A constituent provided me raw audio of Walberg's event in Bedford Township yesterday, and gave me permission to share it publicly. I have posted it unedited to YouTube (link above) against a background photo that was also taken at that event, with a portion of my transcript of a standout moment from that event.
(03:30 mark)
Walberg: “I don’t know how to produce an algorithm, but DOGE does. They know how to produce an algorithm that gets to the base, and then is able to go out to the systems, and other lines, and ultimately bring it back to a conclusion that says this is what’s happening. That’s how they were able to find that there are people 200 years of age, allegedly, still getting IRS checks, Social Security checks. They’ve been capable of doing that. I don’t know how to do that.”
Someone seated close to the audio recording device, can be heard voicing quiet sounds of approval of Walberg's nonsense throughout the event.
I have not been able to attend any of Walberg's government events in over 3 years, since November 12, 2021. The events are still secretive, and held during working hours. I learned of this event in advance thanks to a Republican who ran for Bedford Township Trustee in 2024, who received an email about the event and posted that publicly online. That posting got shared around and eventually shared with me and my friends. So, this event seemed to be more well-attended than most of Walberg's events. Some of my friends who were able to attend told me afterwards that there were about 100 people in attendance, mostly of retirement age. I still have a regular job during the day.
The thing that upsets me the most about Tim Walberg is all of his Anti-Democracy stuff. That was the #1 item on my "Ten Worsts of Tim Walberg" report last year. The first big public sign of that was in Bedford Township on May 4, 2021, when Walberg plainly said, "I don't support democracy". That quote became the subject of a series of billboards, and a series of claims from Walberg and his allies that he had been taken out of context; yet they never provided any context or their own, and never attempted to suggest that the opposite was true - As if Walberg was a champion of Democracy. So, yesterday Walberg returned to Bedford Township, to spread more of anti-democracy talk, in more cruel and specific terms than last time. Taking a deeper look beyond those words - What does it mean for the state of things when a politician can afford to behave in such an offensive manner towards a room full of constituents, with no concern for losing their votes?:
(46:25 mark)
Walberg’s staffer, Dustin Krasny, read constituent’s written question: “What will SAVE Act’s effect have on women, seniors, and poor voters? Isn’t this repetitive law, and aimed at voter suppression?”
[12 seconds of silence as Walberg presumably pulled out his ID as a prop]
Walberg: “How many ways do I have to show this? How many places do I need to show this? [9 second pause] - Is it suppression of my freedoms? If I were wanting to purchase a six pack, did I have to show this?”
Constituent: “That’s not a passport or a birth certificate.”
[6 second pause]
Walberg: “You’re talking of voting.”
Constituent: “Yeah!”
Walberg: “Showing – showing the fact that you are an American citizen in order to vote.”
Constituent: “But a $200 Passport, some people can’t afford.”
Walberg: “Well, then they shouldn’t be voting.”
[Sudden uproar among audience – exchange continued, I didn't transcribe all of it]
(49:30 mark)
Walberg: “We don’t have floods everywhere. And if we had an organization – governmental organization that got in, and helped those people get up and running again, not like FEMA – We wouldn’t have the lengthy time. But you always some problems. If we have a tornado, which we’ve had in Monroe County, and all of our records get blown away, and now I’ve gotta go – I’m gonna move somewhere else in the country, that’s a different story, but there are a limited number of people that do that. That’s why we need government officials on the ground, helping people who are legal to find that as quickly as possible. Some, if it happens around the election time, they may lose that opportunity. We wanna reduce that. But, just for those few people, to let it continue to go that we have states that don’t require a proof of citizenship for people to vote, that’s wrong."
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