‘I promise I’ll behave’: Congress’ most unpredictable Republican confronts DOGE, Signalgate backlash
A heated crowd confronted Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz during a town hall meeting on Friday night, and she is prepared to face them once more.
TroibNews 
WESTFIELD, Indiana — In the wake of the now-notorious group chat involving top Trump administration officials, known as Signalgate, public interest has surged beyond the capital and into the heart of middle America.
At a spirited town hall meeting here on Friday night, third-term Rep. Victoria Spartz acknowledged the frustrations of her constituents, stating that Signalgate is "actually very bad."
Hamilton County, home to affluent and educated Republican suburbs in Indianapolis, which Trump carried by 6 percentage points, vividly exhibited the anger felt by both the Democratic base and independent voters nationwide. This discontent was largely spurred on by the texting scandal.
“I promise I’ll behave,” Spartz told the crowd, a reflection of her unpredictable nature which has led her to turn down guidance from the National Republican Congressional Committee that advised against in-person town halls.
Throughout the evening, constituents made their displeasure known, chanting "do your job" and shouting at her. Spartz stood her ground, responding to their admonishments with equal fervor.
While Spartz represents a solidly Republican district and would require a significant political upheaval to lose her seat in 2026, the palpable energy from the Democratic base was striking, given that nearly all of the roughly dozen attendees interviewed were not Republicans.
Early on, a moderator noted that several questions had been submitted regarding the contentious group chat before introducing "Stephanie from Carmel," a suburb renowned as the home of former Vice President Mike Pence.
As soon as she began her question about whether Spartz would demand the resignations of the officials involved in the group chats, the audience erupted in applause, marking a high point of engagement for the evening.
“Resignations go to the Senate anyway,” Spartz responded to her agitated constituents. “So you should talk to the senators. Hopefully they have town halls.”
Despite acknowledging that it was “[not a good situation]” and that classified information had been included in the Signal chat, Spartz indicated she would not support resignations for those involved. The Trump administration has asserted that the sensitive attack plans discussed were not classified.
Additionally, Spartz defended Elon Musk, head of the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, whose severe budgetary cuts have sparked backlash at similar town halls across the country.
“Actually, that’s what Elon is trying to do,” Spartz remarked. “He’s trying to bring technology into the government.”
Stephanie Rutter, 37, a hospitality worker who questioned Spartz about the texting scandal, mentioned that she learned about Signalgate through an Instagram account named “SHIT YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT,” rather than The Atlantic, which initially reported the story.
“It’s everything from Harry Styles to Signalgate,” said Rutter, a Democrat.
Rutter was not satisfied with Spartz’s responses, asserting that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Mike Waltz should resign. “I think this was really incompetent of them,” she said.
Even before the event commenced, attendees were already discussing Signalgate.
Brian Jonasen, a retired Air Force veteran with a decade of consulting experience in the Department of Defense, said he had recently sent Spartz a four-page letter addressing various issues, including her stance on Ukraine.
His main motivation for attending, however, stemmed from Signalgate.
“Because I served as long as I did, I have a top secret clearance,” he stated. “I know what is classified. I know that when you take operational data and you put it out ahead of an attack on another country, that is classified top secret. The fact that they're lying about it — the fact that they are actually perjuring themselves in front of congressional committees — drives me to want to ask the question… what are you doing as a congresswoman about an investigation?”
About 500 people filled the conference center, with over 100 protesters outside, occasionally shouting loud enough to be heard inside. As the event neared its close, dozens walked out, dissatisfied with Spartz’s answers.
Tim Edson, a longtime adviser to Spartz, downplayed the protests from a distance, texting that “the room is full of the 5 percent of liberal maniacs who would lead the Democrat Party to lose a national election 55-45.”
Despite the evident frustration throughout the town hall, Spartz did not shorten the event. She stayed afterward to address more questions from constituents. Remarkably, she is set to hold another town hall on Saturday in Muncie, home to Ball State University.
As the event wrapped up, Spartz received some applause from an otherwise agitated crowd, as she addressed their frustrations directly.
