, as Rockland residents showed up en masse to lambaste him for the controversial choices of America’s most powerful reality television star. Every single media outlet in attendance at Sunday’s town hall, including this very newspaper, documented the boos, hisses, and general negativity that seemed to permeate the auditorium that evening, as the Congressman answered questions from his constituency that almost exclusively focused on proposed budget cuts, federal layoffs, threats to annex Canada, and other top hits of the current administration. 

Of course Lawler did have friends in the audience and on stage as well: Teresa Kenny, the Supervisor of Orangetown and Lawler’s former boss from his time spent as deputy supervisor of the town, moderated the event and frequently called for decorum and respect. Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann and State Senator Bill Weber (R) were also in attendance and Lawler was quick to tout his cordial relationship with all of Rockland’s local leadership and his history of returning millions of dollars in federal taxes back to the district. Lawler’s calls to prevent undocumented immigrants from accessing federal aid programs drew enthusiastic applause from right-wingers, and his repeated promise to vote against major cuts to Medicaid and Social Security were at least met with a reprieve from jeers and shouting. But an orange shadow was cast across the entire evening and Congressman Lawler struggled to step out from under it.

Credit where credit is due, Mike Lawler was unafraid to face hundreds of very upset voters and was, at worst, sarcastic when confronted with the most vitriolic of his critics. At a time when Republican members of Congress are being advised by their own party to skip out on Town Halls entirely, Lawler was by comparison, a model of dignity and class. The Congressman was even willing, when questioned, to critique the president, if in the most polite terms possible, on his most outrageous actions and those of his cabinet. Yes, Trump should comply with a Supreme Court order to return the illegally deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia to U.S. soil. No, RFK should not be telling people vaccines don’t work, or cause autism for that matter. Yes, Congress can and should launch investigations when and if the president defies court orders. No, Signal and other unsecured messaging apps available to the general public should not be used to plan military operations, etc.

A few of these responses were inevitably draped in whataboutism and the verbal gymnastics to be expected of any politician facing a divided audience. When pressured on the Hegseth question, Lawler invoked former President Joe Biden and his administration’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, asking the attendees why they were not expressing outrage at that entirely unrelated issue. When one attendee bemoaned her reluctance to travel to Europe or Canada after President Trump has made it a habit to harass some of America’s oldest allies, Lawler began a lecture on the “Axis of Evil” that was Russia, China and Iran, that did not once mention our Dear Leader’s threats to annex a democratic nation that does not want to join the U.S.A.

Some of the Congressman’s more substantive answers also drew negative reactions from the audience, but Lawler stuck to his guns and defended the administration on multiple fronts. Lawler spoke in favor of cuts to the Federal Bureaucracy, pointing out that DOGE’s cuts come in the wake of a massive hiring increase brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, and that readjusting those numbers after the crisis has (mostly) subsided was not an inherently bad idea. Lawler unabashedly praised the President for withdrawing funds from Harvard, Columbia, and any other learning institution that, by his judgment, had failed to enforce anti discrimination laws and protect Jewish students from acts of anti-semtism. 

Above all, Lawler tried to project a conciliatory nature by emphasizing his bipartisan voting record and his willingness to work with federal Democrats and local representatives in the 17th District. Lawler displayed, in our opinion, his best leadership credentials when he instructed rowdy members of the audience to direct their “hate” at him if necessary, and treat his staff with respect. Lawler’s willingness to appear at a Town Hall in this political climate is proof of his sincerity: footage abounds of Republicans taking verbal abuse from their constituents all across the country, and while Lawler may have waited longer than some of his constituents would have liked, his choice to appear and face what he should have suspected would be an acidic reception speaks to his character. 

A few, but far from all, of the harshest criticisms hurled at the Congressman were in regard to issues over which he had no direct say. At one point, Lawler reminded his constituency that the Senate, not the House of Representatives in which he serves, voted to confirm Trump’s least popular appointees to their positions of authority. Likewise, as a single Legislator, Lawler can do little more than wag his finger when the administration deports legal residents of the U.S.A.. While many of his fellow Congressmen have chosen to be much more vocal and active in their condemnation of such acts, it is the job of the Courts to stand in defiance of Trump’s questionable use of his authority. 

That being said, Lawler’s willingness to tow the party line was also fully on display and drew the ire of the more left leaning attendees. When asked why his commitment to fighting anti-Semitism did not compel him to criticize the many anti-Semitic “jokes” and comments spewed by failing car salesman and prominent campaign donor Elon Musk, Lawler told the crowd that “calling everyone who disagrees with you a Nazi” is not a valid debate tactic. By our estimate, comparing Mr. Musk, who “allegedly” performed a Roman Salute during Trump’s second inauguration is not exactly the sort of disingenuous name calling Lawler would like voters to believe it is.

Mr. Lawler has big ambitions for the future of his political career: the Congressman is rumored to be considering running for Governor of New York and will almost assuredly seek to defend his current seat if he decides otherwise. No doubt Lawler will continue to tout his bipartisan voting record in either race and in any race going forward. As President Trump continues to push the limits of his authority and take increasingly polarizing actions, Lawler will struggle to defend that reputation, or even find the merit in it. If and when Trump, who at time of publication sits at an approval rating of 43%, directs further outrage toward the Republican Party, Congressman Lawler is in for more booing, almost regardless of his own choices.