The Poynter Institute Menu Donate State Editions * California * Florida * Iowa * Michigan * New Hampshire * New York * North Carolina * Pennsylvania * Texas * West Virginia * Wisconsin Issues * All Issues * Online hoaxes * Coronavirus * Health Care * Immigration * Extremism * Taxes * Marijuana * Environment * Crime * Guns * Foreign Policy * LGBTQ+ People * Joe Biden * Kamala Harris * Donald Trump * Mitch McConnell * Hakeem Jeffries * Ron DeSantis Media * PunditFact * Tucker Carlson * Sean Hannity * Rachel Maddow * Bloggers * PolitiFact Videos Campaigns * 2024 Elections Truth-o-Meter * True * Mostly True * Half True * Mostly False * False * Pants on Fire Promises * Biden Promise Tracker * Trump-O-Meter * Obameter * Latest Promises About Us * Our Process * Our Staff * En Español * Who pays for PolitiFact? * Advertise with Us * Suggest a Fact-check * Corrections and Updates * Newsletters Donate #### Follow us The Facts Newsletter Sign up English Español ### Stand up for the facts! Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help. More Info ### I would like to contribute One Time Monthly Yearly Join Now ![](\\" ![](\\" M.J. Hegar stated on August 21, 2018 in an interview on Spectrum Cable\'s \"Capital Tonight\": Says U.S. Rep. John Carter \"hasn’t held a town hall in five years.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" mostly-true/4ac7c61540eff5211f6a04d98a6bc93a.jpg.\\") ![\\"mostly- true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") * Candidate Biography * Congress * Texas * M.J. Hegar ![\\"U.S.](\\" U.S. Rep. John Carter, a Texas Republican, speaks to a Round Rock crowd in August 2018. It\'s MOSTLY TRUE that Carter hasn\'t held a town hall in five years (PHOTO: Megumi Rooze). By W. Gardner Selby August 29, 2018 # Has Congressman John Carter not held a town hall in five years? Has a Central Texas congressman not hosted a \"town hall\" meeting for half a decade? Democrat M.J. Hegar of Round Rock says as much about the Republican she’s challenging to represent the state’s 31st Congressional District, eight-term Rep. John Carter of Round Rock. The district, north of Austin, sweeps in Williamson and Bell counties. Hegar, a decorated Air Force veteran, has promoted her candidacy with a video in which she says that she once tried but failed to land a meeting with Carter about lifting the ban on women to participate in ground combat. \"We’ll show him tough,\" Hegar says in the video. \"Then we’ll show him the door.\" Hegar said of Carter in an Aug. 21, 2018 interview on Spectrum News\'s \"Capital Tonight:\" \"He hasn’t had a town hall in five years and he’s kind of acting as if he wants to retire.\" Hegar points to news stories We sought Hegar’s factual backup for her claim mindful that Merriam-Webster defines a town hall as \"an event at which a public official or political candidate addresses an audience by answering questions posed by individual members.\" The dictionary makes clear that such a gathering doesn’t have to enable anyone to ask anything. Merriam-Webster follows the definition with this sample sentence: \"Town halls have lost some of their spontaneity. The 80 or so undecided voters chosen for Tuesday\'s event must submit their questions in advance and moderator Candy Crowley of CNN will decide which people to call on.\" Christian Walker of Hegar’s campaign pointed us to a Texas Observer article describing a 2013 town-hall meeting where Carter faced critical questions. Walker also singled out a February 2017 Austin American-Statesman news story quoting a Round Rock resident, Felicia Miyakawa, saying Carter’s staff had told her and others that Carter hadn’t hosted live town hall meetings since the shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., at a public meeting with constituents in 2011. Carter spokeswoman Corry Schiermeyer responded at the time: \"I wouldn’t say that is ‘the’ reason, but it would be correct to say it contributes to the many reasons. Mostly town halls are not nearly as effective, and you can’t reach nearly as many people as a tele-town hall.\" One alternative: Mass conference calls. The American-Statesman story said: \"Many members of Congress prefer the safety of tele-town hall meetings, which offer interaction with constituents but in a controlled setting — essentially large-scale conference calls in which hundreds or thousands of people can listen in and queue up to ask a question — with no booing, no signs with clever slogans, no bad headlines, no viral videos.\" Carter held an hour-long tele-town hall on March 22, 2017, according to an American-Statesman news blog post. More recently, an Aug. 11, 2018, news story in the newspaper said Carter had reached out to residents through Facebook Live events. #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" ![](\\" Pete Buttigieg stated on August 11, 2024 in an interview on CNN State of the Union Gov. Tim Walz delivered paid family leave in Minnesota but “Republicans are blocking” a Biden-Harris proposal. ![\\"true\\"](\\" mostly-true/4ac7c61540eff5211f6a04d98a6bc93a.jpg.\\") ![\\"mostly- true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Amy Sherman • August 16, 2024 Carter: ‘Man of the people’ When we asked Carter about Hegar’s claim, he said by phone that he’d held multiple events attended by people asking questions. \"I’ve been all over my district now, for 12- to 14-hour days, which is pretty typical of my work in Augusts each year. I would say I’m way ahead of my opponent in the Man-of-the- People category,\" Carter said. When we inquired into Carter’s formal schedule, we heard back from his office’s Emily Taylor. By email, Taylor listed four August 2018 events where, she said, Carter took questions from constituents on topics including federal pensions, Fort Hood and the legalization of marijuana. The events, Taylor said, were hosted by the Temple Kiwanis Club (Aug. 7); American Legion Post 133 (Aug. 14); the Military Officers Association of America (Aug. 17); and the Killeen Chamber of Commerce (Aug. 23). An Aug. 14, 2018 Temple Daily Telegram news story on the American Legion event includes a section titled \"Town Hall\" stating that Carter \"took a few minutes to discuss congressional business and field questions from the audience.