Fox News host Tucker Carlson criticized Republican Indiana Sen. Mike Braun for a bill that would scale back police qualified immunity.
Braun’s Reforming Qualified Immunity Act would undo the current system that makes police officers immune from civil lawsuits in most situations. The Indiana senator is the first Republican to tackle the issue, which is a key demand made by protesters demanding policing reform.
During a Thursday night “Tucker Carlson Tonight” monologue aimed at Braun, Carlson contended his proposed bill would “make it easier for left-wing groups to sue police officers.”
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Carlson claimed that the current system “works pretty well,” particularly given that “civil immunity” has nothing to do with the officer who allegedly killed George Floyd, who is in jail awaiting trial.
“Qualified immunity has worked so well because police officers, more so than anyone else in our society, must make difficult split-second decisions on the job a lot, and they do it constantly whether to arrest someone, to conduct a search, to use force against a suspect,” he said. “Sometimes, actions they sincerely and reasonably believe are legal are found later by courts to be unconstitutional. Sometimes very laws they enforce are struck down. That’s not their fault, obviously, but without qualified immunity, police could be sued for that personally. They could be bankrupted. They could lose their homes.”
The Daily Caller co-founder argued that such a system would “end law enforcement” because “no one would serve as a police officer,” which is why conservative and liberal Supreme Court justices, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, have consistently ruled for the concept of qualified immunity.
“But now, in order to placate the rioters who he believes have more moral authority than the police, Senator Mike Braun of Indiana would like to gut qualified immunity and make it easier for cops to be sued personally for mistakes,” Carlson said. “Not surprisingly, Senator Lindsey Graham has signaled that he is open to that as well.”
The Fox News pointed out that perhaps senators should lose any immunity from lawsuits they currently enjoy. (RELATED: Tucker Carlson Reviews ‘White Fragility’: ‘Poisonous Garbage’ By A ‘Complete And Total Idiot’)
“So how about this, how about Mike Braun gives up his immunity first?” he asked. “That seems only fair, so the next time Mike Braun makes a mistake, and he is a U.S. senator so it likely won’t be long, the trial bar can land on him and take his house away. Mike Braun would make for a very good target for left-wing public interest lawyers. They would be excited.”
“If it’s good enough for cops on the beat, it ought to be good enough for Senator Mike Braun,” Carlson concluded.