By Shania Shelton, CNN

(CNN) — A Republican congressman from Georgia faced some tough criticism and occasional boos from constituents Thursday night as he fielded questions about the Trump administration’s early actions.

The at-times cool reception that greeted GOP Rep. Rich McCormick in Roswell was among other public displays of unrest from Republican voters and a couple GOP members of Congress this week, although the party’s base has largely and vigorously supported President Donald Trump.

At one point, McCormick, who represents the state’s 7th Congressional District, was pointedly asked about the firings of hundreds of workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is based in Atlanta: “Why is a supposedly conservative party taking such a radical and extremist and sloppy approach to this?”

“I’m in close contact with the CDC. They have about what, 13,000 employees, 13,000 employees at the CDC. In the last couple years, those probationary people, which is about 10% of their employee base, about 1,300 people, which you’re referring to. A lot of the work they do is duplicitous with AI,” McCormick said. The mention of AI led to “no’s” and murmurs from the crowd, leading the Republican representative to say, “I happen to be a doctor. I know a few things.”

McCormick, who was first elected to Congress in 2022, also answered pointed questions about Trump’s executive power and the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy as Health and Human Services secretary.

“Tyranny is rising in the White House, and a man has declared himself our king. So, I would like to know rather, the people would like to know, what you, congressman, and your fellow congressmen are going to do to rein in the megalomaniac in the White House?” one person asked, resulting in loud cheers and a standing ovation from several people in the room.

“When you talk about tyranny, when you talk about presidential power, I remember having the same discussion with Republicans when (former President Joe) Biden was elected,” McCormick answered, leading to boos from the crowd over the comparison. “The funny thing is you’re sitting here, and if a lot of you would probably say those January 6ers who are yelling just as loud as you, who are upset just like you and not listening, not listening. So yelling at me is not going to get any answers, OK?”

The congressman repeatedly had to tell the crowd throughout the town hall to stop yelling and attempted to calm them down at several points.

“I don’t think executive privilege should be as strong as it is. I think we’re out of balance right now. I think your direct representation, whether you like me or not, I’m the closest thing you have to represent. Your senator is not going to be as represented as me, and the president is not going to be as representative as me when it comes to you, the people in this district,” McCormick said.

When asked if he supports an unlimited debt ceiling, McCormick told the crowd, “No, I don’t. I don’t think that anybody should be without accountability, whether you’re Democrat or Republican. Now we may disagree, but I’m consistent on this issue, and realize that I’m saying it both sides. I blame the Republican Party and the Democrat Party for our problems.”

McCormick, who also works as an emergency room physician, also said he has “differences of opinion” with Kennedy when asked if he supports the new Health and Human Services secretary.

“And that goes for pretty much every single bureaucrat out there, just like I have differences of opinion with you, some things I agree with him on, some things I disagree on. I’m not going to go line by line. I am a physician. I go with science as best as I can,” he said.

As the town hall was close to wrapping up, McCormick said, “I came here to have a discussion. I think a lot of you didn’t come here in good faith to have a discussion. You came here to yell at me and to boo me.”

He continued, “The fact that I came here was because I knew there’d be about 75% people that were unhappy, and I wanted to have a discussion about how we can get to the end point and solve some problems. I didn’t have to come here. My staff didn’t have to come here.”

Signs of unrest in Republican ranks

GOP Rep. Cliff Bentz faced a similar reaction from his constituents during a town hall on Wednesday in La Grande, Oregon, where he also received questions on DOGE.

One constituent asked, “Since DOGE was created without the Congress, who is paying for it,” leading to applause from the crowd.

“The DOGE committee, as I understand it, is being filtered into, if that’s the right word for (it) or put into another agency, but we are looking into that now to find out. I don’t know the answer,” he said before being interrupted by some boos and jeers of disapproval.

Meanwhile, several other Republican members of Congress this week have publicly offered reservations about Trump’s actions since taking office.

GOP Rep. Troy Balderson of Ohio, speaking at a business luncheon on Thursday, described Trump’s executive orders as “getting out of control” and said that certain actions are reserved for Congress, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

“Congress has to decide whether or not the Department of Education goes away,” Balderson said. “Not the president, not Elon Musk. Congress decides.”

And on Wednesday, GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a frequent Trump critic, encouraged fellow lawmakers to join her in standing up to Trump, Alaska Public Media reported.

“It requires speaking out and standing up, and that requires, again, more than just one or two Republicans,” she said during a telephone town hall. “It requires us, as a Congress, to do so.”

Murkowski also spoke out against Trump’s dismissal of federal employees, saying at the town hall, “If the president, for instance, should seek to withhold federal funding that has already been authorized and appropriated, that … violates the Budget Act.”

This story has been updated with additional details.

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