\" We asked if Carter had held public town halls open to all constituents. Taylor replied that Carter had hosted 25 telephone town halls in five years, the latest one on June 18, 2018. \"The last four alone have reached 71,471 constituents,\" Taylor wrote. Also, Taylor said, Carter holds Facebook Live \"town halls, where constituents can tune in online and ask real-time questions or submit questions on our website if they’re unable to tune in during the live event.\" She pointed us to a nearly 20-minute Facebook Live that Carter held July 2, 2018. Such events are publicized, Taylor wrote, through Carter’s electronic newsletters. Our ruling Hegar said Carter \"hasn’t held a town hall in five years.\" As Hegar maintained, it looks like Carter hasn\'t hosted a traditional in- person town hall any time recently. Yet he holds tele-town halls, makes Facebook Live appearances and talks at meetings hosted by local groups. We rate this claim Mostly True. **MOSTLY TRUE** – The statement is accurate but needs clarification or additional information. Click here for more on the six PolitiFact ratings and how we select facts to check. Share the Facts 2018-08-29 19:44:37 UTC PolitiFact ![\\"PolitiFact\\"](\\" 5 1 7 ![\\"PolitiFact](\\" mostlytrue.jpg\\") PolitiFact Rating: Mostly True Says U.S. Rep. John Carter \"hasn’t held a town hall in five years.\" M.J. Hegar Democratic nominee, 31st Congressional District of Texas conversation--mj-hegar ![](\\" Round Rock, Texas Tuesday, August 21, 2018 2018-08-21 Read More info #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Email, Christian Walker, campaign manager, M.J. Hegar campaign, Aug. 24, 2018 Story, \"In Salado, the Tea Party Contemplates the Nation’s Future — and Rep. John Carter’s Not in It,\" Texas Observer, Aug. 21, 2013 News stories, Austin American-Statesman, \"Central Texas Republicans sidestep calls for town hall meetings,\" Feb. 17, 2017; \"U.S. Rep. Carter talks politics, hard decisions during informal chat,\" updated Aug. 8, 2018 Dictionary definition of \"town hall,\" Merriam-Webster (accessed Aug. 27, 2018) News blog post, \"`When Trump says something, I believe him.’ On telephone town hall, Congressman John Carter is all in with Trump,\" First Reading blog, Jonathan Tilove, American-Statesman, March 24, 2018 News story, \"Most Texans in Congress not planning in-person town halls over recess,\" Texas Tribune, Feb. 20, 2017 Phone interview, Rep. John Carter, Aug. 24, 2018 Emails, Emily Taylor, communications director, U.S. Rep. John Carter, Aug. 27, 2018 News story, \"Carter awards medals to WWII veteran,\" Temple Daily Telegram, Aug. 14, 2018 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by W. Gardner Selby ![](\\" ![](\\" Ken Paxton stated on October 25, 2018 in a TV ad: Says Ken Paxton \"shut down the world’s largest human trafficking marketplace.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By W. Gardner Selby • November 1, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on October 22, 2018 in a rally for Republican candidates in Houston: Says Beto O’Rourke \"voted to shield MS-13 gang members from deportation.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By W. Gardner Selby • October 25, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Beto O\'Rourke stated on October 16, 2018 in a debate televised from San Antonio: Says \"only one other senator from either party over the last 25 years\" has \"a worse record on bipartisanship\" than Ted Cruz. ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By W. Gardner Selby • October 18, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Alexander Strenger stated on October 1, 2018 in response cited in an interactive voter guide: Says 60 percent of Austin’s \"waterways are found to be contaminated with fecal matter and deemed unsafe to swim.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By W. Gardner Selby • October 16, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Beto O\'Rourke stated on September 29, 2018 in an Austin rally: Says that in Texas, \"you can be too gay to adopt\" a foster child \"who needs a loving home.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By W. Gardner Selby • October 4, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ted Cruz stated on September 21, 2018 in a debate at Southern Methodist University: Says Beto O’Rourke described police as \"modern-day Jim Crow.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By W. Gardner Selby • September 25, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Beto O\'Rourke stated on September 21, 2018 in a debate at Southern Methodist University: Says he \"did not try to leave the scene of the accident\" that led to his arrest for driving while intoxicated. ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By W. Gardner Selby • September 25, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Texans Are stated on September 12, 2018 in a TV ad: Says Beto O’Rourke voted \"against body armor for Texas sheriffs patrolling the border.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By W. Gardner Selby • September 13, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ken Paxton stated on August 26, 2018 in an interview on Fox & Friends: Says Texas has \"had over 600,000 crimes committed by illegals since 2011. Over 1,200 homicides.\" ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By W. Gardner Selby • September 7, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Greg Abbott stated on August 30, 2018 in a TV ad: Says Texas \"high school graduation rates are at all-time highs.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By W. Gardner Selby • September 7, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ted Cruz stated on September 4, 2018 in a video: Says Beto O’Rourke said he’s grateful that people are burning or desecrating the American flag. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By W. Gardner Selby • September 5, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ted Cruz stated on August 28, 2018 in an online video ad: Says Beto O’Rourke \"voted against\" Hurricane Harvey \"tax relief.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By W. Gardner Selby • August 29, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" M.J. Hegar stated on August 21, 2018 in an interview on Spectrum Cable\'s \"Capital Tonight\": Says U.S. Rep. John Carter \"hasn’t held a town hall in five years.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By W. Gardner Selby • August 29, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Beto O\'Rourke stated on July 26, 2018 in an ad in the Houston Defender: Says \"black Americans have 10 times less wealth than white Americans.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By W. Gardner Selby • August 23, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Silvestre Reyes stated on May 22, 2012 in a TV ad: Says Beto O’Rourke \"has a criminal record that includes DWI and burglary arrests.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By W. Gardner Selby • August 22, 2018 ### Has Congressman John Carter not held a town hall in five years? * ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on September 6, 2024 in in social media posts: Haitian immigrants are eating pets and wildlife in Springfield, Ohio. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jeff Cercone • September 9, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on September 2, 2024 in social media posts: The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is on the way to Aurora, Colorado, to confront a Venezuelan gang. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Loreben Tuquero • September 9, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on July 20, 2024 in remarks at a fundraiser in Provincetown, Mass.: Donald Trump “took away protections against discrimination for LGBTQ patients under the Affordable Care Act.” ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Grace Abels • September 9, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" One Nation stated on August 23, 2024 in an ad: “Sen. Jacky Rosen voted to increase taxes on families making less than $75,000 a year.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Seth A. Richardson • September 9, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 3, 2024 in una publicación en Facebook: \"La nueva ley de condonación elimina $15,000 de la deuda de tarjetas de crédito para todos los estadounidenses\". ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Maria Briceño • September 9, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" X posts stated on September 3, 2024 in una publicación en X: “Un grupo de 32 venezolanos armados tomaron esta noche un edificio de apartamentos en Chicago”. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sofia Ahmed • September 9, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on September 7, 2024 in a rally in Mosinee, Wis.: Vice President Kamala Harris “cast the tiebreaking votes that caused the worst inflation in American history, costing a typical American family $28,000.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • September 8, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" National Republican Senatorial Committee stated on August 28, 2024 in an Instagram ad: Elissa Slotkin “gave your hard-earned tax money to illegal immigrants.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Caleb McCullough • September 6, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 5, 2024 in a post: Video shows Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz dancing to Beyoncé in a cowboy hat and crop top. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • September 6, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" X posts stated on September 3, 2024 in X posts: A group of 32 armed Venezuelans took over an apartment building in Chicago. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sofia Ahmed • September 6, 2024 Load more ### Support independent fact-checking. Become a member! In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts. Sign me up #### Offices District of Columbia 1800 I Street NW Washington, DC 20006 Florida 801 3rd St. S St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-821-9494 #### People * Joe Biden * Kamala Harris * Donald Trump * Mitch McConnell * Hakeem Jeffries * Ron DeSantis #### State Editions * California * Florida * Iowa * Michigan * New Hampshire * New York * North Carolina * Pennsylvania * Texas * West Virginia * Wisconsin #### About Us * Our Process * Our Staff * En Español * Who pays for PolitiFact? * Advertise with Us * Corrections and Updates * Newsletters #### RSS Feeds * Recent Articles and Fact-checks * Recent Fact-checks Suggest a Fact-check #### Follow us The Facts Newsletter Sign up Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Copyright ©All Rights Reserved Poynter Institute 2020, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization ![\\"\\"](\\" * * * ✕
Says US Rep John Carter hasn’t held a town hall in five years