Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., is calling for government regulation of the internet as part of a broader effort to reduce loneliness and feelings of powerlessness among Americans, arguing that those conditions make voters vulnerable to demagogic leaders such as former President Donald Trump.
Murphy made the remarks during an appearance on the «I've Had It» podcast, where he discussed his book «Crisis of the Common Good.» In the book, he warns that the country will remain «stuck» with leaders like Trump unless government action addresses what he describes as two defining problems for Americans: a lack of power and a lack of connection.
«Those are the two things I think Americans are going through right now,» Murphy said. «They don't feel powerful at all, and they feel lonely. And so, government should build a set of rules in which people feel more powerful — that's why the minimum wage is so important — and people feel so more connected.»
He added that rebuilding healthy local institutions should be a government project, and that regulating the internet to reduce time spent alone on platforms like Instagram would serve the same goal. «That's why regulating the internet so that you're spending less time alone on Instagram should be an important government project,» Murphy said. «And if people are feeling more powerful and less lonely, then they are going to be less likely to fall for a bulls--- demagogue like Donald Trump.»
Murphy, a frequent critic of the former president, said the remedies he outlines are not inherently partisan. «What I say in the book is that if you really think about the things that make you more connected and make you more powerful, they're not actually super partisan,» he said. He also reiterated the book's central warning: «Unless you fix what's broken with the culture, you're going to be stuck with people like Trump for a long time.»
The White House pushed back sharply. Spokesperson Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital that Murphy is «a lightweight, anti-American disgrace who lies for a living.»
Murphy's comments come amid a broader national debate over social media regulation and online safety. Lawmakers in both parties have called for action against social media companies to protect young users, and many have proposed scaling back Section 230, the law that provides broad immunity to platforms for content posted by users.
Recent discussions around artificial intelligence have complicated that push. Some Republican lawmakers have expressed skepticism about Congress's ability to regulate emerging technology, suggesting that experts outside the legislature should take the lead. Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital last week that oversight is necessary but that Congress lacks the expertise to direct new technologies. «I think the warning is real, and I think that AI is unbelievable — look, AI is going to cure cancer. AI is going to find solutions to get rid of diseases that we never thought we could get rid of, but it does need to have some oversight. It needs a kill switch,» Patronis said. «But again, I don't think Congress has the expertise to tell an emerging technology what's the best way to do that.»
The debate over online safety has intensified in recent months. Parents have pressed Congress to act on kids' online safety after juries found Meta and YouTube liable for harm, and a landmark social media ruling exposed addictive algorithms as a teen survey highlighted dangers. Those developments have given new momentum to proposals that would change how platforms operate and how they are held accountable.
Murphy's argument ties that regulatory conversation to a broader cultural diagnosis. He contends that loneliness and powerlessness are not private struggles but public problems that government can address through policies such as a higher minimum wage, support for local institutions, and rules governing how people spend time online. In his view, those steps would strengthen democratic resilience by making voters less susceptible to authoritarian appeals.
The senator's remarks are likely to fuel an already polarized debate over technology policy. Supporters of regulation say platforms have contributed to social isolation and the spread of misinformation, while critics warn that government intervention could stifle speech and innovation. With Congress divided on the issue and the White House openly dismissive of Murphy's framing, the path to any new internet regulations remains uncertain.