Seth A. Richardson

Reno Gazette-Journal

U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., said Wednesday during a speech with a conservative group he was pretty sure he is going to get yelled at for two hours during his upcoming town hall, describing it as something of a chore.

Republican town halls have been hostile in recent weeks as President Donald Trump’s popularity has decreased. The outrage reached peak levels during the debate on repealing President Barack Obama’s health care law – more commonly known as “Obamacare” – with representatives and senators being shouted down even in deeply-held states like Arkansas.

Heller – considered one of the top targets for a Democratic pickup seat in 2018 – has already been shouted at while attending a semi-public meeting. During a luncheon with the Carson City Chamber of Commerce, protesters purchased tickets to make their ire with the Nevada senator known.

Town Halls:Heller, Amodei plan town hall meeting in Reno

More:Heller says he’ll hold a town hall — if there’s ‘no booing’

The fact there could be a repeat of that on Monday wasn’t lost on the senator as he spoke to the conservative Keystone Group in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

“Two hours of people yelling at you is going to be quite the experience, but it’s one of those boxes you’ve got to check as we move forward during this election cycle,” Heller said in the recording released by the progressive group American Bridge.

Chief among the criticisms of Heller is his support for Trump so far. Heller did not endorse Trump during the election, but has since voted with him almost in lockstep.

Most of those votes are for cabinet members, which is not unusual in party politics. One in particular has baffled detractors: his support for Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Heller initially grilled Mnuchin during a committee meeting, demanding answers on how many houses the former CEO of OneWest Bank foreclosed on in Nevada during the 2008 financial crisis.

Heller eventually supported Mnuchin, saying Trump’s cabinet pick provided answers, but did not release the details of the foreclosures.

Related:Here's how Heller, Cortez Masto are voting on Trump's cabinet

The senator has also become the target of internet privacy advocates after Heller sponsored legislation that blocked an Obama-era Federal Communication Commission rule requiring internet service providers like Verizon and AT&T to get permission before selling users’ information for advertising purposes. Trump signed the bill into law.

Heller has also bucked Trump at times, especially on Nevada-specific issues like opening the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository or cutting Amtrak funding for Northern Nevada.

More:Trump's budget could kill Amtrak routes in Northern Nevada

More:Lawmakers push back on Yucca Mountain

Heller joked to the crowd at the Keystone event that he will have some backup during the town hall in Amodei.

“I chose to do it with Amodei because he’ll do all the talking,” Heller said, eliciting some laughter from the crowd.

Amodei, Trump’s Nevada campaign chairman, has broken with the president on several key issues, most notably coming out against the president and House Speaker Paul Ryan’s plan to revamp Obamacare. Ryan eventually pulled the plan, known as the American Health Care Act, before it could go to a vote after failing to woo both far-right conservatives and moderate Republicans.

Heller and Amodei's town hall is scheduled for 9 to 11 a.m. Monday at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Room C1.

This post has been updated to clarify that Heller's bill does not legalize the practice of allowing internet service providers to sell users' browsing data without permission, only allows the practice to continue.

Seth A. Richardson covers politics for the Reno Gazette-Journal. Like him on Facebook here or follow him on Twitter at @SethARichardson.