Murphy On SOTU: We Can't Vote To Fund This Lawless DHS

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Sunday joined CNN's State of the Union with Dana Bash to react to the brutal killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis. Appearing on the program directly after Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino, Murphy blasted the Trump administration's shameless attempts to justify the shooting without evidence. Murphy linked ICE's lawlessness and deliberate provocations of chaos and violence to President Trump's larger project of cracking down on Americans' free speech and subverting our democracy. He also urged his Senate colleagues to demand accountability and vote against providing new funding for the Department of Homeland Security without constraints to rein in the agency's lawlessness.

Murphy called out Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino's egregious lies about the Minnesota shooting: "I thought that was a bone-chilling interview. I was shaking as I was listening to it, in large part because it takes just an unbelievable amount of gall to lie to the American public. I mean, everybody saw that video, and yet, there he was telling you and telling the American public that this young man was brandishing a weapon, that he was impeding officers, that he was there to attend a riot, that he was engaged in assault when everyone can see that that's not true. It should freak the American public out that the Trump administration lies this easily, will lie to your face when you can see the evidence for yourself…Every single day, these guys are stone cold liars."

Slamming Bovino's violent threats against Americans exercising their legal right to observe and record law enforcement, he continued: "What he essentially told you is that if you just happen to be present when they are undertaking an operation, if you pull out your phone to record it, the use of force against you is justified. That is not true. That's not what the law says. That's not what the Constitution says. But they have now, I guess, put Americans on alert that you are going to be shot by law enforcement officers if you are simply trying to witness and record law enforcement operations."

Murphy laid out why the Senate must vote against funding DHS this week: "We can't vote to fund this lawless Department of Homeland Security. And remember, it's not just in Minnesota. They're violating the law all over the country. I spent last week in Texas where they are locking up two-year-old and three-year-old kids who are here in the United States legally just for the purpose of traumatizing them. This is a nationwide campaign of lawlessness… We cannot fund a Department of Homeland Security that is murdering American citizens, that is traumatizing little boys and girls all across the country in violation of the law… This is something that I think the American people demand of us right now. 60, 70% of Americans don't support what ICE is doing."

Murphy warned Trump intends to expand his campaign of violence in American cities: "The fact of the matter is, Minneapolis is fundamentally less safe because ICE and CBP are there, and that's the point. They are there to cause a conflict. They are there to create mayhem. And it isn't going to be just isolated to Minneapolis as they continue to staff up with officers who are not trained for this kind of work. This is going to be in Philadelphia. This is going to be in Phoenix. This is coming to your city as well. And so if we don't stop this in its tracks, what you are seeing in Minnesota - people being killed simply for exercising their First Amendment rights - is going to be a regular feature in this country. That is dystopian."

Murphy argued the Trump administration is using ICE's chaos as a flashpoint to subvert upcoming elections, pointing to Pam Bondi's attempt to blackmail Minnesota into handing over their voter rolls in exchange for ICE's departure: "Donald Trump has made it clear that he intends to try to interfere in the upcoming 2026 election. He says that his, you know, one regret from 2020 was that he didn't take the voting machines. And it is really alarming that in this letter, Bondi says, 'well, we'll get the ICE officers out of Minneapolis if you give us control of your voter lists.' It has always been, I think, the fear and now, I think closer to the reality that the Trump administration is creating this mayhem, particularly in cities in swing states, in order to take control of the election, to say, 'oh, it's the cities out of control, the states out of control. You can't trust the state government. We just need to run the election in November.'"

A full transcript of the interview is available below.

BASH: Senator Murphy, I know you heard my interview with the chief Greg Bovino, defending his agents and killing Alex Pretti, saying that they were impeding law enforcement despite video not backing that up. What's your reaction?

MURPHY: Dana, I thought that was a bone-chilling interview. I was shaking as I was listening to it, in large part because it takes just an unbelievable amount of gall to lie to the American public. I mean, everybody saw that video, and yet, there he was telling you and telling the American public that this young man was brandishing a weapon, that he was impeding officers, that he was there to attend a riot, that he was engaged in assault - when everyone can see that that's not true. It should freak the American public out that the Trump administration lies this easily, will lie to your face when you can see the evidence for yourself.

