All but one of the Democratic Party candidates have repeatedly explained they are not socialists, while Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders calls himself a democratic socialist.

After Zinke responded with a non sequitur “You know, Montana’s a great state,” Garcia said back: “We have to do something.”

Zinke’s answer to Garcia didn’t engage in Garcia's statement and pivoted to talk about the former Secretary's effort to open satellite offices of the Interior department in the western part of the U.S.

On Saturday, a reporter asked Garcia to clarify his remarks.

“So actually in the Constitution of the United States (if) they are found guilty of being a socialist member you either go to prison or are shot,” Garcia said.

Garcia could not to point to where in the Constitution it says socialists could be shot or jailed.

Asked to clarify if he thought it was fair to shoot or jail a socialist, including those who live in Montana, Garcia said yes.

“They’re enemies of the free state,” Garcia said. “What do we do with our enemies in war? In Vietnam, (Afghanistan), all those. What did we do?”