Blackburn to Wolf: ‘You All Are Hung Up’ on Attendance of the Town Hall

RUSH TRANSCRIPT BLITZER Congresswoman ░░░░░░░░ for joining us Blackburn ░░░░░░░░ BLITZER So you held ░░░░░░░░ own town hall in ░░░░░░░░ home state of Tennessee ░░░░░░░░ in the week You ░░░░░░░░ Anderson keeper only a ░░░░░░░░ of the attendees were ░░░░░░░░ of your congressional district ░░░░░░░░ you have any evidence ░░░░░░░░ support that claim Blackburn ░░░░░░░░ We had talked to ░░░░░░░░ that were estimating crowds ░░░░░░░░ that is what they ░░░░░░░░ with those that came ░░░░░░░░ for the event There ░░░░░░░░ the all festive town ░░░░░░░░ outside and inside We ░░░░░░░░ know some of the ░░░░░░░░ of that community where ░░░░░░░░ always go in and ░░░░░░░░ a legislative update do ░░░░░░░░ every single year wolf ░░░░░░░░ weren t able to ░░░░░░░░ inside and we said ░░░░░░░░ know just come on ░░░░░░░░ the office and we ░░░░░░░░ sit down and chat ░░░░░░░░ some point and answer ░░░░░░░░ questions that you have ░░░░░░░░ so we re continuing ░░░░░░░░ on with our schedule ░░░░░░░░ We did get this ░░░░░░░░ from trip Gabriel a ░░░░░░░░ for The New York ░░░░░░░░ He was there at ░░░░░░░░ event and he tweeted ░░░░░░░░ He said everyone I ░░░░░░░░ to in this town ░░░░░░░░ identified themselves as tn ░░░░░░░░ Tennessee 7 voter town ░░░░░░░░ to locals and checked ░░░░░░░░ Is that true that ░░░░░░░░ were only going to ░░░░░░░░ the people from your ░░░░░░░░ and they checked their ░░░░░░░░ before they were allowed ░░░░░░░░ Blackburn You know wolf ░░░░░░░░ were some people who ░░░░░░░░ up to speak and ░░░░░░░░ a question and they ░░░░░░░░ themselves as living outside ░░░░░░░░ the district So I ░░░░░░░░ t know who the ░░░░░░░░ talked to I do ░░░░░░░░ that the first people ░░░░░░░░ rsvp d about the ░░░░░░░░ hundred people that rsvp ░░░░░░░░ they had not put ░░░░░░░░ the information on the ░░░░░░░░ s little website announcement ░░░░░░░░ you needed to be ░░░░░░░░ fair view resident But ░░░░░░░░ know the point is ░░░░░░░░ There were people that ░░░░░░░░ there Whether or not ░░░░░░░░ were in my district ░░░░░░░░ came to express their ░░░░░░░░ Most of them were ░░░░░░░░ I stood there and ░░░░░░░░ their questions and gave ░░░░░░░░ the best answers that ░░░░░░░░ possibly could Others that ░░░░░░░░ that couldn t get ░░░░░░░░ and wanted to visit ░░░░░░░░ me we had invited ░░░░░░░░ to call the office ░░░░░░░░ to sign a list ░░░░░░░░ then come on by ░░░░░░░░ then after the event ░░░░░░░░ over I went outside ░░░░░░░░ the alternative town hall ░░░░░░░░ the gentleman that had ░░░░░░░░ organizing that I actually ░░░░░░░░ to those that were ░░░░░░░░ And there again invited ░░░░░░░░ into the process All ░░░░░░░░ matter As we look ░░░░░░░░ some very serious issues ░░░░░░░░ are necessary for getting ░░░░░░░░ nation back on track ░░░░░░░░ like reforming BLITZER Hold ░░░░░░░░ a second Hold on ░░░░░░░░ second congresswoman because there ░░░░░░░░ some video that is ░░░░░░░░ out there on social ░░░░░░░░ I m going to ░░░░░░░░ it for you and ░░░░░░░░ we ll continue this ░░░░░░░░ this clip starts FEMALE ░░░░░░░░ you live in district ░░░░░░░░ please raise your hand ░░░░░░░░ And if you live ░░░░░░░░ clip ends BLITZER Almost ░░░░░░░░ apparently in that video ░░░░░░░░ their hand if they ░░░░░░░░ in your district Tennessee ░░░░░░░░ district 7 And so ░░░░░░░░ me get back to ░░░░░░░░ original question How do ░░░░░░░░ know only a third ░░░░░░░░ the people who were ░░░░░░░░ actually were from your ░░░░░░░░ Blackburn We do know ░░░░░░░░ people were overheard in ░░░░░░░░ line saying say that ░░░░░░░░ live in Williamson county ░░░░░░░░ there again wolf my ░░░░░░░░ you know they were ░░░░░░░░ that came They came ░░░░░░░░ I took their questions ░░░░░░░░ gave them answers They ░░░░░░░░ concerned All voices ought ░░░░░░░░ be heard as we ░░░░░░░░ Did they check ids ░░░░░░░░ people came in to ░░░░░░░░ if their addresses were ░░░░░░░░ your district Blackburn They ░░░░░░░░ looked wolf they also ░░░░░░░░ at the parking lot ░░░░░░░░ were a lot of ░░░░░░░░ of state tags They ░░░░░░░░ check ids when people ░░░░░░░░ in the door The ░░░░░░░░ we were given was ░░░░░░░░ about a third of ░░░░░░░░ people that showed up ░░░░░░░░ from the district and ░░░░░░░░ rest were not But ░░░░░░░░ again you know you ░░░░░░░░ make a big issue ░░░░░░░░ exactly what number was ░░░░░░░░ the district or outside ░░░░░░░░ the district There are ░░░░░░░░ that were angry and ░░░░░░░░ had their concerns I ░░░░░░░░ them the opportunity to ░░░░░░░░ their concerns And then ░░░░░░░░ went outside and addressed ░░░░░░░░ alternative town hall BLITZER ░░░░░░░░ if people had ids ░░░░░░░░ they lived in your ░░░░░░░░ that s pretty straightforward ░░░░░░░░ They had ids to ░░░░░░░░ who they were BLITZER ░░░░░░░░ if they lived in ░░░░░░░░ district they were allowed ░░░░░░░░ if they didn t ░░░░░░░░ in your district they ░░░░░░░░ t allowed in Blackburn ░░░░░░░░ if they had a ░░░░░░░░ they were let in ░░░░░░░░ room BLITZER So they ░░░░░░░░ t have to prove ░░░░░░░░ lived in your district ░░░░░░░░ That is fine You ░░░░░░░░ it s one of ░░░░░░░░ things that they had ░░░░░░░░ a reservation The city ░░░░░░░░ the people who had ░░░░░░░░ the reservation in for ░░░░░░░░ town hall And quite ░░░░░░░░ you know I think ░░░░░░░░ have more important things ░░░░░░░░ argue about or to ░░░░░░░░ and they were invited ░░░░░░░░ They were given the ░░░░░░░░ to ask questions The ░░░░░░░░ was very gracious to ░░░░░░░░ Not a big deal ░░░░░░░░ made Even those that ░░░░░░░░ themselves when they asked ░░░░░░░░ question as living outside ░░░░░░░░ my district wolf I ░░░░░░░░ not ask them to ░░░░░░░░ ask their question I ░░░░░░░░ their question and I ░░░░░░░░ their question So I ░░░░░░░░ you all are hung ░░░░░░░░ on you know the ░░░░░░░░ I mean I d ░░░░░░░░ discuss things about how ░░░░░░░░ replace some of the ░░░░░░░░ code how we free ░░░░░░░░ the health care system ░░░░░░░░ We re not hung ░░░░░░░░ congresswoman on the percentages ░░░░░░░░ Well it sounds like ░░░░░░░░ BLITZER I only raise ░░░░░░░░ question because you were ░░░░░░░░ one who said only ░░░░░░░░ third of the people ░░░░░░░░ were at that town ░░░░░░░░ Blackburn That was the ░░░░░░░░ that was given to ░░░░░░░░ BLITZER Who gave that ░░░░░░░░ estimate Blackburn People that ░░░░░░░░ there that were watching ░░░░░░░░ crowd and watching people ░░░░░░░░ in and I wasn ░░░░░░░░ outside until after the ░░░░░░░░ event was over BLITZER ░░░░░░░░ right So let s ░░░░░░░░ on.”