In the aftermath of a tragic mass shooting at Brown University, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut took to CNN’s State of the Union and made a claim so sweeping it visibly surprised host Dana Bash. According to Murphy, President Donald Trump is running a “dizzying campaign to increase violence” in America — because when facts get uncomfortable, hyperbole apparently steps in to help.
The shooting left at least two people dead and nine others injured on Brown University’s campus Saturday night. A suspect, reportedly dressed in all black, triggered a manhunt before a person of interest in his 30s was taken into custody Sunday morning. Officials have released little additional information as the investigation remains ongoing.
During the discussion, Bash noted that Rhode Island already has “some pretty strict laws” and acknowledged that the issue has become “much more than gun violence.” Murphy, however, insisted that stricter laws are the solution, pointing to states like Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and California — all under heavy Democratic influence — as examples where gun violence and mass shootings have allegedly declined.
Then came the headline moment.
Murphy accused President Trump of deliberately making the country more violent, claiming Trump restored gun rights to felons, eliminated the White House Office of Gun Violence Protection, and stopped funding mental health and community anti-violence grants included in a bipartisan 2022 bill. According to Murphy, these actions amount to a calculated effort to make violence “more likely” — a statement bold enough that even Bash paused to ask him to clarify.
“That’s a pretty big statement,” Bash said. And yes, that’s putting it mildly.
Murphy doubled down, repeating that restoring gun rights to “dangerous people” and cutting funding for certain programs would lead to foreseeable increases in violence. Democrats, as usual, leaned heavily on the argument that more restrictions are the only answer, pointing again to California — which has been under full Democratic control for 15 years and boasts some of the strictest gun laws in the nation.
The segment also referenced gun-related death statistics from 2023, citing data collected by the Pew Research Center using CDC figures. Of the 46,728 gun-related deaths recorded, 58% were suicides and 38% were murders, with the remainder involving law enforcement, accidents, or undetermined circumstances — a detail often glossed over when the talking points start flying.
What this exchange really showed wasn’t a serious policy discussion, but how quickly some politicians will politicize tragedy, even to the point of surprising their own media allies. Still, the conversation highlighted something important: Americans are paying attention, asking questions, and expecting real solutions — not soundbites.
And that’s the good news. Open debate, accountability, and a renewed focus on protecting communities remain possible when facts are allowed back into the room.
