Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson is not a fan of an effort by Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) to alter existing qualified immunity for law enforcement so that it is easier for the public to sue the police.
During an appearance on Fox News Channel’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Braun went head-to-head with Carlson in defense of that effort and over remarks that Braun made voice his support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Why do you support [Black Lives Matter], and are there any other race-specific revolutionary movements that you support?” Carlson said to Braun to open his interview.
Braun did not take the question directly but argued in support of rolling back provisions of qualified immunity and warned if Republicans did not act now, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) could have an outsized role in any so-called reform.
“Chuck Schumer has already decided he can make hay of this in the election, and we will end up on the short side of it again,” Braun said to Carlson.
“Who controls the Senate?” Carlson replied. “I thought Republicans controlled the Senate. So you’re taking your cues from Chuck Schumer, saying, ‘He might criticize me. Therefore, I have to pass a law that makes it easier to sue police?'”
The two also went back and forth over Rayshard Brooks’ death in Atlanta earlier this month.
“What do you think of it?” Carlson asked Braun about the incident. “You’re the one who called it egregious, so why don’t you tell us what Officer Rolfe should have done when this man fired a Taser at him?”
“I think that you probably should have had the judgment in a traffic stop like that,” Braun said. “You don’t shoot somebody in the back.”
Carlson pressed further.
“You are an officeholder,” he said. “I don’t normally press people like this, but it’s not fair for you to filibuster without answering the question, which is very simple. The officer facing the death penalty had a guy fire a weapon at him. What should he have done then?”
“Probably not have killed the guy,” Braun responded.
Carlson went on to suggest Braun’s bill on qualified immunity did not have public support.
Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor
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