A conservative political operative who disrupted a Michigan town hall by demanding that Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed disavow the Muslim Brotherhood is a former staffer for U.S. Senator Josh Hawley with deep ties to Christian nationalist networks, The Handbasket reported. The confrontation in Caro, Michigan, which quickly spread across social media, followed coordinated efforts by a conservative PAC to pay college Republicans to spark inflammatory moments at campaign events.
During the October 17 town hall, the questioner—who identified himself as Thomas “Tommy” Teepell—stood up in a gray long-sleeve shirt and asked the candidate, “Will you disavow the Muslim Brotherhood?” El-Sayed pushed back from the stage, asking what the man was implying and questioning his understanding of the U.S. Constitution and religious freedom before Teepell left the room.
The Teepell Family’s Right-Wing Political Pedigree
Public records and campaign filings show that Teepell served as operations director for Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley until February of this year, according to Legistorm data cited by The Handbasket. Following his time in Hawley’s office, Teepell worked as political director for the failed gubernatorial campaign of Philip Sarnecki, a Republican businessman in Kansas.
His father, Timmy Teepell, worked for congressman and then Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal from 2004 to 2011. The elder Teepell also ran Jindal’s presidential primary campaign in 2015 and joined the consulting firm OnMessage in 2011, where he helped secure Hawley’s election as Missouri Attorney General in 2016 and U.S. Senator in 2018.
Conservative PAC Paid Students to Disrupt Town Hall
The appearance in Caro followed an October 2 report by The Michigan Daily, which revealed that a conservative PAC named America Next offered College Republicans $200 to attend an El-Sayed town hall in Flint. Messages in a Michigan College Republicans GroupMe chat outlined plans to coordinate disruptive questions and boo the candidate to generate negative news cycles.
While an October 4 event in Flint saw no major disruptions, Teepell’s questioning in Caro succeeded in generating widespread media attention, including coverage by CNN. America Next was founded in 2013 by Bobby Jindal, who remains involved with the project as an author or co-author of most of the recent news links on the nonprofit’s website.
Connections to Christian Nationalist Networks and Sean Feucht
Timmy Teepell maintains a close relationship with Sean Feucht, a Christian Nationalist who rose to prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic for opposing lockdowns. According to a 2024 report by the National Catholic Reporter, Timmy is arguably Feucht’s most powerful ally, with both father and son featuring prominently in ministry videos and events.
Tommy Teepell appeared as a guest on Feucht’s April 2024 podcast recorded at Camp Elah, the headquarters for Feucht’s ministry in Washington, D.C. During the interview, Teepell discussed his personal turnaround after attending one of Feucht’s rallies.
Common Questions About the Caro Town Hall Incident
Who is Thomas Teepell?
Thomas Teepell is a political operative and former operations director for U.S. Senator Josh Hawley who left his Senate staff position in February. He is the son of Republican strategist Timmy Teepell.
What is America Next?
America Next is a nonprofit founded in 2013 by Bobby Jindal. The organization was tied by student newspaper reports to efforts offering financial incentives for students to disrupt political town halls in Michigan.
Has the El-Sayed campaign or America Next responded?
As of reporting, inquiries sent to America Next’s general email, Senator Hawley’s office, and the El-Sayed campaign regarding whether Teepell was hired or paid to attend the town hall have received no response.
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