Democrats plan a series of town hall meetings in highly competitive U.S. House of Representatives districts currently held by Republicans, aiming to tap into anger over President Donald Trump's campaign to aggressively slash the federal government.

A series of events in all 50 states aims to capitalize on a recent warning from Republican leadership that its lawmakers should avoid such public forums.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said a shutdown would be a “costly distraction” in Democrats’ larger fight against the Trump administration’s cuts.

President Trump is not the political colossus he and his supporters claim — and everything from the stock market to his opinion poll ratings prove it. The problem for Democrats is that their own divisions — on everything from legislation to a broader uncertainty about the party’s direction — have rendered them unable to take advantage.