Trott and staff on hot mic conspire to paint constituents as “un-American” #HotMicTrott | 3.18.17

Hot Mic Reveals Bounced Questions, Plans to Frame Crowd as ‘Un-American’ at Trott Town Hall

11th District Indivisible Groups to Trott: This Is No Way To Treat Constituents

NOVI – Indivisible Michigan – District 11 fired back today at comments Congressman Dave Trott (R-Commerce Twp.) and his team made over a hot mic as he debriefed with staff after his Saturday town hall. On the recording captured by WDIV-TV in Detroit, Trott’s team confessed to “bouncing” constituent questions that were submitted on cards before the event began. The hot mic also captures the Trott team planning to spin the crowd as “un-American,” after booing the Congressman for calling the American military “the weakest it’s ever been.”

“Calling the entire crowd of concerned citizens ‘un-American’ and bragging about blocking their questions is no way for an elected official to treat their constituents,” said Mark Barbieri, whose son has Type 1 diabetes. “I am literally fighting for my son’s life and to be called un-American is beyond the pale. Congressman Trott should apologize immediately.”

A Trott team member also captured on audio is heard saying: “We’re going to take that part where they’re booing funding the military. I’m going to get somebody to write a story. We’re going to blow the shit out of that. It’s an un-American crowd.” This was in response to a negative reaction from the crowd after Trott made falsely asserted that the military is the “weakest it’s ever been.”

“When a politician characterizes the people fighting for our country as weak, of course he is going to get a negative reaction,” said David Hamilton, a resident of Troy. “But Trott’s trying to spin that the entire crowd of constituents as ‘un-American’ could not be further from the truth and should be condemned. We’re standing up for our men and women in uniform and it’s disgraceful that they were spoken about in such disparaging terms. Congressman Trott is the one who should be called un-American.”

Note: Comments are at 6:10 (“un-American”) and 6:25 (discarding citizens’ comment cards).