♪ >> Eric: WE END THE HOUR TONIGHT WITH A FAMILIAR COUCH FULL OF POLITICOS.

ANDY BREHM, FORMER PRESS SECRETARY FOR U.S.

SENATOR NORM COLEMAN, NOW A LAWYER AND COLUMNIST FOR THE STAR TRIBUNE.

PREYA SAMSUNDAR, G.O.P.

STRATEGIST, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS.

DEMOCRATS WITH US, JEFF HAYDEN, FORMER SENATE DEPUTY MAJORITY LEADER NOW A LEGISLATIVE LOBBYIST.

ROUNDING OUT THE GROUP TONIGHT SUSAN KENT FORMER STATE SENATE MINORITY LATER AND D.F.L.ER.

ANOTHER COLUMN, EXCELLENT COLUMN -- WHY DOES THIS TOUCH SUCH A NERVE, DO YOU THINK?

>> OH, A COUPLE REASONS.

THERE'S THE PURE VIOLENCE OF WHAT WE SAW.

I WOULDN'T ADVISE ANYONE TO WATCH THAT VIDEO BUT FOR THOSE OF US THAT DID IT'S GOING TO BE HARD TO UNSEE.

A FATHER, A USBAND, JUST BRUTALLY MURDERED IN FRONT OF 3,000 PEOPLE, IT'S A HORRIFIC SIGHT.

AND -- WHO WE ARE AS A PEOPLE.

POLITICAL VIOLENCE IS N ATTACK ON EACH ONE OF US, IT IS AN ATTACK ON OUR WAY OF DOING THINGS HERE SO IT DOES IMPACT EACH OF US IN A VERY PERSONAL WAY.

>> Eric: HOW DOES T AFFECT THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT I GUESS YOU'D SAY?

>> I THINK IN A LOT OF WAYS WE'RE KIND OF AT A CROSSROADS HERE BECAUSE IN A LOT OF WAYS WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE, THESE ACTS OF VIOLENCE, AND I THINK AS A LOT OF REPUBLICANS AND CONSERVATIVES ARE SEEING IT, THEY'RE SEEING IT AS, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE TRYING TO SILENCE OUR VOICE, SOMEONE THAT'S TRYING TO PUT US BACK IN -- TRYING TO KEEP US OUT OF THE WAY SO THAT AN AGENDA CAN GO FORWARD.

THAT'S HOW -- SEEING IT.

AND THEY'RE TAKING IT AS A CHALLENGE, THEY WANT TO CARRY CHARLIE KIRK'S LEGACY ON.

THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE BEING LOUD, THAT THEY'RE BEING PROUD THAT THEY'RE NOT HYING AWAY, THEY'RE SHARING THEIR FAITH, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT HE ISSUES AND THEY'RE HAVING IT JUST LIKE CHARLIE KIRK DID, JUST LIKE BEN SHAPIRO DOES IN A VERY RESPECTFUL MANNER BUT AT THE SAME TIME HAVING THESE OPEN AIR PUBLIC CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE ISSUES, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE HAVING THAT DEBATE ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AND EVERYWHERE ELSE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

>> Cathy: CHARLIE KIRK WAS EXERCISING HIS RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH -- ORGANIZATIONS THAT -- HE SAYS FOMENT POLITICAL -- I'M WONDERING THAT WOULD ALSO BE A CRACKDOWN ON SPEECH, SO THIS IS A BOTH SIDES PROBLEM, RIGHT?

>> NOT NECESSARILY, AND I THINK WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

IT'S THIS DEA ALMOST THAT WE'VE LOST OUR SENSE OF EMPATHY, WE'VE LOST OUR SENSE OF VALUE FOR HUMAN LIFE.

AND WHAT YOU'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW AND I THINK THIS HAS BEEN SO TROUBLING AS A YOUNG CONSERVATIVE MYSELF WATCHING THIS PLAY OUT IN THE WAKE OF CHARLIE KIRK'S DEATH IS THAT THERE ARE SO MANY DEMOCRATS ONLINE RIGHT NOW THAT ARE CHEERING THAT HE DIED, THAT ARE CELEBRATING.

