Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) bragged on social media Saturday that he trolled a meeting of angry voters in his state with a delivery of donuts to a town hall event Democrats convened to object to him.
One of the voters at the event reacted to Banks’s delivery by uttering a quote often attributed to Marie Antoinette.
“Let them eat cake!” the person shouted as someone hired by Banks delivered boxes of donuts to what was billed as an “Empty Chair” town hall meeting.
The gimmick was organized by Democrats in response to Banks not holding any public meetings since voters began publicly airing out grievances against Republicans and Elon Musk’s DOGE.
WPTA-TV in Fort Wayne reported on the Democrat-organized town hall:
Indiana House Minority Leader Phil Giaquinta and State Rep. Kyle Miller, both Democrats, will speak to attendees. The event is being held in response to U.S. Sens. Jim Banks and Todd Young and Third District Rep. Marlin Stutzman, all Republicans, not holding public town halls during the current Congressional recess.
The three congressmen will be represented by empty chairs during the event.
Saturday on his X page, Banks shared a clip of a man delivering four boxes of donuts on his behalf to the town hall. The senator commented:
The “indivisible” Democrat anti-Trump/Banks group held a “town hall” yesterday. Seemed like they were REALLY angry so I sent my favorite donuts hoping to lighten the mood. You won’t want to miss what happened next!
In the three-minute video shared by Banks, voters were furious at both his absence and with the breakfast delivery.
As Indiana voters questioned where Banks was, the senator’s breakfast delivery man continually asked them to have a complementary donut and dismissed their anger.
“Well, tell him to go to hell,” one man said as he helped himself to a donut.
After one woman shouted Banks should have shown up, the senator’s donut delivery man replied, “We’ve got a lot of extra donuts.”
When several other people expressed their anger at Banks, the delivery man replied, “I’ve got one with marshmallows on it.”
One woman who apparently felt slighted by Banks shouted, “Let them eat cake!”
