RUSH: Last night — now, this is earth-shattering in its own way — the governor of New Jersey was on Fox with Tucker Carlson.

I want you to grab sound bite number 11. His name is Phil Murphy. By the way, there are uprisings all over this country against governors and their restrictions. It’s happening. People aren’t gonna put up with this. People instinctively know we’ve gotta get back to work. We have to reopen the economy. People instinctively know now that however bad this is, it isn’t as bad as they all told us.

Not one model has been even close to correct, and everything the medical and health experts have implemented or advised to be implemented has been based on these erroneous models. The American people are starting to get very suspicious and very frustrated, because none of the data matches what we’ve done here. None of the data matches the behavior.

There is nothing. The American people see 22 million people sidelined, 22 million people furloughed, left off. How many of those jobs are even coming back? How many of those businesses are going to reopen? This is a very, very serious thing — self-inflicted — and the American people are beginning to say, “Why did we do this? We’re not dealing with millions of deaths.

“We’re not dealing with the absolute worst-case scenario.” Remember, now, the doomsayers always win. The doomsayers get to predict the absolute worst, and then when it comes in far better, they say, “See? It’s our prediction that made it better. We made people change their behavior.” They never lose. But people are getting wise to it now.

I want you to listen. See if something stands out in this exchange, Mr. Snerdley. Mr. Snerdley, did you happen see Mr. Murphy, Governor Murphy on TV? (interruption) Oh, you saw it. You were watching cable news last night. That’s a strange thing. You’re normally not watching. You’re generally out mowing the lawn. All right. Well, let’s see how many of the rest of you pick up on this.

This is Tucker Carlson talking to New Jersey governor Phil Murphy. Question: “The Bill of Rights, as you well know…” (chuckles) I don’t… I wouldn’t be surprised if Governor Murphy had to stop and think about, “What are the Bill of Rights?” He knows kind of what they are but where are they, you know, and how many of them are there, and what it actually is? He may not know.

Wait ’til you hear the answer here. Question: “The Bill of Rights, as you well know, protects Americans, enshrines their right to their religion as they see fit, to congregate together, to assemble peacefully. By what authority did you nullify the Bill of Rights in issuing this order? How do you have the power, as the governor of New Jersey — of any state — to simply, with a wave of your hand, nullify people’s constitutional rights as enumerate in the Bill of Rights?”

MURPHY: That’s above my pay grade, Tucker. I wasn’t thinkin’ of the Bill of Rights when we did this. We went to all —

CARLSON: I can tell.

MURPHY: First of all, we went to the data and science (chuckles) that says people have to stay away from each other. That’s the best thing we can do to break the back of the curve of this virus that leads to lower hospitalizations and ultimately fatalities.

RUSH: I want to give this guy the benefit of the doubt, Governor Murphy, but one thing is clear. He was telling the truth when he said the Bill of Rights was “above his pay grade.” It ought not be. He’s the governor of one of the largest states by population in the country. “It’s above my pay grade, Tucker. I wasn’t thinking of the Bill of Rights when we did this.”

Okay. So he’s not alone. The people who are advocating shutting down this economy, advocating/mandating that you stay at home — mandating that you can’t do this, you can’t do that, you can’t go here, you can’t go there — don’t even care about the Constitution. Or, giving him the benefit of the doubt, he didn’t even stop to think about it. He didn’t even stop to think about whether or not people’s constitutional rights were respected.

Is this pandemic, is this virus worth throwing away people’s constitutional liberties? Is it worth that? Is staying away from it worth it? Because if it is, get ready, because there are gonna be a whole lot of things that happen following this virus that are gonna be said to be worth suspending constitutional rights. These governors and mayors are getting off on this newfound power.

But this, folks, is dangerously shocking. You watch Governor Murphy, and he looks harmless on TV. He looks like all he’s doing is his best, trying to implement his best practices to save lives. He doesn’t…? He didn’t even think of the Bill of Rights? Wouldn’t you think that somebody that’s a governor would at least try to balance these competing interests? He didn’t even consider them — and he’s not alone.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: The governor of New Jersey. He was on with Tucker Carlson last night on Fox, and New Jersey has some of the most Draconian restrictions on people, and Tucker Carlson wanted to know how in the world he arrived at this.

So he’s talking to Phil Murphy who comes off as a nice guy. He comes off as somebody… He doesn’t look like a governor. He looks like somebody from the docks that they just plucked off and elected. He looks like a real guy and comes off this way. He doesn’t ever appear to be in a governor’s mansion setting. I’m sure this is by marketing demand.

Tucker had him on last night. He said (summarized), “Okay. The Bill of Rights protects Americans, enshrines their right to practice their religion as they see fit and congregate together, to assemble peacefully. But what authority do you nullify the Bill of Rights in issuing this order of yours that people can’t go to church and they can’t congregate and all these other things? How did you do that?

MURPHY: That’s above my pay grade, Tucker. I wasn’t thinkin’ of the Bill of Rights when we did this. We went to all —

CARLSON: I can tell.

MURPHY: First of all, we went to the data and science (chuckles) that says people have to stay away from each other. That’s the best thing we can do to break the back of the curve of this virus that leads to lower hospitalizations and ultimately fatalities.

RUSH: No, it doesn’t lead to lower fatalities. All it does is extend the length of time we’re dealing with it. He’s talking about flattening the curve. He’s bought everything the modelers say. He’s bought it hook, line, and sinker. He thinks that his actions take precedence over the Constitution because he’s what? He’s saving lives — and what do Republicans do?

“They don’t care! See, Republicans don’t care. Republicans care about a constitutional (muttering) bunch of… They don’t care about saving people. I care about saving people!” He admits the Bill of Rights, he wasn’t even thinking about it when coming up with his Draconian restrictions on people. But, see, there’s another aspect of this.

The Bill of Rights is the biggest obstacle to liberalism, communism, socialism, that there is. I’m gonna be redundant here for many of you. But remember, people are tuning in every day to this program who’ve never heard it. So I must repeat some things that you’ve probably heard enough times already. The problem that the left has — and they do have.

The problem the left has with the American Constitution is what it does. It limits government. The American left, the Democrat Party are pro-government. They think government should be in charge of everything. Government should basically live your life for you. You live your life according to government permission and government instruction — with, of course, your best interests at heart supposedly.

You can’t be left to your own devices. You’ll upset the power structure they set for themselves. You must behave. There must be conformity, in other words. There must be a conventional wisdom that everybody conforms to, and people who don’t conform are problems — and so the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?

You know what they do? They spell out specifically what government cannot do to you! Government cannot stop you from worshiping however you choose. Government cannot stop you from saying what you want to say. Government cannot stop you from associating with whoever you want to associate with.

Government cannot illegally search you or your dwelling and seize things without due process. Government cannot deprive you of life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness without due process — and even then, government cannot… The first 10 amendments could be said to start with “government cannot,” and this is the big problem Democrats have.

So they have an idea that began with FDR: A new Bill of Rights, a pro-government Bill of Rights. They want a new constitution that spells out what government can do to you. So it’s no surprise to me that an active Democrat, Phil Murphy, the governor of New Jersey, would come along and say, “(Snort!) I didn’t consult the Bill of Rights? I know what…

“The Bill of Rights tells me what you can’t do. Why should I care about that? I gotta save lives! I can’t be bothered with that.” You know, he says, “I didn’t even consult it.” I think he knew exactly what he was doing. I think these guys on the left, they all know they’re outside the framework of the Constitution.

They’re there on purpose, because the Constitution is a hindrance to them, if the truth be known.