Chris Murphy: ‘If You Commit Violence in His [Trump] Name, You’re Going to Be Immunized’ But Criticize Him, ‘You’ll Be Met with the Full Force of the Law’

MENENDEZ: “I asked you to sit through that verbiage in order to ask you if you think that definition of militia is so broad that it may include not only U.S. armed services, but also militias like the Proud Boys and others who showed up on January 6th and have already received a message from this president that any use of force that he condones will be protected?”
MURPHY: “Yeah. So, I certainly am not knowledgeable enough about the interpretation of the Insurrection Act to know the answer to that question. But I think you’re pointing out, you know, what is the most important underlying fact here. The president has already made it clear, whether or not he invokes the Insurrection Act, that if you commit violence in his name, you are going to be immunized, you are going to be excused, you’re going to be let off the hook. Whereas if you even hinted at violence — actually, frankly, if you even just criticized him publicly, that you are going to be met with the full force of the law — illegally, unconstitutionally. And so I think it is really important to anchor ourselves in that reality, that if you commit a violent act and you’re doing it to help Donald Trump, you’re going to get away with it, which is a signal for more of the right to engage in increased violence. But if you’re just criticizing Donald Trump and you come from the left, you might end up in jail. That is tried and true authoritarian tactics. We’ve seen that at play all over the world. Trump is merely copying what other would-be despots have tried overseas.”