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DULUTH 鈥� At rallies and meetings across the Northland held in protest of President Donald Trump鈥檚 cuts to the federal government, signs held by attendees and the speakers addressing them often return to a familiar theme: Where鈥檚 U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber?

The Republican from Hermantown has shrugged at calls to hold an in-person town hall, opting to continue his practice of telephone town halls instead, and when, or if, he does respond directly to the actions, he鈥檚 been supportive of Trump and billionaire Elon Musk鈥檚 efforts to reshape and shrink the federal government.

Approximately 900 people attended a town hall Saturday organized by Practicing Democracy 鈥� a new group led by Jen Schultz, who ran as a Democrat and lost to Stauber in the last two elections, and Adrienne Dinneen 鈥� to address concerns people in Minnesota鈥檚 8th Congressional District have about Trump鈥檚 actions.

Wyatt Buckner / File / Duluth Media Group

While Stauber was invited, he did not attend. An empty seat bearing Stauber鈥檚 name sat on stage at Duluth East High 歪歪漫画鈥檚 auditorium throughout the event.

鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 care about working people,鈥� State Rep. Pete Johnson, DFL-Duluth, told the crowd gathered six days earlier at a rally in Duluth against U.S. Postal Service cuts. 鈥淓verything he has done has been in lockstep with the administration. He has not stood up for anybody. He should be here and be held accountable for the people being impacted, whether he likes what they have to say or not.鈥�

Stauber鈥檚 office did not respond to the News Tribune鈥檚 request for comment but that the congressman was attending another event in the district Saturday, the day of the town hall, and 鈥渉e will also not appear at any event that is organized by left-wing extremists and primarily attended by paid agitators who are more interested in manufacturing outrage than having meaningful conversations about policy.鈥�

There is no evidence that most 鈥� or even any 鈥� of the hundreds of event attendees were paid.

According to the Congressman was in Baxter on Saturday, speaking to Republicans.

Instead of in-person town halls, Stauber has relied on telephone town halls. He held his most recent on Monday, March 24. When a caller asked him when he would have an in-person town hall, Stauber said he鈥檇 continue to hold the telephone events. He defended the decision by saying that it is more accessible for people throughout the 8th Congressional District.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been doing them 鈥� telephone town halls 鈥� for six and a half years, and they鈥檙e popular,鈥� Stauber said. 鈥淚t allows the people to stay in the comfort of their own home, and I鈥檓 going to continue to do telephone town halls.鈥�

Clint Austin / File / Duluth Media Group

His office said the town hall attracted 17,000 listeners. During the call, Stauber answered a dozen or so questions.

For many, it鈥檚 not enough. They want to see him push back against the Trump administration and Musk鈥檚 DOGE, especially on cuts that would affect his district.

At a Sunday, March 23, rally in support of USPS employees and against proposed cuts and privatization of the mail service, Jim Barott, of Lakewood Township, stood in the crowd holding a sign that said 鈥淪TAUBER is MIA.鈥�

Barott said cuts to the USPS could threaten mail delivery to rural communities.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the rural areas (Stauber) represents, and he doesn鈥檛 care,鈥� Barott said.

The next day, during his telephone town hall, Stauber fielded a question about the USPS but said, 鈥淧rivatization is not going to happen with the Postal Service.鈥�

Clint Austin / File / Duluth Media Group

However, the that both Trump and Musk have entertained the idea of USPS privatization.

Stauber then Thursday to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Kentucky, urging the congressman to hold hearings on the USPS鈥� 鈥渋nability to effectively serve rural America鈥� and said the USPS was 鈥渇acing severe staffing shortages, especially in rural areas.鈥�

He made no mention of the Trump administration or of former U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy鈥檚 plan to reduce USPS鈥� headcount by 10,000 through an early retirement program or DeJoy signing an agreement with Musk鈥檚 Department of Government Efficiency to 鈥渁ssist us in identifying and achieving further efficiencies.鈥�

The Congressman has not addressed some potential cuts in his district at all.

Stauber, whose wife, Jodi,   did not respond to the News Tribune鈥檚 request for comment in March on whether he supports the   which includes the Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division Laboratory in Duluth, or if he is concerned about the potential loss of EPA jobs in his district.

John Morrice, of Duluth, worked at the EPA lab in Duluth for 15 years as a research biologist studying Great Lakes ecosystems before he retired 12 years ago.

Wyatt Buckner / File / Duluth Media Group

Morrice told the News Tribune that Stauber should place as much importance on the lab鈥檚 as he does on mining jobs.

鈥淧ete Stauber talks about mining jobs like they are these sacred things and that jobs are so important and really supersede any other concerns 鈥� it鈥檚 jobs and 鈥榦ur way of life,鈥� 鈥� Morrice said, referencing a slogan Stauber often repeats.

He added later, 鈥淚f our way of life doesn鈥檛 include protection of the Great Lakes, well then, who are we?鈥�

In the first two months of Trump鈥檚 second term, regular protests 鈥� several per week 鈥� have been held throughout the Northland against Trump鈥檚 cuts. Some have been aimed directly at Stauber, with up to hundreds gathered outside his Hermantown office. Others have been aimed at specific cuts 鈥� USPS, EPA, funding for research, among others. They show no sign of slowing down.

Local chapters of Indivisible, a national group that 鈥渞esist the Trump agenda,鈥� are planning protests for Saturday, April 5, in Duluth, Two Harbors and Cloquet. And Practicing Democracy, which said it is non-partisan, said in a news release Sunday, March 30, that it would continue to hold town hall events throughout the 8th Congressional District.