House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries told MSNBC’s Al Sharpton on Sunday that the reaction on the right to the indictment of ex-president Donald Trump could lead to violence or even the end of democracy.

The New York Democrat appeared on MSNBC’s Politics Nation on Sunday to discuss the criminal indictment against Trump over classified documents, which among its 37 counts includes 31 charges of violating the Espionage Act.

Sharpton brought up a New York Times article published Saturday reporting the indictment has “unleashed a wave of calls by his supporters for violence and an uprising to defend him, disturbing observers and raising concerns of a dangerous atmosphere ahead of his court appearance in Miami on Tuesday.”

Sharpton asked whether Jeffries is concerned that “we will see violence from his supporters going into Tuesday” when Trump will be in court.

Jeffries responded first by saying it’s important to be prepared for “the type of violence that we saw on January 6, because of the extreme rhetoric that is coming from many right-wing ideologues in this country.”

He then argued that the “root” cause of that extremism is conservative Republican policy views on things like Social Security, taxes, and abortion.

Jeffries said those views are leading to the GOP “underperforming” in elections, and that his concern is that when people with those views believe they can no longer win elections, “they wouldn’t abandon conservatism, they’d abandon democracy.”

He then completed his connecting Republican policies to violent rhetoric.

“What we’re seeing from some of these calls to violence coming from some of the more extreme members of the right-wing in this country is an abandonment of democracy. And that should frighten everyday Americans,” Jeffries concluded.

SHARPTON: The New York Times is reporting that the right wing media has exploded with calls for violence and rebellion. With the rhetoric surrounding this indictment reported to be even more extreme than what we saw around Trump’s indictment in the Manhattan DA’s hush money probe just three months ago. Right now, public officials in Miami and the Secret Service are bracing for possible demonstrations from Trump supporters Tuesday in Miami. As a manager of Trump’s first impeachment, having lived through literally the events of January 6, are you concerned we will see violence from his supporters going into Tuesday, if not after?

JEFFRIES: It’s certainly appropriate and important for federal law enforcement officials in partnership with state and local officials to take every available precaution to prevent the type of violence that we saw on January 6 because of the extreme rhetoric that is coming from many right-wing ideologues in this country.

It’s important to understand what is perhaps at the root of what we’re seeing in terms of this irresponsible rhetoric. The right wing in this country wants to end Social Security and Medicare as we know it, they want to strip away reproductive freedom. They want to undermine the right to vote and believe that voter suppression is their pathway into maintaining power. They want to cut taxes for the wealthy, the well-off, and the well-connected, while at the same time trying to undermine middle class folks, those who aspire to be part of the middle class the poor, the sick, and the afflicted.

Their policies are out of step with the American people, and that’s why they’ve been losing elections and underperforming, as they did in the 2022 midterm elections.

And so many of us have long been concerned. Rev, and you’ve been a leading voice in this regard, that if right wing folks in this country concluded that they can no longer win elections democratically, they wouldn’t abandon conservatism, they’d abandon democracy.

And what we’re seeing from some of these calls to violence coming from some of the more extreme members of the right wing in this country is an abandonment of democracy. And that should frighten everyday Americans.

Watch the clip above, via MSNBC.

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