Fox News host Tucker Carlson grilled Sen. Mike Braun over his support for the Black Lives Matter movement and his new legislation that would minimize qualified immunity for police officers.
Carlson asked the Indiana Republican about his recent announcement of support for Black Lives Matter on Monday. The Fox News host noted that the movement has called for several controversial policies, including the defunding of police departments. Braun clarified his remarks and told Carlson that he supports the rights of the movement to protest peacefully.
“I support anybody that does have a grievance to be able to air it, and that is it. That doesn’t mean all lives don’t matter, it just means that if you think a certain sector of society has a grievance, it ought to be through transparency and the willingness to debate it and get it out there,” he said.
Carlson questioned Braun’s proposed legislation that would weaken qualified immunity for officers. Qualified immunity is a legal protection for law enforcement officials that prevents them from being named in civil rights lawsuits in most cases.
The Fox host said Braun’s legislation would make it easier for criminals to sue officers. He pointed to a recent statement from Braun in which he argued that qualified immunity will prevent the family of Rayshard Brooks, a black man who was fatally shot by police in a Wendy’s parking lot after he pointed a Taser at an officer, from suing the officers involved in his death. Carlson asked the senator what he thought officers should have done after having a weapon pointed at them.
“I think that you probably should have had the judgment that in a traffic stop like that, you don’t shoot somebody in the back,” Braun said.
Carlson said that wasn’t a good enough answer.
“I want you to explain. I think it’s fair. You’re an office-holder. I don’t normally press people like this, but it’s not fair for you to filibuster without answering my 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?” he asked.
“Probably not have killed the guy,” Braun said, later adding, “do you think he was going to get away? They were going to find him.”
Braun told Carlson that he felt Republicans need to go after qualified immunity because Democrats were going to “make hay of this” in the 2020 elections. Carlson asked Braun why he cared what Democrats were doing.
“Who controls the Senate? Does Chuck Schumer control it? I thought Republicans controlled the Senate. And so you’re taking your cues from Chuck Schumer? You’re saying Chuck Schumer might criticize me; therefore, I have to pass a law that makes it easier to sue police?” he asked.
Braun said that the Senate requires 60 votes for most legislation to become law. He said he stands by his conservative record and is confident that Republicans will be successful on Election Day if they work with Democrats on such legislation.
