Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) warned that there’s an ongoing risk to democracy, saying it’s time for a “red-alert mode.”
Murphy joined CNN on Wednesday to discuss his criticisms and concern over the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) recent actions impacting the federal government.
“I just think there’s a tipping point at which you can’t get your democracy back. And I see all of these very purposeful lines of effort that the Trump administration, Elon Musk, are taking, and I think we just have to be, right now at this moment, on red-alert mode,” Murphy said.
The Trump administration’s initial actions have sparked widespread shock and concern among Democrats.
The administration has moved to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and DOGE officials have gained access to the Treasury Department’s federal payment system, which controls $6 trillion annually and includes Americans’ tax records.
Murphy has been an outspoken critic of the recent moves, appearing at a protest outside the Treasury building this week and calling out Musk as an unelected billionaire skirting congressional power.
The Connecticut Democrat sounded the alarm earlier this week that Americans’ tax records have been “potentially compromised” by Musk officials.
Murphy disagreed with DOGE officials who say they are sorting through government spending to make sure it aligns with the Trump administration’s agenda.
As Democrats grapple with the impact of their election losses under GOP congressional control and a second Trump administration, many are questioning who will step up to unite the party.
“I just think if we don’t stop this very soon, it is going to be hard to mount a credible political opposition in the not so distant future,” Murphy said. “So, this is the moment to me.”
