Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse received an earful from protesters on Sunday night following a community dinner at a Providence school, where they voiced their opposition to all of President Trump's Cabinet nominees and Whitehouse's support for Trump's CIA director, former Rep. Mike Pompeo (R., Kan.).
Through social media mobilization, hundreds of protesters showed up on Sunday to voice their opposition to the Trump administration and hold Whitehouse accountable for supporting Pompeo's nomination. One of the protesters spoke out over a megaphone prior to the event and said that Whitehouse and other Democratic lawmakers had to vote the way any of the protesters would have.
"If they want to be here today and offer words as though they share our values, they must vote as any one of us would vote–against torture, against surveillance, against authoritarianism, and against Trump," the protester said.
"I heard both of my senators had voted to confirm pro-surveillance and pro-torture Mike Pomepo as director of the CIA. I was stunned. What were they thinking? Vote no, vote no on everything. Fight everything. Obstruct, obstruct, obstruct everything," another protester said over the megaphone.
Whitehouse was answering questions inside the auditorium and then took the event outside as hundreds of people gathered and could be heard yelling "Take it outside." When Whitehouse went outside the school, he was grilled by angry protesters as they gathered around him on the steps of the building. One demonstrator shouted him down for supporting Pompeo and said that it hit Democrats out of nowhere.
Video of this exchange can be viewed starting at the 7:57 mark.
"I understand that and I should have laid more groundwork, and I should have made a clearer explanation of exactly why I was doing that and why it was limited to the national security positions where something even more horrific than what he is doing now could have taken place if somebody weren't there to say no," Whitehouse said.
He then shifted to White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and attempted to justify his vote by saying he was afraid Bannon would have too much influence. A protester shouted him down before the end of his explanation and told him to take accountability for his own vote.
"Stop blaming other people for your 'yes' vote. You voted 'yes.' Take responsibility, be accountable. You work for us," the protester said.
"Yes I voted 'yes.' I take responsibility. Let me explain why," Whitehouse said.
Someone in the crowd then gave Whitehouse a list of all of Trump's nominees and asked him if he would vote 'yes' on any of them. The crowd then started yelling, "Just say no," and a few people asked why he would support any of Trump's nominees.
After looking through all the names, Whitehouse voiced his opposition to all of the nominees except for Wilbur Ross, Trump's nominee for secretary for commerce. He said that he needed to meet with Ross again to discuss a few issues.