Trump’s ‘Dizzying Campaign To Increase Violence’ to Blame for Brown Shooting: Chris Murphy [WATCH]

In the aftermath of a deadly mass shooting at Brown University, Democratic Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy used a Sunday appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” to accuse President Donald Trump of pursuing what he described as a deliberate effort to increase violence in the United States, a claim that prompted visible pushback and follow-up questions from host Dana Bash.

The shooting occurred Saturday evening on Brown University’s campus, where officials confirmed that at least two people were killed and at least nine others were injured.

Authorities launched a manhunt for a suspect reportedly dressed in all black.

By Sunday morning, officials announced that a person of interest in his 30s had been taken into custody. Law enforcement has released few additional details, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.

During the broadcast, Bash framed the discussion around renewed Democratic calls for congressional action on gun legislation.

She noted that Rhode Island already maintains what she described as relatively strict firearm laws and suggested that the issue extended beyond gun policy alone.

Murphy responded by asserting that legislation directly affects crime outcomes.

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He argued that states including Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and California have seen reductions in gun violence, murder, and mass shootings as a result of strict firearm regulations.

After outlining that position, Murphy turned his focus to President Trump, accusing him of taking actions that he said would increase violence nationwide.

“But this is not shocking, because over the last year, President Trump has been engaged in a dizzying campaign to increase violence in this country. He is restoring gun rights to felons and people who have lost their ability to buy guns. He eliminated the White House Office of Gun Violence Protection,” Murphy said.

Murphy continued by alleging that President Trump had cut funding for programs aimed at addressing mental health and community violence, which he said had previously enjoyed bipartisan support.

“He has stopped funding mental health grants and community anti-gun violence grants that Republicans and Democrats supported in that 2022 bill. So, he has been engaged in a pretty deliberate campaign to try to make violence more likely in this country,” Murphy said.

“I think you’re, unfortunately, going to see the results of that on the streets of America.”

Bash then pressed Murphy on the scope of his claim, emphasizing the seriousness of accusing a sitting president of intentionally increasing violence.

“That’s a pretty big statement. He’s in a campaign to make violence more likely?” Bash asked.

Murphy doubled down on the allegation, arguing that policy decisions involving firearm rights and funding levels for mental health and violence interruption programs would inevitably produce negative outcomes.

“Of course,” Murphy said.

“I mean, he’s knowingly restoring gun rights to dangerous people. He is cutting off grants that have bipartisan support to try to interrupt violence in our cities or to try to get necessary mental health resources to families and children in need. The evidence tells you that when you stop funding mental health, when you stop funding community anti-gun violence programs, when you give gun rights back to dangerous people, you are going to have an increase in violence that is knowable and that is foreseeable.”

Democrats have consistently pushed for stricter gun control measures at both the state and federal levels, often pointing to states such as California, which has been under unified Democratic control for roughly 15 years, as examples of aggressive regulation.

Following major shootings, Democratic lawmakers and allied commentators have frequently renewed calls for additional restrictions while criticizing Republicans and President Trump for opposing those proposals.

The debate also unfolded against the backdrop of national firearm mortality data.

According to statistics compiled by the Pew Research Center using information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 46,728 people died from gun-related causes in 2023.

The data indicates that 58 percent of those deaths were suicides, while 38 percent were homicides.

The remaining deaths involved law enforcement actions, accidents, or cases with undetermined circumstances.

As investigators continue to work through the evidence related to the Brown University shooting, officials have urged the public to await verified findings.

Meanwhile, Murphy’s remarks have intensified an already heated national debate over gun policy, public safety, and the role of federal leadership in addressing violent crime.