GOP congressman compares town halls to being yelled at by angry "Orientals"

As grassroots outrage about Donald Trump's agenda continues to build across the country, members of Congress fearing a mob of angry constituents have come up with a litany of excuses as to why they can't hold town hall meetings with the people they represent.

But Rep. Michael Bost (R-Ill.) has come up with an excuse for why he can't meet with his constituents — and he did so with the help of 19th century anti-Asian racism.

"The amount of time that I have at home is minimal, I need to make sure that it's productive," Bost said Friday, according to the Southern Illinoisan.

But here's where things take a turn: "You know the cleansing that the Orientals used to do, where you'd put one person out in front and 900 people yell at them?" Bost continued. "That's not what we need. We need to have meetings with people that are productive."

A cursory investigation of this "ritual" — using search terms the author is not proud of — did not immediately reveal what Bost was talking about, though it did yield some interesting skincare products.