Last Tuesday, Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) walked into what she believed would be a sympathetic crowd at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. She was there for an interview with the editorial director of Vox, a liberal news outlet, on one of America’s predominantly liberal, elite university campuses. Feeling relaxed and believing she was speaking to a friendly audience, she revealed her hopes for what Democrats would accomplish should they take back power in the Senate this November, explaining in detail:

I want young people coming out of school to say, “Should I go work for the Trump administration? That sounds fun, I might get an opportunity.” I want them to be like, “Lord, that might be buying myself a ton of problems that I don’t want, so let me avoid participating in that.” I want that deterrence message sent.

Unfortunately for Senator Slotkin, we were there, and we heard every word she said. A few days later, I published our piece reporting on her remarks, and our team at the Chicago Thinker put out tweets highlighting her comments. She is now facing formal ethics complaints (with more surely to come) and condemnation from everyone up to President Trump.

Unsurprisingly, she is running with two strategies to save face: explain what she really meant (trust her), and if that doesn’t work, portray herself as a victim.

Neither strategy is working. She says she meant that those in the Trump administration who break the law should be prosecuted. Who can disagree with that? But that’s not what she said — and added context doesn’t help her case. Extend the clip right after she announces her “deterrence message,” and the host adds to her claims as she nods along: “Fair, and you can make [them] a pariah politically, socially, maybe even legally.” If all Senator Slotkin wanted to do was say, “Don’t break the law,” we wouldn’t be here. But she said she wanted to deter young conservatives from serving their country in government. That’s a different message than what she wants you to believe now.

It’s laughable that she goes on the news circuit to cry foul after her comments backfired. Let me be very clear: Senator, you are not the victim here. You walked onto a liberal campus to tell young conservatives to stay out of government, or else. But for a few conservatives in the audience, you would have gotten away with it.

What’s worse, it’s unclear whether any Democrats actually disagree with Senator Slotkin’s threats. Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV) took her side, and Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) threatened Mike Davis, the founder and president of the Article III Project, after he responded to Senator Slotkin’s remarks, saying, “If we are still a country of laws, then the FBI director should have a couple of agents visit Mike Davis and ask him some questions.“

Thankfully for those who still believe we should not punish young patriots who wish to serve their country, the midterms are only two weeks away — and now we know exactly what Democrats plan to do if they retake power in Washington. They won’t just go after President Trump and his inner circle of advisors; they’ll go after young staffers throughout every level of government, and they will do so with the full weight and authority of Congress and their dark money donors. If they are successful, conservatives coming out of college looking to serve their country will be deterred from doing so.

Democrats have already given us a hint of what this might look like. We all remember their baseless prosecutions of President Trump, and the endless witch hunts into top officials from the last Trump administration. But as Senator Slotkin explicitly acknowledged in that interview, they will apply that same hyper-partisan, prosecutorial zeal to anyone associated with this administration.

So as we approach this year’s critical midterm elections, we should demand Democratic officials and candidates answer for Senator Slotkin. Do they too believe that young conservatives should be deterred from serving their country? Don’t let them dodge the question or lay low until November 3. The American people need to know whether they believe that the government should be weaponized against young conservatives who want to make our country better.

This especially applies to any young American, regardless of political background, who cares about this country’s future. Do not be intimidated by Senator Slotkin or her Democratic allies. This is still a democracy so long as we can keep it, as Benjamin Franklin warned 250 years ago. That means you should take Senator Slotkin’s threats as a challenge to step up and serve your country while there is still time.

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Michael Bicksel is a student at the University of Chicago and a senior editor for the Chicago Thinker, where he originally reported on Senator Slotkin’s remarks.

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We Broke The Elissa Slotkin Witch Hunt Story. This Is What Democrats Didn’t Want You To Hear.