The fact of the matter is, Minneapolis is fundamentally less safe because ICE and CBP are there. And that's the point. They are there to cause a conflict. They are there to create mayhem. And it isn't going to be just isolated to Minneapolis as they continue to staff up with officers who are not trained for this kind of work. This is going to be in Philadelphia. This is going to be in Phoenix. This is coming to your city as well. And so if we don't stop this in its tracks, what you are seeing in Minnesota - people being killed simply for exercising their First Amendment rights - is going to be a regular feature in this country.

That is dystopian. We shouldn't allow for it. And that should unite Republicans and Democrats in Congress, because it's increasingly uniting Republicans and Democrats all around the country who are turning against this just unbelievably lawless way that Bovino and his team are operating in our cities.

BASH: And what do you make of Bovino, and other Trump officials, putting the blame on the Governor, Tim Walz, on the Mayor, Jacob Frey, for lots of things, including the fact that they are encouraging local officials, or local citizens rather, to go out and to document these arrests.

MURPHY: Yeah, it's just another lie. I mean, every single day, these guys are stone cold liars. The leaders in Minnesota are not and have never encouraged violence. Everyone has a right to peacefully assemble and protest. Everyone has a right to film law enforcement. They are operating in busy city streets. He called that a crime scene, and that this was an individual who is interfering in a crime scene. It wasn't a crime scene.

First of all, we have no idea what operation they were undertaking. But simply because they are going after someone who is not here legally, doesn't mean that it's a crime scene, and doesn't mean that individuals don't have the right and ability under the United States Constitution to be present. So I mean, this is really scary, because what he essentially told you is that if you just happen to be present when they are undertaking an operation, if you pull out your phone to record it, the use of force against you is justified. That is not true. That's not what the law says. That's not what the Constitution says. But they have now, I guess, put Americans on alert that you are going to be shot by law enforcement officers if you are simply trying to witness and record law enforcement operations.

BASH: The Attorney General, Pam Bondi, sent a letter to Minnesota officials offering to take ICE out of the state if Minnesota does three things. First, share all of Minnesota's records on Medicaid and Food and Nutrition Service Programs; second, repeal the sanctuary policies; and third, allow the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department to access voter rolls. Your reaction?

MURPHY: So I think you're getting to the bottom of what's happening here. And I wish this weren't true, but Donald Trump has made it clear that he intends to try to interfere in the upcoming 2026 election. He says that his, you know, one regret from 2020 was that he didn't take the voting machines. And it is really alarming that in this letter, Bondi says, 'well, we'll get the ICE officers out of Minneapolis if you give us control of your voter lists.' It has always been, I think, the fear - and now I think closer to the reality - that the Trump administration is creating this mayhem, particularly in cities in swing states, in order to take control of the election, to say, 'oh, it's the cities out of control, the states out of control. You can't trust the state government. We just need to run the election in November.'

I know to some people that may sound a little conspiratorial, but Trump has told you over and over again that he regrets that he didn't interfere in the prior election, and this letter seems pretty definitive proof that they are trying to trade the presence of ICE and the murder and mayhem that they are causing for control of Minnesota's elections. That's just wild. Minnesota shouldn't stand for that. The American people shouldn't stand for that.

BASH: Before I let you go, I want to ask about what your leader, Chuck Schumer, says: that Democrats are going to vote against a government funding package that is before the Senate soon, and it includes money for the Department of Homeland Security. How is that going to play out?

MURPHY: Well, we can't vote to fund this lawless Department of Homeland Security. And remember, it's not just in Minnesota. They're violating the law all over the country. I spent last week in Texas where they are locking up two-year-old and three-year-old kids who are here in the United States legally just for the purpose of traumatizing them. This is a nationwide campaign of lawlessness. I swore an oath to the Constitution. So did every single United States senator. We cannot fund a Department of Homeland Security that is murdering American citizens, that is traumatizing little boys and girls all across the country in violation of the law.

Listen, I'm not endeavoring to fix every single problem that exists in the Department of Homeland Security. But we should only vote for a bill that puts constraints on this lawlessness, that reforms the way that they are endangering our citizens in our cities. So yes, Democrats are not going to vote to fund this version of the Department of Homeland Security, but if we can get some serious reforms that saves and protects lives in our cities, then we'll come to the table. But this is something that I think the American people demand of us right now. 60, 70% of Americans don't support what ICE is doing, and they don't want Democrats or Republicans to fund this kind of lawlessness in our cities.