IT'S HORRIFIC, IT'S HORRIBLE TO WATCH.

>> I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE SEEING THAT.

WHAT I'M SEEING IS DEMOCRATS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN SAYING THIS WAS TERRIBLE AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE IS NEVER THE ANSWER.

AND I THINK WE SHOULD ALL BE ABLE TO STAND UP AND SAY THAT.

AND WE CAN SAY THAT IT IS A TERRIBLE THING THAT THIS YOUNG FATHER AND HUSBAND IS GONE IN A TERRIBLE WAY.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND WE SHOULD SEE MUCH MORE, I THINK DONALD TRUMP'S IMMEDIATE RESPONSE BEFORE WE KNEW WHO IT WAS, ANYTHING ABOUT HIM, NYTHING ABOUT HIS MOTIVE, WAS IMMEDIATELY ATTACKING THE LEFT, WITHOUT ANY INFORMATION.

WE NEED OUR LEADERS LIKE DONALD TRUMP, LIKE REPUBLICANS AND OUR LEADERS - DEMOCRATS COMING TOGETHER AND SAYING THIS IS NOT -- -- >> Cathy: THERE WERE -- ONLINE SAYING THIS GUY GOT WHAT HE DESERVED, YOU KNOW?

>> YEAH, I MEAN, YOU CAN PARSE OUT.

I JUST THINK WHAT SUSAN IS SAYING, SENATOR KENT, OVERWHELMINGLY DEMOCRATIC LEADERS THAT I SAW, NOW, THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH SOCIAL MEDIA, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT, IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT AND WHAT'S BEING FED BACK TO YOU.

>> YOUR ALGORITHM.

>> OVERWHELMINGLY I SAW PEOPLE SAYING LIKE THIS WAS TERRIBLE.

ESPECIALLY DEMOCRATS AND LEADERS IN HIS STATE THAT JUST WENT THROUGH THE SAME THING.

AND I WILL REMIND FOLKS THAT MELISSA HORTMAN IS A DEMOCRAT AND SHE WAS THE SPEAKER EMETA OF THE DEMOCRATS, AND HER HUSBAND.

JOHN HOFFMAN WHO MAY BE WATCHING THE SHOW RIGHT NOW IS A LEADER AND A DEMOCRAT.

SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BE REALLY CAREFUL -- AND FOR ME -- KEEPS COMING BACK AROUND -- PEOPLE KNOW MY SISTER WAS KILLED -- THE SPECIFIC NATURE OF GUN VIOLENCE, AND THEN TO IMMEDIATELY START TO ASSESS BLAME, I JUST READ IN THE NEW YORK TIMES TODAY THAT THE YOUNG MAN WE HAVE NO IDEA WHY HE DID IT GREW UP IN A REPUBLICAN SUBURB OF UTAH AND NOBODY REALLY KNOWS, SO I DON'T WANT TO SUGGEST THAT HE WAS OR WHAT HIS MOTIVE WAS SO WE DON'T KNOW AND SO WE SHOULD SAY THAT AND SO I THINK THAT AS PEOPLE HO HAVE A PLATFORM NO MATTER IF YOU'RE ELECTED OFFICIAL, FORMER ONE, WE SHOULD BE REALLY, REALLY CAREFUL.

AND I WILL SAY -- LAST TIME THAT THIS HAPPENED AND WE HAD DEMOCRATIC LEADERS OR REPUBLICAN LEADERS THAT THEY WERE GOING TO TONE IT DOWN AND CONTINUES GET TONED DOWN, THE RHETORIC IS SO HIGH.

>> Eric: WELL, BOTH SIDES ARE DOING THAT.

>> NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.

THE GOSPEL READING TODAY, I'M A CATHOLIC, TAKE THE PLANK OUT OF YOUR OWN EYE BEFORE YOU START LOOKING IN THE SPECK OF YOUR NEIGHBOR'S EYE, AND BOTH PARTIES HERE HAVE INCREASED THE RHETORIC AND I THINK WE BOTH HAVE TO DO BETTER.

