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THIS DEVELOPING STORY.
SENATOR TOM COTTON'S TOWN HALL,
PACKED TO CAPACITY, HUNDREDS OF
PEOPLE WERE TURNED AWAY.
THE CROWD EVEN BECOMING ROWDY,
AS YOU JUST HEARD PEOPLE BOOING
AS THE SENATOR WAS TRYING TO
ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM THE
AUDIENCE.
PAIGE: OF COURSE, WE HAVE TEAM
COVERAGE ON THE TOWN HALL
MEETING.
OUR KELLY JOHNSON AND KATIE
DAVIDSON ARE LIVE IN SPRINGDALE
TONIGHT.
SENTOR TOM COTTON HAD A FULL DAY
OF EVENTS, BEFORE MAKING HIS
FINAL STOP IN SPRINGDALE, AND
SPEAKING TO A CROWD OF MORE THAN
2,000 PEOPLE.
CRAIG: 40/29'S KELLY JOHNSON WAS
THERE FOR THE WHOLE THING, AND
SHE JOINS US LIVE NOW.
KELLY?
KELLY: HIGH GUYS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE USING TONIGHT TO
BLOW OFF STEAM, AND EXPRESS
THEIR ANGER AT THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY AS A WHOLE, PRESIDENT
DONALD TRUMP AND SENATOR TOM
COTTON.
THIS 2200 SEAT AUDITORIUM FILLED
TO CAPACITY, WITH HUNDREDS OF
PEOPLE TURNED AWAY.
YOU COULD TELL BY THE QUESTIONS
BEFORE ASKING INCITED THE EVENT
AND THE SIGNS THEY WERE HOLDING
THAT THERE WERE SUPPORTERS OF
TOM COTTON HERE.
BUT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY
WERE OPPOSED AND THEY WERE VERY
VOCAL ABOUT IT.
>> WE HAVE A VETTING PROCESS FOR
REFUGEES, CAN'T WE HAVE IT FOR
PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BUY A GUN?
KELLY: IT TOOK SENATOR TOM
COTTON ALMOST TWO HOURS TO GET
THROUGH NOT EVEN 20 AUDIENCE
QUESTIONS, BECAUSE OF THE
CONSTANT INTERRUPTION.
>> I AM ALWAYS GOING TO DO WHAT
I THINK IS BEST FOR ARKANSANS.
>> LET HIM ANSWER PLACE.
KELLY: SENATOR COTTON SPOKE TO
US MINUTES BEFORE THE EVENT, IN
ANTICIPATION OF THE TOUGH CROWD.
HE SAYS HE LIKES TO LISTEN TO
PEOPLE'S CONCERNS, IN HOPES OF
FINDING THE NEXT GOOD SOLUTION
>> I'M SURE SOMEONE WILL SAY
SOMETHING TONIGHT AT THIS EVENT
THAT'LL POINT ME TO LEGISLATION
OR TO AN IDEA, OR A LETTER OR A
PHONE CALL, THAT I MIGHT NOT
OTHERWISE KNOW ABOUT.
KELLY: QUESTIONS HE TOOK TONIGHT
RANGED FROM IMMIGRATION REFORM
TO THE PRESIDENT NOT RELEASING
HIS TAX RETURNS.
BUT ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT DREW
THE MOST TIME AND ATTENTION, THE
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.
>> WILL YOU COMMIT TO
REPLACEMENTS IN THE SAME WAY YOU
HAVE COMMITTED TO THE REPEAL?
KELLY: FOR THAT AND MANY OTHER
QUESTIONS, SENATOR COTTON'S
ANSWERS DIDN'T SATISFY THE
MAJORITY.
FOR ALL OF THE NUMEROUS ISSUES
MET WITH LOUD CONTENTION, COTTON
SAID THIS.
>> IF I GET IN A POSITION, LIKE
ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL, IF I GET
IN A POSITION WHERE TWO THIRDS
OF ARKANSANS AGREE WITH ME,
THAT'S A GREAT POSITION TO BE
IN.
THAT MEANS THAT A MILLION
ARKANSANS STILL DISAGREE.
AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS
ELECTIONS.
IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE POSITIONS
I HAVE TAKEN, THEN DON'T VOTE
FOR ME.
ITS THAT SIMPLE.
