Congressman Bill Huizenga is accustomed to lively town hall meetings. The meeting he held in Muskegon was no different.
Hundreds of Huizenga's constituents attended the meeting. He was booed several times for supporting President Donald Trump and challenging the government's place in providing healthcare.
Huizenga says he supports Republican ideals more than any one person.
“What I support is a conservative philosophy that understands where people are coming from. It's not about one person,” Huizenga said.
Huizenga did make it clear, however, that he feels President Trump didn't condemn white supremacy adequately following the violence in Charlottesville earlier this month.
"We need to, as I said during the town hall, we need to name it. We need to identify it. We need to make sure that message is sent clearly, that it's not acceptable as a society," he said.
While many people left the auditorium still upset with Huizenga, he says these town halls are important.
"These are the best times to meet constituents and understand how the feel and why they feel that way," he said.
Huizenga says these meetings are a good way to gauge how his constituents feel, but he doesn't make political decisions based on them.
"I might listen to someone and try to better understand where they're coming from when they say things in a town hall, but I still have to make my decisions. That's what I was elected for," he said.
Huizenga says he will do more of these public town halls, but has yet to announce when or where the next one will be held.
Copyright 2017 Michigan Radio