“President Trump was elected to be president by the majority of Americans, but I know you are frustrated with Elon Musk,” she commented. “I know you are very frustrated. I want to stay engaged.”
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
At a spirited town hall meeting here on Friday night, third-term Rep. Victoria Spartz acknowledged the frustrations of her constituents, stating that Signalgate is "actually very bad."
Hamilton County, home to affluent and educated Republican suburbs in Indianapolis, which Trump carried by 6 percentage points, vividly exhibited the anger felt by both the Democratic base and independent voters nationwide. This discontent was largely spurred on by the texting scandal.
“I promise I’ll behave,” Spartz told the crowd, a reflection of her unpredictable nature which has led her to turn down guidance from the National Republican Congressional Committee that advised against in-person town halls.
Throughout the evening, constituents made their displeasure known, chanting "do your job" and shouting at her. Spartz stood her ground, responding to their admonishments with equal fervor.
While Spartz represents a solidly Republican district and would require a significant political upheaval to lose her seat in 2026, the palpable energy from the Democratic base was striking, given that nearly all of the roughly dozen attendees interviewed were not Republicans.
Early on, a moderator noted that several questions had been submitted regarding the contentious group chat before introducing "Stephanie from Carmel," a suburb renowned as the home of former Vice President Mike Pence.
As soon as she began her question about whether Spartz would demand the resignations of the officials involved in the group chats, the audience erupted in applause, marking a high point of engagement for the evening.
“Resignations go to the Senate anyway,” Spartz responded to her agitated constituents. “So you should talk to the senators. Hopefully they have town halls.”
Despite acknowledging that it was “[not a good situation]” and that classified information had been included in the Signal chat, Spartz indicated she would not support resignations for those involved. The Trump administration has asserted that the sensitive attack plans discussed were not classified.
Additionally, Spartz defended Elon Musk, head of the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, whose severe budgetary cuts have sparked backlash at similar town halls across the country.
“Actually, that’s what Elon is trying to do,” Spartz remarked. “He’s trying to bring technology into the government.”
Stephanie Rutter, 37, a hospitality worker who questioned Spartz about the texting scandal, mentioned that she learned about Signalgate through an Instagram account named “SHIT YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT,” rather than The Atlantic, which initially reported the story.
“It’s everything from Harry Styles to Signalgate,” said Rutter, a Democrat.
Rutter was not satisfied with Spartz’s responses, asserting that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Mike Waltz should resign. “I think this was really incompetent of them,” she said.
Even before the event commenced, attendees were already discussing Signalgate.
Brian Jonasen, a retired Air Force veteran with a decade of consulting experience in the Department of Defense, said he had recently sent Spartz a four-page letter addressing various issues, including her stance on Ukraine.
His main motivation for attending, however, stemmed from Signalgate.
“Because I served as long as I did, I have a top secret clearance,” he stated. “I know what is classified. I know that when you take operational data and you put it out ahead of an attack on another country, that is classified top secret. The fact that they're lying about it — the fact that they are actually perjuring themselves in front of congressional committees — drives me to want to ask the question… what are you doing as a congresswoman about an investigation?”
About 500 people filled the conference center, with over 100 protesters outside, occasionally shouting loud enough to be heard inside. As the event neared its close, dozens walked out, dissatisfied with Spartz’s answers.
Tim Edson, a longtime adviser to Spartz, downplayed the protests from a distance, texting that “the room is full of the 5 percent of liberal maniacs who would lead the Democrat Party to lose a national election 55-45.”
Despite the evident frustration throughout the town hall, Spartz did not shorten the event. She stayed afterward to address more questions from constituents. Remarkably, she is set to hold another town hall on Saturday in Muncie, home to Ball State University.
As the event wrapped up, Spartz received some applause from an otherwise agitated crowd, as she addressed their frustrations directly.
“President Trump was elected to be president by the majority of Americans, but I know you are frustrated with Elon Musk,” she commented. “I know you are very frustrated. I want to stay engaged.”
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
