Washington (CNN) Across the country, people are flooding auditoriums, high school theaters and anywhere else they can to give their members of Congress an earful.

The reason: to weigh in on President Donald Trump's agenda, and the potential of the new Congress to reshape government.

'I want to thank you ... but'

A Kentucky woman named Rose Mudd Perkins laced into Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday, raising vanishing coal jobs, health care reform and poverty among other things. She ended with a crack about McConnell's treatment of Sen. Elizabeth Warren. She left, apparently, unsatisfied.

Perkins appeared on CNN the next day and continued to outline her frustration with politicians. She told CNN's Brooke Baldwin about her personal struggles and the issues in her community and said she didn't believe people's voices were registering at the congressional level.

Immigrants and Muslim people concerned

One frequent topic of discussion at these town halls is the President's words and actions with regard to immigrants and Muslim people. In at least one case, a Muslim immigrant raised his concerns with a senator.

"I'm a Muslim, who's going to save me here?" asked Zalmay Niazy, who said he worked with the US armed forces in Afghanistan, at a town hall with Sen. Chuck Grassley.

JUST WATCHED Afghan man to Grassley: Who will save me? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Afghan man to Grassley: Who will save me? 02:13

Seen (and probably also heard)

People have come bearing signs. Some have a specific message or a warning, but many signs that dot the crowds just show a simple sign of agreement and disagreement so participants can indicate their feelings on different issues.

A woman holds up a sign during a U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) Town Hall meeting at the Hancock County Courthouse February 21, 2017 in Garner, Iowa.

Merlee Harrison, 80 of Fayetteville, holds up signs being handed out outside @SenTomCotton town hall pic.twitter.com/NE1u3bKS8v — Tom LoBianco (@tomlobianco) February 22, 2017

It's Ernst's only town hall this recess, and Deb (front and center) says it's bulls*** it was in a small room in rural Iowa. The spillover: pic.twitter.com/eRpin3CjtP — Eric Bradner (@ericbradner) February 21, 2017

A constituent holds up sign which reads "Agree" during a town hall meeting with Rep Tom Emmer (R-MN) on February 22, 2017 in Sartell, Minnesota.

Lock down the vote

Angry constituents regularly pledged to bring down their members of Congress in upcoming elections -- even years down the line.

People listen as New Jersey Republican Congressman Leonard Lance speaks during a town hall meeting at Raritan Valley Community College on February 22, 2017 in Branchburg, New Jersey, where attendees demanded answers on health care.

Then there's New Jersey

New Jersey Rep. Leonard Lance, well, he had a time.

A woman walks a llama as people take part in a protest outside Raritan Valley Community College before a town hall meeting on health care with Republican New Jersey Congressman Leonard Lance on February 22, 2017 in Branchburg, New Jersey.

People listen as New Jersey Republican Congressman Leonard Lance speaks during a town hall meeting at Raritan Valley Community College on February 22, 2017 in Branchburg, New Jersey, where attendees demanded answers on health care.

Standing O after @LeonardLanceNJ7 told re: trump/Russia "I suggest now is the time to put country before party" pic.twitter.com/zBFxReg0Vr — Mallory Simon (@MallorySimonCNN) February 23, 2017

From women 'in my grill' to 'having fun'

Rep. Dave Brat, a Virginia Republican, was recorded complaining about being confronted, saying at the time: "Since Obamacare and these issues have come up, the women are in my grill no matter where I go."

He had long since come around by the time he had a town hall on Tuesday , when he said, "I like having debate, spirited conversation -- if you can have a conversation."

Here's a good example of the rowdiness/frustration at Rep. Dave Brat's town hall tonight. He took over 30 Qs, got lots of pushback. pic.twitter.com/L3kHyDUNKw — Ashley Killough (@KilloughCNN) February 22, 2017

Astroturf claims

Asked on Tuesday about a tense event he held, Rep. Jason Chaffetz said people at his town hall "intended to bully and intimidate" him.

He had earlier in the month said the angry voices at his town hall were from paid protesters, but the protesters said they were real people, motivated to do this out of concern, not money.

Trump himself has repeatedly said protesters were paid and questionable.

The so-called angry crowds in home districts of some Republicans are actually, in numerous cases, planned out by liberal activists. Sad! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2017

White House press secretary Sean Spicer detailed this accusation in the briefing room.

JUST WATCHED WH: Some manufactured anger at town halls Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH WH: Some manufactured anger at town halls 00:47

A different tack

Other Republicans have chosen not to accuse the people at their town halls of being paid or otherwise illegitimate.

Rep. Mark Sanford of South Carolina waded through questions inside and out of his town hall.

Rep. Scott Taylor told CNN at his Monday town hall: "That may be happening in other districts, but I don't know of any paid protesters here, in this district," Taylor said.

JUST WATCHED Cotton: I don't care if you're a paid protester Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Cotton: I don't care if you're a paid protester 00:50

And Sen. McConnell said the protests were "as American as apple pie."

JUST WATCHED McConnell: Protests 'as American as apple pie' Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH McConnell: Protests 'as American as apple pie' 01:07

Cotton dodges

Cotton indicated his willingness to engage with his constituents and walked into a tough event on Wednesday.

People waited in long lines for Cotton at a liberal pocket of the red state.

And when he tried to dodge a determined questioner about Obamacare, the audience erupted

JUST WATCHED Crowd erupts as congressman avoids question Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Crowd erupts as congressman avoids question 02:00

The senator closed out his event by taking a question from a 7-year-old. The boy, Toby, asked about Trump and the GOP prioritizing a border wall with Mexico over public programs, like PBS.

"He shouldn't do all that stuff for just a wall," Toby told Cotton.

JUST WATCHED Young boy steals show at town hall Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Young boy steals show at town hall 01:05

With or without you

For the members of Congress who have chosen to forgo town hall events so far, some constituents have opted to hold their own events, taking a page from Clint Eastwood's book to debate an empty chair -- or suit.

Someone put stickers on milk jugs of "missing" US Rep. (GOP, Calif 8th) who refuses to hold town meetings. @WhereIsPaulCook @bittersweetdb pic.twitter.com/mUx9HRA3yn — Alan (@GammaCounter) February 21, 2017

Have you seen this man? We're very worried about him. pic.twitter.com/SAT3UaqSWg — Recall Pat Toomey (@RecallPatToomey) February 22, 2017

Sharp questions on health care

Tennessee Rep. Diane Black got a question about Obamacare from one teacher, and what the teacher had to say went viral.

JUST WATCHED Teacher's town hall question goes viral Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Teacher's town hall question goes viral 02:58

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst faced cries of "shame on you" and "do your job" at the event and as she was filing into a car outside. She faced a number of tough interactions, including this moment on Obamacare.