>> YEAH, BUT ANDY, I WANT TO BE CAREFUL HERE BECAUSE I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT, YES, Mr. KIRK SHOULDN'T HAVE DIED.

BUT I DON'T KNOW IF HE FOLLOWED THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF HE FOLLOWED THAT SCRIPTURE EITHER.

I'M JUST NOT SURE.

I MEAN, THE THINGS THAT I SEE AND HEAR.

>> THERE SHOULD NEVER BE A "BUT," THOUGH.

THIS MAN WAS ASSASSINATED IN FRONT OF 3,000 PEOPLE.

HIS MURDER WAS CAPTURED ON MULTIPLE CAMERA LEVELS ACROSS THE BOARD.

THERE SHOULD NEVER BE A "BUT."

>> BUT THERE SHOULDN'T -- >> MELISSA HORTMAN WAS MURDERED.

>> OH, YES, THEY DID.

ABSOLUTELY.

>> THERE WERE PEOPLE SAYING THAT ALL THE TIME.

>> -- DISCUSSION IS PART OF THE PROBLEM.

THIS IS PART OF THE PROBLEM.

AND WHEN MELISSA HORTMAN DIED MOST REPUBLICANS WERE OUTRAGED BY IT BUT SENATOR MIKE LEE SAID A BUNCH OF GARBAGE.

>> AND IT WASN'T JUST HIM.

>> AND REPUBLICANS LIKE ME CALLED HIM OUT.

AND LET ME FINISH, JEFF.

MOST DEMOCRATS HAVE TOO, NOT ALL OF THEM, OKAY?

SO THE POINT IS WE NEED A RESET AND IT STARTS BY LOOKING OURSELVES IN THE EYE AND OUR OWN PARTIES IN THE EYE.

EASY TO POINT FINGERS, WE'VE DONE THAT FOR A LONG TIME.

I THINK THE HARD WORK IS HOW CAN WE ALL DO BETTER, BOTH PARTIES CAN.

>> 'M JUST GOING TO GO BACK TO THE FACT THAT HE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME WAS ABSOLUTELY MAKING CLAIMS ABOUT WHO'S RESPONSIBLE AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

HE WAS OT ACT LIKE ALL THE OTHER FORMER PRESIDENTS DID WHO STOOD UP AND SAID POLITICAL VIOLENCE IS NEVER THE ANSWER.

>> AND ILHAN OMAR AND ERIN MAYE QUADE WERE TWEETING THINGS OUT -- GO BACK AND FORTH.

>> I'M SORRY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, THERE'S ONE OF THEM.

BEEN SETTING THE EXAMPLE.

HE ABSOLUTELY DID NOT.

>> I THINK HIS -- SOMEONE THAT HE WAS VERY CLOSE WAS AGAIN, MURDERED.

>> AND MELISSA HORTMAN WAS A VERY GOOD FRIEND -- >> Eric: LOOKING TO THE SPECIAL SESSION, IS THERE MOMENTUM FOR AN ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN OR SOMETHING ELSE?

OR IS THIS JUST AN ATTEMPT FOR DEMOCRATS TO GET REPUBLICANS ON RECORD WHAT THEY THINK ON THAT ISSUE?

>> ERIC, I THINK WE SHOULD REFRAME THAT.

AND I'M KIND OF GETTING THE IDEA THAT WE SHOULD ALL CARE ABOUT THESE ISSUES.

>> YES.

>> WE SHOULD CARE ABOUT SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH, WE SHOULD CARE ABOUT ASSAULT RIFLES MEANT FOR WAR.

I WAS SITTING AT THE VFW IN MINNEAPOLIS WITH ETERANS THAT SAYS THAT YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE AN ASSAULT RIFLE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR POLITICAL, THEY BELIEVE IN THE SECOND AMENDMENT.

SO WE SHOULD LOOK AT DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AND HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AND YOU SAID EXACTLY WHAT WE SAID WE DON'T WANT TO DO WHICH IS TO PUT IT IN A POLITICAL FRAME AS OPPOSED TO CARING ABOUT OUR CHILDREN.

