Sen. Chris Murphy accused President Trump of running a "dizzying campaign" to increase violence in the U.S., alleging policy rollbacks that include restoring gun access to some convicted people, eliminating the White House Office of Gun Violence Protection, and cutting mental-health and community-violence grants from the 2022 bipartisan bill. Murphy warned those changes could lead to more street-level violence and cited lower gun deaths in states with stricter laws. The White House denied the claims, accusing Democrats of inflammatory rhetoric. Murphy said he will keep pressing for bipartisan reforms but expressed doubt about passing new measures while the administration and many Republicans align with the gun lobby.
Sen. Murphy: Trump Running a 'Dizzying Campaign' to Increase Violence, Cites Policy Rollbacks
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a leading advocate for gun reform, said Sunday that President Donald Trump has pursued what Murphy called a deliberate effort to make violence more likely in the United States since taking office. Murphy made the comments on CNN’s State of the Union, speaking a day after a shooting at Brown University.
Murphy Points To Policy Changes
Murphy defended his past work to advance bipartisan gun legislation and argued that several administration actions this year have reversed progress. He singled out three developments he says increase the risk of violence: restoring gun access for certain people convicted of crimes, eliminating the White House Office of Gun Violence Protection, and cutting funding for mental-health and community anti-violence grants that were included in the 2022 bipartisan gun bill.
“Laws do make a difference,” Murphy said, citing lower rates of gun violence and fewer mass shootings in states with stricter gun laws, such as Rhode Island. He continued, “Over the last year, President Trump has been engaged in a dizzying campaign to increase violence in this country.”
Murphy warned that those policy reversals could have tangible consequences on the nation’s streets: “I think you’re, unfortunately, going to see the results of that on the streets of America,” he said.
White House Response
The White House strongly rejected Murphy’s characterization. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson accused Democrats of using inflammatory language and argued their rhetoric has incited violence. In a statement to The Hill, Jackson wrote that Democrats have "regularly used rhetoric meant to incite their followers to violence," and pointed to assaults on ICE officers and the killing of Charlie Kirk earlier this year as examples.
“Before spreading these lies, Chris Murphy should take a look in the mirror,” Jackson said. “The Violent Left is a problem whether Chris admits it or not.”
What Comes Next
Murphy said he will continue pushing for bipartisan gun-reform measures in Congress, but expressed skepticism about success while the White House and many congressional Republicans remain aligned with the gun industry. “I will never stop trying to get bipartisan support,” he said, adding that meaningful progress will be difficult if the administration and lawmakers refuse to break with the gun lobby.
This exchange comes amid renewed national attention to gun violence after the Brown University shooting and ongoing debates over federal and state approaches to gun policy.
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