Speaking to a crowd of about 100 at the historic Chatham County Courthouse on Tuesday evening, Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) condemned the Trump administration’s “campaign to undermine the very foundations of our democracy.”
Joined by state House Minority Leader Robert T. Reives II and Chatham County Board of Commissioners Chair Karen Howard, Foushee outlined her concerns about cuts to education, scientific research, and social services. The town hall drew a largely supportive but anxious audience eager to hear how Democrats are resisting the Republican-led agenda.
“What we are facing is unprecedented,” Foushee said. “Our country is facing a constitutional crisis that demands urgent action.” She particularly criticized the recent House passage of the SAVE Act, warning it could disenfranchise millions of voters.
Audience questions highlighted worries about education funding. One teacher from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics asked how to encourage students amid research budget cuts. Reives responded that Republicans fear an educated populace, saying, “There’s one group trying to stop everyone else from achieving the American dream — the wealthy billionaires who have taken over your government.”
Howard urged attendees to become “ambassadors” in their communities, stressing the importance of voter engagement. She encouraged the teacher to collect student letters about the importance of education, which she offered to deliver to U.S. Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd.
The evening ended on a hopeful note. Durham resident Joe English praised the event’s tone and content, saying, “This is what I needed.” Pittsboro activists Gary Simpson and Connie McAdams also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to speak directly with Foushee.
Foushee closed with a call to action: “Change the faces in the spaces that determine the future for this generation and generations to come.”
Trump’s critics from across the political spectrum — particularly Democrats and many civil rights organizations argue that his administration engaged in actions that threatened core democratic norms and institutions, including undermining electoral integrity, attacks on the judiciary and the media, and suppressing voting access, among others.