Democrats on Capitol Hill are mad as hell about President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy, but they’re distancing themselves from Rep. Maxine Waters Maxine Moore WatersPowell, Mnuchin stress limits of current emergency lending programs Pelosi: House will stay in session until agreement is reached on coronavirus relief Omar invokes father's death from coronavirus in reaction to Woodward book MORE (D-Calif.) and her calls for public confrontations with administration officials.

While some liberal commentators and progressive activists have voiced support for Waters, few if any Democrats in Congress back her tactics.

“The worst. What has happened to our country,” one fellow House Democrat said of Waters’s call to action.

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“Each member has got to decide for his or herself. I wouldn’t do it,” said Rep. G.K. Butterfield George (G.K.) Kenneth ButterfieldCongress must protect kidney disease patients during the COVID-19 pandemic The time for HELP is now: Senate should pass bill to expedite recovery following natural disasters Rep. Clyburn on Confederate statues: Mob action is no answer MORE (D-N.C.), who like Waters is a past chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).

“That’s a tactic she has chosen. ... I have my own tactics,” added another CBC member, Rep. Frederica Wilson Frederica Patricia WilsonHarris calls it 'outrageous' Trump downplayed coronavirus House passes bill establishing commission to study racial disparities affecting Black men, boys Florida county official apologizes for social media post invoking Hitler MORE (D-Fla.). “I speak on the floor. I speak at events as far as what our secretaries are doing to roll back regulations. Different people have different ways of expressing themselves, their displeasure and their disgust.”

The Waters flap shows the challenges for House Democrats this year as they try to navigate a tricky political landscape dominated by Trump. Liberals like Waters want to show solidarity with fervent Trump foes across the country who are infuriated by his administration and policies, and are struggling to find ways to voice their opposition.

But some in the party warn that these types of aggressive tactics — from impeachment to intimidation — could backfire on Democrats and turn off voters this fall as they seek to flip a net of 23 GOP-held seats and win back control of the House.

“I don’t think it’s productive. It’s probably not helpful” to Democrats, said Rep. Scott Peters Scott H. PetersModerate Democrats push leadership to pull marijuana legislation One doctor's thoughts on a hopeful future Pelosi axes idea of Saturday vote on additional COVID relief MORE (D-Calif.), who faces a competitive race this fall.

“One thing people in my district and other swing districts want is for us to stop bickering, regardless of whose fault it is or where it started. I just think people are tired of it,” Peters continued. “To the extent Democrats can stay away from that, I think we are better served.”

The Waters remarks sprang from Democratic outrage to the family separations caused by the president’s zero tolerance border policy, which led to more than 2,000 children being separated from their parents after illegal border crossings.

But the media spotlight quickly shifted over the weekend after White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was booted from a restaurant in Virginia and Waters told supporters at a Los Angeles rally to confront Trump Cabinet officials everywhere they go.

“If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them and you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere,” Waters said at the rally.

Waters, 79, a Los Angeles liberal who has twice voted to impeach Trump, defended herself during a closed-door meeting with House Democrats on Tuesday.

According to sources in the room, she stood up and told her colleagues that her opinions were protected under the First Amendment and made clear that she does not believe in violence of any kind, despite what the president and other Republicans had alleged.

Later, she reiterated that same message to reporters while saying she wanted to steer the focus back to the separated families.

“You know what I've decided? I decided I'm just talking about the children. I want the children released, I want a plan. I want a plan for what this administration is going to do to connect these children,” a frustrated Waters told a gaggle of reporters just off the House floor. “I'm not following all this stuff, because I know what I said. If everybody reads what I said, they know there's no violence.”

Asked if her comments could be a drag on Democrats in the midterms, she replied: “I don't think. I don't know. You ask them.”

Trump and other Republicans have pounced on the lawmaker’s remarks.

The president tweeted Monday that Waters, whom he described as “an extraordinarily low IQ person” had joined with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiHoyer: House should vote on COVID-19 aid — with or without a bipartisan deal Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in repose at Supreme Court McCarthy threatens motion to oust Pelosi if she moves forward with impeachment MORE (D-Calif.) in becoming the “Face of the Democratic Party.”

Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 At indoor rally, Pence says election runs through Wisconsin Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates MORE (R-Wis.) called on Waters to apologize, declaring at his news conference Tuesday “there is no place for this.”

Majority Whip Steve Scalise Stephen (Steve) Joseph ScaliseHouse GOP slated to unveil agenda ahead of election House panel details 'serious' concerns around Florida, Georgia, Texas, Wisconsin elections Scalise hit with ethics complaint over doctored Barkan video MORE (R-La.), who barely survived a shooting at a congressional baseball practice a year ago, decried incivility permeating politics today — while making no mention of Trump’s own calls for violence against protesters at his 2016 campaign rallies.

“Nobody should be inciting harassment or violence of any sort just because we disagree with each other on issues,” Scalise said.

To win back the House in November, senior Democrats suggested they need to focus on driving turnout, not intimidating Trump allies.

“Continuing to mobilize, holding town halls, knocking on doors, encouraging people to vote, that’s what we need to be doing,” Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), chairman of the House Democrats’ campaign operation, told The Hill. “We can continue to hold this administration accountable in everything that we do every day, but do it in a way where we’re not stooping down to the level of what Republicans are doing.”

A day after Democratic congressional leaders had sought to stomp out the controversy, other Democrats said their party has to keep its eye on the prize.

“I understand the frustration and the anger she was expressing, and I share a lot of that. I wouldn’t have done it, but I don’t criticize her for doing it,” Rep. John Yarmuth John Allen YarmuthPelosi, Democrats unveil bills to rein in alleged White House abuses of power GOP, White House struggle to unite behind COVID-19 relief House seeks ways to honor John Lewis MORE (D-Ky.), who has served with Waters for the past decade, told The Hill.

“What will change something is the election, changing the control of the Congress. Yelling at somebody is not going to change anything, but elections will,” he said.

Sylvan Lane contributed.