I DON'T MEAN TO ATTACK YOU, ERIC, I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S THE PROBLEM WE HAVE HERE.

>> THE GOVERNOR -- FOOTBALL, I AGREE WHEN YOU HAVE A TRAGEDY LIKE THIS YOU HAVE TO HAVE EVERYTHING ON THE TABLE.

THE GOVERNOR'S JUST INCAPABLE OF DOING AND HE SAID, HEY, IT'S TIME FOR POLITICAL SHOTS, PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF THAT.

WE CAN HAVE A DEBATE ON GUN CONTROL BUT LET'S DO IT WITH THE -- SCHOOL SECURITY AND DO IT IN A WAY THAT -- >> WE KEEP DOING THIS, WE KEEP PUTTING THIS IN POLITICAL [ NO AUDIO ] THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE -- DAY ONE BUT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A DISCUSSION, THE LEGISLATURE WOULDN'T VEN BE AT FULL STRENGTH UNTIL FEBRUARY SO IF THEY DO THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A BIPARTISAN PACKAGE THAT THEY PUT THROUGH.

>> Eric: ARE YOU TAKING THE TICS OUT OF A POLITICS?

WHAT IS A RIPER POLITICAL ISSUE THAN GUN CONTROL -- BAN?

>> I'M JUST TRYING TO PARROT AND MIMIC WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE JUST SAYS, WHICH IS WE SHOULD CARE ABOUT PEOPLE.

WE JUST HAD A PIECE BEFORE THAT SAID WE SHOULD BE KIND AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR PEOPLE.

I GUESS AS A POLITICAL SHOW WE CAN DO THAT, I WOULD RATHER NOT DO THAT BECAUSE I'M TIRED OF PEOPLE, OF CHILDREN GETTING KILLED.

I'M TIRED OF CHILDREN AT MY KIDS' FORMER SCHOOL, I'M TIRED OF MY SISTER, MY BEST FRIEND, CERTAINLY I'M TIRED OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE, THAT'S ALL THAT I'M SAYING.

>> AND GUNS ARE THE NUMBER ONE REASON OF OUR CHILDREN DYEING AND WE CANNOT PRETEND THAT IS NOT THE REALITY AND THAT HAS CHANGED OVER TIME, IT'S GOTTEN WORSE AND WORSE AND WORSE -- >> BUT -- >> AND IT IS -- AND YES, POLITICS ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE A PART OF EVERYTHING BUT I DO THINK THIS, I SAW RECENTLY -- SOMEBODY AFTER THE ANNUNCIATION SHOOTING, IF IT WAS TOO SOON TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION.

AND I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO REMEMBER IS COLUMBINE, SANDY HOOK, EL PASO, LAS VEGAS.

IT IS NOT TOO SOON TO REALLY ACTUALLY TRY TO URGENTLY TRY AND DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE.

>> Cathy: PREYA, GO AHEAD.

>> THE PROBLEM IS BEFORE COLUMBINE PEOPLE HAD ACCESS TO GUNS AND THERE AREN'T ANY ISSUES.

THE PROBLEM IS NOT -- THE GUN DOES NOT WALK UP AND SHOOT SOMEBODY.

UNARMING LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS IS NOT THE ANSWER HERE.

WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THESE ISSUES, A LOT OF IT IS MENTAL HEALTH BUT YOU CAN'T JUST GO AROUND AND SAY, WELL, BAD THINGS ARE HAPPENING.

LOOK AT THE UK, THEY'VE BANNED GUNS EXCEPT FOR HUNTING PURPOSES, YOU KNOW WHAT'S GONE UP?

KNIFE ATTACKS, THEY ARE LOOKING NOW AT HOMICIDES.

40% OF HOMICIDES -- >> THE NUMBERS -- THE NUMBERS -- -- >> NUMBERS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE REST OF THE WORLD -- DISTINGUISHING FACTOR.

>> DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE PUSHING A BUTTON AND 100 BULLETS COME OUT.

>> -- IF THEY WANT TO DO A BAD THING THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT.

THAT'S WHY THEY'RE CALLED CRIMINALS.