By Gloria Ogbonna
During Friday night’s broadcast of Fox News Channel’s Hannity, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) forcefully defended protesters while responding to a video showing Alex Pretti’s earlier confrontation with law enforcement officers.
In a tense exchange, Moulton rejected the idea that protesters are responsible for the violence they face from authorities, drawing a sharp comparison to the Iranian regime’s deadly crackdowns on demonstrators.
Moulton questioned the logic of blaming protesters for escalating violence, asking whether the same standard would be applied to demonstrators in Iran, where thousands have been killed by the government.
He argued that holding protesters responsible for the actions of the state is both morally wrong and fundamentally un-American.
“I’ve broken a taillight before. I don’t think I should be executed for it,” Moulton said, emphasizing what he sees as a disproportionate response by authorities to relatively minor acts.
He pressed the point further, asking, “Do you blame the protesters in Iran for inciting the violence that’s gotten thousands of them killed? Is that your accusation that they shouldn’t be using inciteful rhetoric or starting fires in the street because the state police or federal officers come down and kill them?”
Moulton made clear that, in his view, the responsibility lies with those in power who choose excessive force, not with citizens exercising their right to protest. “I don’t think that’s right, Sean,” he said directly to host Sean Hannity. “I don’t think that’s very American.”
At the same time, Moulton clarified that he does not oppose law enforcement or accountability altogether. He stated that individuals who break the law should still face prosecution through the legal system, stressing that consequences should be proportional and carried out within the bounds of justice.
Later in the segment, Moulton praised protesters in Minneapolis, highlighting what he described as their broader push for accountability and reform. Hannity pushed back, asking pointedly about protesters who attack police officers or engage in doxing law enforcement personnel.
In response, Moulton again challenged Hannity’s framing of the issue. “Kicking a taillight is attacking an officer?” he asked rhetorically. With visible sarcasm, he added, “Guess what—you might be a great taillight protector, but I don’t think you should be executed for kicking a taillight, Sean.”
The exchange underscored the sharp divide between the two men on the issue of protests, policing, and accountability, with Moulton repeatedly emphasizing proportionality and civil liberties, while Hannity focused on law and order and the safety of officers.
Source Breitbart
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