KELLY: MAYBE NOT THE ANSWERS
EVERYONE WERE LOOKING FOR, BUT
THE ANSWERS HE WAS ABLE TO GIVE.
AS ROWDY AS A CAR, WE TALKED TO
SPRINGDALE POLICE.
HE SAID THEY DIDN'T MAKE ANY
ARRESTS AND SAID WERE NO
INCIDENTS.
KELLY JOHNSON, 40/29 NEWS.
CRAIG: THE TOWN HALL MEETING
LASTED FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS.
AS EXPECTED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
SHOWED UP FOR THE EVENT.
PAIGE: THE VENUE CHANGED SEVERAL
TIMES AHEAD OF THE TOWN HALL TO
ACCOMMODATE THE LARGER CROWD
THEY WERE EXPECTING.
IN FACT, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WERE
TURNED AWAY.
CRAIG: TONIGHT, THOSE PEOPLE ARE
UPSET THAT THEY DIDN'T GET
INSIDE TO HEAR COTTON TALK.
PAIGE: 40/29'S KATIE DAVIDS
SPOKE WITH THOSE PEOPLE AND HAS
THE REACTION TONIGHT.
KATIE: THE DOORS CLOSED AT 5:20
WHEN OFFICERS INFORMED PEOPLE IN
LINE THERE WAS JUST NO MORE
ROOM
HUNDREDS WERE LEFT TO STAND
OUTSIDE ON THE SIDEWALK AND
WATCH THE TOWN HALL FROM THEIR
PHONES.
>> IT FELT LIKE BEING SHUT OUT.
ABSOLUTELY BEING SHUT OUT OF THE
MEETING THAT I FEEL AS A
TAXPAYER, I HAVE A RIGHT TO BE
IN.
KATIE: HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WERE
LEFT TO SIT OR STAND ON THE
SIDEWALKS OF SPRINGDALE HIGH
SCHOOL AFTER THEY WERE TOLD THE
AUDITORIUM HAD HIT CAPACITY.
>> PART OF ME WAS DISAPPOINTED I
DIDN'T MAKE IT IN, BUT REALLY,
I'M JUST THRILLED TO SEE SO MANY
PEOPLE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THIS
ISSUE.
KATIE: PEOPLE CAME FROM ACROSS
THE STATE --
>> WE BROUGHT A BUS UP, OF ABOUT
18 PEOPLE.
KATIE: TO HEAR FROM THE SENATOR.
>> I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE
ACTUALLY SAW AND HEARD HIM TALK
ABOUT THE REALITIES OF WHATS
GOING ON THE ACA, TH
APPOINTMENTS I WANT TO KNOW HIM
PERSPECTIVE.
KATIE: AS HE SPOKE THROUGHOUT
THE NIGHT, THE CROWD RESPONDED
WITH CHEERS AND BOS.
WE SPOKE WITH MANY PEOPLE WHO
HAD MIXED RESPONSES ABOUT HOW
TONIGHT'S TOWN HALL WENT.
>> HE'S NOT SPECIFICALLY
ANSWERING QUESTIONS WHEN WE ASK
YES OR NO HE CAN'T SEEM TO DO
THAT.
KATIE: SOME WERE FRUSTRATED.
>> I'M NOT GETTING ASSURANCES
FROM MUCH.
KATIE: OTHERS WERE HOPEFUL.
>> I'M JUST HOPING THAT HE WILL
WALK AWAY HAVING BEEN INFLUENCED
IN SOME WAY.
KATIE: BUT OTHERS AGREED WITH
COTTON'S STATEMENTS THROUGHOUT
THE NIGHT AND BELIEVED HE WOULD
TAKE THESE THOUGHTS BACK WITH
HIM TO WASHINGTON.
>> I BELIEVE HE'S GOING TO TAKE
WHAT HE'S HEARD FROM THE PEOPLE
TONIGHT AND JUST TAKE THAT BACK
TO CONGRESS AND TO WASHINGTON
AND TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT THE
PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HERE.
KATIE: BOTH INSIDE OR OUT, IT
WAS A MIXED BAG OF EMOTIONS HERE
IN SPRINGDALE TONIGHT.
MANY ARE HOPEFUL SENATOR COTTON
WILL TAKE THE MESSAGES HERE
TONIGHT TO HEART.
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