Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss wasn't abiding Peter Doocy's cheap crap during on interview on this weekend's The Sunday Briefing on Fox not "news."
As I said in my post about Rep. Seth Moulton's appearance on Fox the other day, I'm not wild about Democrats going on Fox, but if you're going to appear on their propaganda network, this is the way you treat these gaslighting hosts.
Auchincloss was brought on to discuss the shooting of Renee Good in Minnesota by one of Trump's ICE goons last week, and he went straight after Doocy for trying to blame the victim for the shooting. Doocy looked shocked when he asked if he was blaming the ICE agent, and Auchincloss basically said damn straight I am.
DOOCY: Our next guest, Democratic Congressman Jake Auchincloss, posted the following on X this week. He said, "Shooting unarmed citizens in the head does not make America safe."
Congressman, thank you for being here. Renee Good was driving an SUV. So does your post mean that you think SUVs can't be used as weapons?
AUCHINCLOSS: Peter, good morning. Thanks for having me on. I think that this administration is trying to gaslight the American public, and it's not going to work because the American public can watch that video.
You've got Kristi Noem calling it domestic terrorism. You've got Director Lyons saying it was the civilian's fault for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Here's what Americans see when they see that video. They see a young mother behind the steering wheel of an SUV with a cell phone and a whistle who cuts the wheels to turn right away from the ICE officer and is shot three times in the head. Once through the front window, twice through the passenger window, meaning the vehicle was already moving away at the time those shots were fired.
The American public is not going to be lied to. They are going to demand accountability, and this administration must cooperate with Minnesota authorities to ensure a transparent investigation.
DOOCY: But I just want to go back to your post. You said that she was unarmed. The fact is, and we're running this video on the side of the screen, she did not, make every effort possible to avoid the ICE officer, who was standing in front of the car. Are you saying that a car cannot be used as a weapon?
AUCHINCLOSS: Of course a car can be used as a weapon. What I am saying is when you have a badge and a gun and you are interacting with a US citizen who has committed no crime, the onus of responsibility is on you to exercise good judgment, and to use that weapon only as an absolute last resort.
And nobody watching that video will buy the argument from that ICE agent that he had no other resort other than to shoot her in the face three times.
DOOCY: So you are putting all the onus on the ICE officer. What about on Renee Good? She's behind the wheel of a vehicle. I've been pulled over by a car, I assume that, by a cop rather, I assume that if I start to drive forward, I might... that's against the law, and they might take action to stop me. Is that completely off base? This is entirely the fault of the ICE officer? I... put more plainly....
AUCHINCLOSS: To be clear, so Peter, what you're saying is, just so I can understand, what you were saying is if you get pulled over on the side of a highway, for example, and the officer grabs your door and attempts to.. pries it open, and is filming you with another officer on the other side of the car, and your car moves forward away from the officers, you think your family would be okay if you then got shot in the face three times?
DOOCY: No, but I would think that I'm disobeying a law enforcement officer who's giving me an order while they pull me over for something. I think the point here, the question is, isn't there a better way for progressives who are upset with ICE policy to protest than getting up in their grill possibly from behind the wheel of a car? Would you agree that that is not the best way?
AUCHINCLOSS: Again, Peter, you're victim blaming here.
DOOCY: Not victim blaming. No, no no no no no no no no...
AUCHINCLOSS: No law enforcement officer...
DOOCY: No no no Congressman...
AUCHINCLOSS: No law enforcement officer should be doxxed...
DOOCY: Nobody is victim blaming...
AUCHINCLOSS: But about two minutes ago I heard Director Lyons say that the civilian was at fault for being involved in that operation. Let's be clear here, if you have a badge, you have a gun, you are wearing a mask, you are accountable for everything that happens or fails to happen in that operation.
No law enforcement officer should be accosted or harassed or assaulted, and there should be penalties of law for so doing. And no U.S. citizen should be afraid of their own government. And that is what ICE has created. They have stopped being an arm of the law and they have started being an instrument of fear.
Doocy went onto ask Auchincloss about the mayor's remarks the the ICE agent wasn't injured and Auchincloss defended him, saying he was trying to respond in real time to the administration's gaslighting, and then went straight after them for their lies that they were only going to go after "the worst of the worst," and going after people with no criminal convictions instead, before giving Doocy a lesson on what the role of ICE is supposed to be as opposed to local law enforcement.
Doocy thanked him for coming on and said "it was sporty," and pretended he'd like to have him back again soon.
